THE Peacock and the Crane by chance met together. The Peacock erecting his tail, displayed his gaudy plumes, and looked with contempt upon the Crane, as some mean ordinary person. The Crane, resolving to mortify his insolence, took occasion to say, that Peacocks were very fine birds indeed, if fine feathers could make them so; but that he thought it a much nobler thing to be able to rise above the clouds, than to strut about upon the ground, and be gazed at by children.

REFLECTION.

The mind which is stored with virtuous and rational sentiments, and the behaviour which speaks complacence and humility, stamps an estimate upon the possessor, which all judicious spectators are ready to admire and

acknowledge. But if there be any merit in an embroidered-coat, a brocade waistcoat, a shoe, a stocking, or sword-knot, the person, who wears them, has the least claim to it; let it be ascribed where it justly belongsto the several artisans, who wrought and disposed the materials of which they consist. This moral is not intended to derogate any thing from the magnificence of fine clothes and rich equipages, which, as times and circumstances require, may be used with decency and propriety enough: but one cannot help being concerned, lest any worth should be affixed to them more than their own intrinsic value.

A THIEF, coming to rob a certain house in the night, was disturbed in his attempts by a fierce vigilant Dog, who kept barking at him continually. Upon which the Thief, thinking to stop his mouth, threw him a piece of bread: but the Dog refused it with indignation; telling him, that before, he only suspected him to be a bad man; but now, upon his offering to bribe him, he was confirmed in his opinion; and that, as he was intrusted with the guardianship of his master's house, he should never cease barking while such a rogue as he lay lurking about it.

REFLECTION.

It is a common and known maxim, to suspect an enemy, even the more, for his endeavouring to convince us of his benevolence; because the oddness of the thing

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puts us upon our guard, and makes us conclude, that some pernicious design must be couched under so sudden and unexpected a turn of behaviour: but it is no unnecessary caution to be upon the watch against even indifferent people, when we perceive them uncommonly forward in their approaches of civility and kindness. The man, who at first sight makes us an offer, which is due only to particular and well-acquainted friends, must be either a knave, and intends by such a bait to draw us into his net; or a fool, with whom we ought to avoid having any communication.

Thus far the consideration of this Fable may be useful to us in private life; what it contains farther, in relation to the public, is, That a man, truly honest, will never let his mouth be stopped with a bribe; but the greater the offer is, which is designed to buy his silence, the louder, and more constantly, will he open it against the miscreants who would practise it upon him.

WHEN periwigs were first used, and then chiefly to cover the defect of baldness, a certain Cavalier had one for that purpose, which passed for his own hair. But as he was one day riding out with some others a hunting, a sudden puff of wind blew off both his wig and hat, and set the company in a loud laugh at his bald pate. He, for his part, fell a laughing with the rest, and said, "why, really, Gentlemen, this is merry enough; for how could I expect to keep other people's hair, who could not preserve my own."

REFLECTION.

The edge of a jest is quite blunted and turned off when a man has presence of mind to join in it against himself, or begin it.

A frank easy way of openness and candour agrees.