Page:Fables of Aesop and other eminent mythologists.djvu/461

Rh Force of Natural Reaon, to Mater the Temptation of falling either into Preumption or Depair.

Here was a Pinking Owl once upon a very Bright and a Glorious Morning, that fate Sputtering at the Sun; and ask'd him what he meant to tand Staring her in the Eyes at that Rate. Well, ays the Sun, but if your Eyes will not bear the Light, what's your Quarrel to my Beams that Shed it? Do you think it a Reaonable Thing that the whole VVorld hould be Depriv'd of the Greatet Bleing in Nature, to Gratify the Folly, the Arrogance and the Infirmity of One Sot?

is no more in the Power of Calumny and Envy to Blat the Dignity of a Wie and of an Honet Man, then it was in the Power of the Blear-Ey'd Owl here, to cat a Scandal upon the Glory and Greatnes of the Sun. The Principles of Good and Evil are as Firm, as the Foundations of the Earth, and never had any Man Living the Face yet to make an Open Profeion of Wickednes in its own Name. Not but that Men of Vicious Lives and Converations, have found out ways of Impoing their Corruptions and Infirmities upon the World for Virtues, under fale Semblances and Colours. But there's no Man all this while, that ets up for a Knave or a Coxcomb in Direct Terms. Now the Mytery of the Cheat lies in the Artificial Diguiing of One thing for Another, and in making Evil pas for Good, and Good for Evil: As every Virtue has its Bordering Vice, and every Vice its Bordering Virtue. So that the Pretence is Fair till, let the Practice be never o Foul, and Men will be trying to bring down the Rule to the Error, where they cannot Reconcile the Error to the Rule. When People have once Inverted the Meaures of Moral Equity, and Natural Reaon, and brought the Quetion of Right or Wrong; o far as in them lies, to a Fale Standard, there follows in coure, an Envious Malevolence upon the Oppoition. As for Example; A Fool Naturally Hates a Philoopher: A Debauchee does as Naturally Hate a Man of good Government, and Moderation. A Man of Concience and Religion is as much an Eye-Sore to a Profligate Atheit: And a Mercenary Knight of the Pot has jut as much Kindnes for a Man of Probity and Virtue. To Conclude the Moral, There are of thee