ANCIENT FABLES.

FABLE Í.

The Frogs petitioning Jupiter for a King.

AS Efop was travelling over Greece, he happened to pass through Athens juft after Pififtratus had abolished the popular state, and ufurped a fovereign power; when perceiving that the Athenians bore the yoke with much impatience, he related to them the following fable:

The commonwealth of frogs, a difcontented, variable race, weary of liberty, and fond of change, petitioned Jupiter to grant them a king. The good-natured deity, in order to indulge this their request, with as little mifchief to the petitioners as poffible, threw them down a Log. At first they regarded their new mo narch mith great reverence, and kept from him at a

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moft

met groote eerbiedigheid en hielden hun af van hem tot den meeten on zaggelyksten afstand: maar bevroedende zyn tamme en vreedzaame gefteltenis, zy allengskens waagden hem te naaderen met meerder gemeinzaamheid, tot ten laatsten zy toonden hem de grootte mifagting. In deeze gefteltenis, zy vernieuwden hun fmeekfchrift tot Jupiter, en verzogten hem hun eenen anderen koning te verleenen. Den Blixemgod in zyne graamschap zond hun eenen kraan vogel, den welken zoo haaft als hy bezit van zyn nieuw gebied had genoomen, begon zyne nieuwe onderdaanen te verflinden, den eenen agter den anderen, op d' eigenzinnigste en dwingelandigfte wyze. Zy waaren nu meer mifnoegd als te vooren; hun begeevende tot Jupiter een derde maal, zy waaren weggezonden met deeze berifping, dat zy het kwaad, waar af zy hun beklaagden, hadden onvoorzigtiglyk op hun zelven gebragt en dat zy geenen anderen hulpmiddel hadden, dan 'er hun toe t' onderwerpen met geduld,

moft refpectful diftance: but perceiving his tame and peaceable difpofition, they by degrees ventured to approach him with more familiarity, till at length they conceived for him the utmoft contempt. In this difpofition, they renewed their request to Jupiter, and intreated him to bestow upon them another king. The Thunderer in his wrath fent them a Crane, who no fooner took poffeffion of his new dominions, than he began to devour bis fubjects one after another, in a moft capricious and tyrannical manner. They were now far more diffatisfied than before; when applying to Jupiter a third time, they were difmiffed with this reproof, that the evil they complained of they had imprudently brought upon themselves; and that they had no other remedy now but to fubmit to it with patience.

VERCIER ZEL II.

Den Buik en de Leeden.

MENENIUS AGRIPPA, eenen roomfchen raadsheer, gezonden weezende by den fenaat, om te ftillen eenen gevaarlyken oproer en wanorder van het volk, het welk weigerde de noodzaakelyke schattingen te betaalen, om uit te voeren de. ftaats-belangen, overtuigde hun, van hunne gekheid, tot hun fpreekende het volgende vercierfel.

Myne vrienden en landsmannen, zeide hy, zyt aandagtig tot myne woorden. Het gefchiedede eens, dat de leeden van het lighaam, neemendeeenig vermoeden op het gedrag van den buik, beflooten hem niet langer te verleenen den gewoonelyken byftand. De tonge eerft, in eene oproerige redenkaaveling, bezwaarde hunne klagten; en agter hooglyks beroemende de naarftigheid en vlyt van de handen en voeten, bragt voort, hoe hard en onredelyk het was, daa de vrugten van hunnen aarbeid zouden verkwift weezen op de onverzaadelyke begeerten van eenen vetten balg, den welken geheel noodeloos en onbekwaam was iet te

doen

FABLE II.

The Belly and the Limbs,

MENENIUS AGRIPPA, a Roman conful, being deputed by the fenate to appease a dangerous tumult and fedition of the people, who refused to pay the taxes necessary for carrying on the business of the state; convinced them of their folly, by deliver= ing to them the following fable:

My friends and countrymen, faid he, attend to my words. It once happened that the Members of the human body taking fome exception at the conduct of the Belly, refolved no longer to grant him the ufual Supplies. The Tongue firft, in a feditious fpeech, aggravated their grievances; and after highly extolling the activity and diligence of the hands and feet, fet forth how hard and unreasonable it was, that the fruits of their labour should be fquandered away upon the infatiable cravings of a fat and indolent Paunch, which was entirely ufelefs, and unable to do any thing towards helping himself. This Speech was

received