Page:Fables of Aesop and other eminent mythologists.djvu/67

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Certain Fox pyd out a Raven upon a Tree with a Morel in his mouth, that let his Chops a watering; but how to come at it was the Quetion. Ah thou Bleed Bird! (ays he) the Delight of Gods, and of Men! and o he lays himelf forth upon the Gracefulnes of the Ravens Peron, and the Beauty of his Plumes; His Admirable Gift of Augury, &c. And now, ays the Fox, If thou hadt but a Voice anwerable to the ret of thy Excellent Qualities, the Sun in the Firmament could not hew the World uch Another Creature. This Naueous Flattery ets the Raven immediately a Gaping as Wide as ever he could tretch, to give the Fox a tate of his Pipe; but upon the Opening of his Mouth, he drops his Breakfat, which the Fox preently Chopt up, and then bad him remember, that whatever he had aid of his Beauty, he had poken Nothing yet of his Brains.

Fable hews us the Danger and the Nature of Flattery. It calls Good Things by ill Names, and ill by Good; but it will never be out of Credit, o long as there are Knaves to Give it, and Fools to Take it. It is never more Pernicious than in the Courts of Great Princes, becaue a good deal of it looks like Duty; as in private Caes, it carries a face of Friendhip. The way to Rie is to Pleae, and whatever is gotten by't, comes by Treachery. 'Tis a Deign that endangers both Body, Soul, and Etate; and not One Man of a Million that's Proof againt it. But Great and Good Men will rather look for their Character in the Writings and Precepts of the Philoophers, than in the Hyperboles of their Flatterers. For they know very well that Wie Books are the Only True Friends.

There's a Fawning, Crafty Knave, and a Vain, Eaie Fool, well met, in this Fable of the Fox and the Raven; which is no more at lat, than One fort of Racal Cajoling Another; And then to hew us, both that Impudence will tick at Nothing, and that a Self Conceited Fop will wallow Any thing, the Raven's Beauty forooth, and his Voice are the Topiques, that Reynard has made choice of to Dilate upon. The two main Ends of Flattery, are Profit, or Safety, though there are many others too that are les Principal; but in ome repect or other, Reducible to thee Heads. The One is too Mercenary, and the Other too Servile, for a man of Worth. There are alo everal orts and degrees of it under this Diviion; and divers ways of Addres and Application. But Flattery is Flattery till, and the Moral extends to All. 'Tis