Page:Fables of Aesop and other eminent mythologists.djvu/379

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N Old Man and a Little Boy were driving an As before them to the Next Market to Sell. Why have you no more Wit, (ays one to the Man upon the Way,) than You and your Son to Trudge it afoot, and let the As go Light? So the Man et the Boy upon the As, and Footed it Himelf. Why Sirrah, ays Another after this, to the Boy, Ye Lazy Rogue you, mut you Ride, and let your Antient Father go afoot? The Man upon this, took down his Boy; and got up Himelf. D'ye ee (ays a Third) how the Lazy Old Knave Rides Himelf, and the Poor Little Child has much ado to Creep after him! The Father, upon this, took up his Son Behind him. The next they met, ask'd the Old Man whether his As were his Own or no? He aid Yes. Troth, there's little ign on't fays t'other, by your Loading him thus. Well ays the Fellow to Himfelf, and what an I to do now? for I am Laugh'd at, if either the As be Empty, or if One of us Rides, or Both; and o in the Concluion he Bound the Aes Legs together with a Cord, and they try’d to carry him to Market with a Pole upon their Shoulders betwixt them. This was Sport to every Body that aw it, inomuch that the Old Fellow in great Wrath threw down the As into a River, and o went his way Home again. The Good Man, in fine, was willing to Pleae Every body, but had the Ill Fortune to Pleae No body, and lot his As into the Bargain.

So many Men, o many Minds; and this Diverity of Thought mut necearily be attended with Folly, Vanity, and Error: For Truth is one and the ame for Ever, and the Sentence of Reaon tands as Firm as the Foundations of the Earth. So that no Man can be either Happy or Secure that governs himelf by the Humour and Opinion of the Common People. 'Tis a Thing utterly impoible to Pleae All, and none but a Mad Man will endeavour to Pleae thoe that are Divided among themelves, and can never Pleae ane another. A Wie, and an Honet Man lives