looked fo earnestly at me, that I do believe he was just going to speak to me, when the horrid monfter frightened me away. Ah, my dear child, faid the mother, you have cfcaped being devoured, but not by that monfter you was fo much afraid of; which, in truth,,was only a Bird, and would have done you no manner of harm. Whereas the fweet creature, of whom you feem fo fond, was no other than a CAT; who, under that hypocritical countenance, conceals the most inveterate hatred to all our race, and fubfifts entirely by devouring Mice. Learn from this incident, my dear, never while you live to rely on outward appearances.

The Farmer and his Dog.

A FARMER who had juft ftepped into the field to mend a gap in one of his fences, found at his return the cradle, where he had left his only Child afleep, turned upfide down, the clothes all torn and bloody, and his dog lying near it befmeared alfo with blood. Immediately conceiving that the creature had deftroyed his Child, he inftantly dafhed out his brains with the hatchet in his hand: when, turning up the cradle,

he found his Child unhurt, and an enormous Serpent lying dead on the floor, killed by that faithful Dog, whole courage and fidelity in preferving the life of his Son deferved another kind of reward. Thefe affecting circumftances afforded him a ftriking leffon, how dangerous it is too haftily to give way to the blind impulfe of a fudden paffion.

A GNAT, half-ftarved with cold, and pinched with hunger, came early one morning to a Bee-hive, begged the relief of charity, and offered to teach mufic in the family, on the humble terms of diet and lodging. The Bee received her petitioner with a cold civility, and defired to be excufed. I bring up all my children, faid fhe, to my own ufeful trade, that they may be able when they grow up to get an honeft livelihood by their induftry. Befides, how do you think I could be fo imprudent as to teach them an art, which I fee has reduced its profeffor to indigence and beggary?

F

An OWL fat blinking in the trunk of a hollow tree, and arraigned the brightness of the Sun. What is the ufe of its beams, faid fhe, but to dazzle one's eyes fo that one cannot fee a Moufe? For my part, I am at a lofs to conceive for what purpose fo glaring an object was created. We had certainly been much better without it. O fool! replied an EAGLE, perched on a branch of the fame tree, to rail at excellence which thou canst not tafte; ignorant that the fault is not in the Sun, but in thyfelf. All, it is true, have not faculties to understand, nor powers to enjoy the beneSt of it but muft the bufinefs and the pleafures of the world, be obstructed, that an Owl may catch Mice?

FABLE XXXV.

The Sick Lion, the Fox, and the Wolf.

A LION, having furfeited himself with feafting too luxuriously on the carcafe of a Wild Boar, was feized with a violent and dangerous diforder. The Beafts of the foreft flocked in great numbers to pay their refpects upon the occafion, and fcarce one was abfent except the Fox. The Wolf, an illnatured and malicious beaft, feized this opportunity to accufe the Fox of pride, ingratitude, and difaffection to his majefty. In the midft of his invective, the Fox entered; who having heard part of the Wolf's accufation, and obferving the Lion's countenance to be kindled into wrath, thus adroitly excufed himfelf, and retorted upon his accufer: I fee many here, who, with mere lipfervice, have pretended to fhow you their loyalty; but for my part, from the moment I heard of your majefty's illness, neglecting ufelefs compliments, I employed my felf day and night to inquire among the moft learned phyficians, an infallible remedy for your difeafe, and have at length happily been informed of one: it is a plafter made of part of a Wolf's fkin, taken warm from his back, and laid to your majefty's ftomach. This remedy was no fooner propofed, than it was determined

that the experiment fhould be tried and while the operation was performing, the Fox, with a farcaftic fmile, whispered this ufeful maxim in the Wolf's,earIf you would be fafe from harm yourfelf, learn for the future not to meditate mifchief against others.

BO

The Blind Man and the Lame.

IT is from our wants and infirmities that almost all the connexions of fociety take their rife.

A Blind Man, being ftopped in a bad piece of road, meets with a Lame Man, and entreats him to guide him through the difficulty he has got into. How can I do that, replied the Lame Man, fince I am fcarce able to drag myfelf along? but as you appear to be very ftrong, if you will carry me, we will feek our fortunes together. It will then be my intereft to warn you of any thing that may obftruct your way; feet fhall be my feet, and my eyes yours. your With all my heart, returned the Blind Man; let us render each other our mutual fervices. So taking his lame companion on his back, they, by means of their union; travelled on with fafety and pleafure.