Page:Fables of Aesop and other eminent mythologists.djvu/88

34 A Man can hardly fancy to himelf a Truer Image of a Plain, Honet, Country Simplicity, then the Ants part of the Dialogue in This Fable. She takes pains for What he Eats; Wrongs No body; and o Creates No Enemies; She wants Nothing, and he Boats of Nothing; Lives Contented with her Own, and Enjoys all with a Good Concience. This Emblem recommends to us the Bleings of a Virtuous Privacy, according to the jut Meaures of Right Nature, and in Few Words, comprizes the Sum of a Happy State.

The Fly, on the Contrary, leads a Lazy, Voluptuous, Scandalous, Sharking Life; Hateful wherever he comes, and in Perpetual Fears and Dangers. She flutters, 'tis true, from place to place, from Feat to Feat, Brags of her Interet at Court, and of Ladies Favours: And what's This Mierable Inect at lat, but the very Picture of one of our Ordinary Trencher Squires, that pend their time in Hopping from One Great man's Table to Anothers, only to Pick up Scraps, and Intelligence, and to Spoil Good Company! I cannot ee one of Thee Officious, Humble Companions, Skipping up and down from Levée to Levée, and making himelf Neceary, wherever he thinks fit to be Troubleome: I cannot hear a Finical Fop Romancing, how the King took him aide at uch a time; What the Queen aid to him at Another; How many Ladies fell out who hould have him to her elf; What Dicoure pafs'd; Where he is to Eat tomorrow; What Company; What Dihes; What Wine; Who Loves Who; and what Intrigues are afoot in Church and State, &c. Without More Words I cannot Hear the Chat, or ee the Vanity of thee Pragmatical Empty Buie-Bodies without thinking of the Fly in the Fable. And This Application was the True End of Writing it.

S a Huge Over-grown Oxe was Grazing in a Meadow, an Old Envious Frog that tood Gaping at him hard by, call'd out to her Little Ones, to take Notice of the Bulk of That Montrous Beat; and ee, ays he, if I don't make my elf now the Bigger of the Two. So he Strain'd Once, and Twice, and went till welling on and on, till in the Conclusion he Forc'd her elf, and Burt.

Fancy is a Lah upon Thoe that et up to Live above their Quality and Fortune, and pretend to pend Penny for Penny with men of Twenty