THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE.

YE men of genius-gifted brains,

Who scoff at tardy wits as muddy, That gain their point by toil and pains

You deem mispent the hours severe of study; More pleas'd with feasting, frolicking, or nodding; Learn from this tale the potency of plodding.

A tortoise, nothing swift, but somewhat cunning, Said to a brisk, young, thoughtless hare,

"

Friend, if you wish to shew your skill in running,
I will against your speed a trial dare.

A verdant parsley-wreath shall grace the winner,
To wear or else to make a savoury dinner."

"You run with me!" said wond'ring Puss,

Have you these megrims, gossip, had before? Till now I never saw you thus

Pray take to-night some grains of hellebore." My brains are sound as yours: "the tortoise cried ; And so at once the experiment was tried. *

The garland at the goal was laid:
The hare, in half a dozen bounds

(Such as she makes when much afraid,

And throws at distance e'en the fleetest hounds) Could reach the promis'd prize with ease and pleasure, She thinks her fame demands to start at leisure.

She takes a nap;-then idly grazes,

Frisks round, and listens to the wind;

Doubles thro' all her wanton mazes,

Nor seems the contest once to bear in mind:

Letting the tortoise creep her solemn pace,

At the last moment means to win the race.

"Ah!" thought the tortoise, "you'll repent ye: These foolish freaks too late you'll rue.

My motto still, festina lenté,

My course thus steadily I'll still pursue." Now starts the hare, and like an arrow fliesThe tortoise had already touch'd the prize!

THE OWL AND THE GRASSHOPPER.

AN owl sat sleeping in a tree, when a grasshopper, who was singing beneath, would not let her be quiet, abusing her with very indecent and uncivil language, telling her she was a scandalous person, who plied at nights to get her living, and shut herself up all day in a hollow tree. The owl desired her to hold her tongue and be quiet, notwithstanding which she was still impertinent. She begged of her a second time to leave off, but to no purpose. The owl, vexed at heart to find that all she said went for nothing, cast about to inveigle her by stratagem. "Well," said she, since one must needs be kept awake, it is a pleasure, however, to be so by such an agreeable voice, which, I must confess, is in no way inferior to the finest harp. And now I think of it, I have a bottle of excellent nectar, which my mistress Pallas gave me; if you have a mind, I will give you a dram to whet your whistle." The grasshopper, ready to die with thirst, and at the same time pleased to be so complimented upon account of her voice, skipped up to the place very briskly; when the owl, advancing to meet her, seized, and, without much delay, made her a sacrifice to her revenge; securing to herself, by the death of her enemy, possession of that quiet, which, during her life-time she | could not enjoy.

Humanity, or what we understand by common civility, is not a more necessary duty than it is easy to practise. The man that is guilty of ill-manners, must do violence to himself, as well as to the person he offends; and cannot be inhuman to others, without being cruel to his own nature. Some young people are fond of shewing their wit and intrepidity, and, therefore, take occasion to do it when a friend is peevish, (as one may have a private cause for being so,) and will not leave till they have rallied him out of it, though he entreat them ever so gravely and earnestly. Whereas, in truth, we have no right to be impertinent with one another; and, though there is no law to punish such incivility, it will scarce fail of meeting with deserved and just chastisement some way or

other.

THE WOLVES AND THE SICK ASS.

AN ass being sick, the report of it was spread abroad in the country, and some said that she would die before another night passed over her head. Upon this, several wolves came to the stable where she lay, under pretence of making her a visit; but, rapping at the door, and asking how she did, the young ass came out and told them that his mother was much better than they desired.

The charitable visits which are made to many sick people proceed from much the same motive with that which prevailed upon the wolves to pay their duty to the sick ass, namely, that they may come in for some of their remains, and feast themselves upon the reversion of their goods and chattels. As a behaviour thus grossly impertinent and officious, must needs be offensive to a discerning man, and more especially at such a time, when he labours under any indisposition or pain of body, so it is very frequently injurious to the interest of him who makes use of it, and proves to be the means of his missing such an inheritance or legacy, as a more distant and modest deportment might have secured to him.

THE YOUNG LADY AND THE LOOKING-GLASS.

YB deep philosophers, who can
Explain that various creature, man,
Say, is there any point so nice
As that of offering advice?

To bid your friend his errors mend,
Is almost certain to offend :
Tho' you in softest terms advise,
Confess him good, admit him wise;
In vain you sweeten the discourse,
He thinks you call him fool, or worse;
You paint his character, and try
If he will own it, and apply;
Without a name reprove and warn ;
Here none are hurt, and all may learn;
This too must fail; the picture shewn,
No man will take it for his own,
In moral lectures treat the case,
Say this is honest, that is base;
In conversation none will bear it;
And for the pulpit, few come near it
And is there then no other way
A moral lesson to convey ?
Must all that shall attempt to teach,
Admonish, satirize, or preach?
Yes, there is one, an ancient art,
By sages found to reach the heart,
Ere science with distinctions nice.
Had fixed what virtue is, and vice,
No will she minded but her own:
Inventing all the various names
On which the moralist declaims :
They would by simple tales advise,
Which took the hearer by surprise;
Alarmed his conscience unprepared,
Ere pride had put it on its guard;
And made him from himself receive
The lessons which they meant to give.
That this device will oft prevail,
And gain its end when others fail,
If any shall pretend to doubt,
The tale which follows makes it out.

There was a little stubborn dame,
Whom no authority could tame;