Page:Fables of Aesop and other eminent mythologists.djvu/76

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S a Gang of Thieves were at work to Rob a Houe, a Matiff took the Alarum, and fell a Baying: One of the Company poke him Fair, and would have Stopt his Mouth with a Crut: No, ays the Dog, This will not do, for Several Reaons. Firt, I'll take no Bribes to Betray my Mater. Secondly, I am not uch a Fool neither, as to fell the Eae and Liberty of my Whole Life to come, for a piece of Bread in Hand: For when you have Rifled my Mater; pray who hall Maintain Me?

When Ill Men take up a Fit of Kindnes all on a udden, and appear to be Better Natur'd than Uual, 'tis Good Dicretion to upect Fraud, and to lay their Words, and their Practices together: The Greater the Trut, the Greater is the Treachery, and the Baer is the Villany too. This Moral reaches to All orts of Trutees whatoever.

It were well if All Two-Footed Servants were but as Faithful to their Maters as This Four-Legg'd Animal. A Loaf of Bread was as much to Him as a Bag of Guineas to a Great Officer; And why hould not the One make as much Concience of Betraying his Patron for Gold, as the Other of doing it for a Crut? Beide the Right Reaoning of the Dog uppon the Conequence of Things. If I take Your Bread, (ays he) You'll Rob My Mater. But in the Other cae it is not o much a Deliberation of what will follow upon't, as a kind of Tacit Compoition, that does as good as ay [For o much Mony I'll hut my Eyes, and let You Rib my Mater.] Here's an Emblem now, of the Foreight, Fidelity, and Duty of a Truty Servant, on the One hand, and of the Flattery, Arts and Practices that are Employ'd by Evil Men to Corrupt him on the Other.

Under the figure of This Faithful Truty Servant; is Couch'd a Lecture to All men of Buines; let them be Councellors, Confidents, Favourites, Officers, Soldiers, Traders, or what you will. For there are Good and Bad of All Kinds and Profeions. So that Æop's Dog is a Reproach to Fale Men. Publick Perons have their ways of Temptation, and Addres, as well as Private. And He that uffers a Government to be Abus'd by Carelenes, or Neglect, does the Same thing, with Him that Maliciouly and Corruptly ets himelf to Cozen it. This holds as well too in the Private Cae of being either Principal or Acceory to the Robbing of a Houe; Only the Former, is a Treachery of a Deeper Dye. There arc Loaves at the Gates of Courts and Palaces, as well as at the Door of a Cottage; and to Encourage the Abue, there are a Thouand Quirks to avoid the Stroke of the