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received with unanimous applause by all the Members. Immediately the Hands declared they would work no more; the Feet determined to carry no farther the load of guts with which they had bitherto been oppreffed; nay, the very Teeth refufed to prepare a fingle morfel more for his ufe. In this dif trefs, the Belly befought them to confider maturely, and not foment fo fenfeless a rebellion. There is none of you, fays he, can be ignorant that whatfoever you beftow upon me is immediately converted to your ufe, and difperfed by me, for the good of you all, into every limb. But he remonftrated in vain; for during the clamours of paffion, the voice of reafon is always difregarded. It being therefore impoffible for him to quiet the tumult, he ftarved for want of their affiftance, and the body wafted away to a fkeleton. The Limbs grown weak and languid, were fenfible at laft of their error, and would fain have returned to their respective duties; but it was now too late, death had taken poffeffion of the whole and they all perished together.

FABLE

VERCIER ZEL III.

Den Vos en de Zwaluwe.

ARISTOTELES verklaard ons dat het volgende vercierzel gefprooken was by Ezopus tot de Samiaanen, op eenen parlementaaren twist, raakende het veranderen van hunne minifters, dewelke befchuldigd waaren van het gemeine best te plunderen.

eene

Eenen vos over eenen ftroom zwemmende, het gebeurde dat hy was verward in't wied 't welk omtrent den oever groeyde, uit 't welk hy onbekwaam was zig zelf t'ontwikkelen. Als hy dus open lag tot gantfche zwarms van vliegen, dewelke hem vilden, zuigende zyn bloed; zwaluwe zynen druk ziende offerde minnelyk hun weg te dryven. Gantsch niet, zeide den vos, want zoo deeze weg-gejaagd waaren, de welke alreede genoegzaam verbalgd zyn, eenen andefen uitgehongerden zwarm zoude opvolgen, en ik zoude elken overigen droppel bloed in myne aderen uit gezoogen worden.

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FABLE III.

The Fox and the Swallow.

ARISTOTLE informs us, that the following fable was spoken by Efop to the Samians, on a debate upon changing their minifters, who were accufed of plundering the commonwealth.

A fox fwimming across a river, happened to be entangled in fome weeds that grew near the bank, from which he was unable to extricate himself. As he lay thus expofed to whole fwarms of flies, who were galling him and fucking bis blood; a fwallow obferving his diftrefs, kindly offered to drive them away. By no means, faid the fox; for if these Should be chafed away, who are already fufficiently gorged, another more hungry fwarm would fucceed, and I fhould be robbed of every remaining drop of blood in my veins.

VERCIER ZEL IV.

Den Boomen en den Braam.

DE Ifareliten altyd knorrende en onvergenoegd onder de beheerfching van Jehovah, waaren begeerig eenen koning t'hebben, gelyk andere geflagten. Zy offerden het koningryk tot Gedeon hunnen verloffer; tot hem en tot zyne naakoomelingen agter hem; hy weigerde mildadelyk hunnen offer, en maakte hun indagtig dat Jehovah hunnen koning was. Als Gedeon dood was, Abimelech, zynen, zoon by een by-wyf, verfloeg al zyne andere zoonen tot het getal van zeventig, Jotham alleen ontvlugtende, en by de hulp vande Shechemiten maakte hemzelf koning, Jotham, om hun hunne gekheid voor oogen te ftellen, en hun te vertoonen, dat de bekwaamste gemeinelyk de minste heerzugtig zyn; daar in tegendeel de waardlooze grypen naa beheerfching met vuurigheid, en oeffenen het met ongebondentheid en geweldenary, fpraak tot hun in de volgende wyze,

Luistert

FABLE IV.

The Trees and the Bramble.

THE Ifraelites, ever murmuring and difcontented under the reign of Jehovah, were defirous of having a king, like the rest of the nations. They offered the kingdom to Gideon their deliverer; to him, and to his pofterity after him: be generously refused their offer, and reminded them, that Fehovah was their king. When Gideon was dead, Abimelech, his fon by a concubine, flew all his other fons to the number of feventy, Jotham alone efcaping; and by the affiftance of the Shechemites, made himself king. Fotham, to reprefent to them their folly, and to fhew them, that the most deferving are generally the leaft ambitious, whereas the worthlefs grafp at power with eagerness, and exercife it with infolence and tyranny, Spoke to them in the following manner :