TWO

The two Foxes.

WO Foxes formed a ftratagem to enter a henrooft: which having fuccefsfully executed, and killed the Cock, the Hens, and the Chickens, they began to feed upon them with fingular fatisfaction, One of the Foxes, who was young and inconfiderate, was for devouring them all upon the fpot: the other, who was old and covetous, propofed to referve fome of them for another time; for experience, child, faid he, has made me wife, and I have feen many unexpected events fince I came into the world. Let us provide, therefore, against what may happen, and not confume all our store at one meal. All this is wondrous wife, replied the young Fox; but for my part, I am refolved not to ftir till I have eaten as much as will ferve me a whole week; for who would be mad enough to return hither? when it is certain the owner of

thefe fowls will watch for us, and if he fhould catch us would certainly put us to death. After this fhort difcourfe, each purfued his own fcheme: the young Fox eat till he burft himself, and had fcarcely itrength to reach his hole before he died. The old one, who thought it much better to deny his appetite for the prefent, and lay up provision for the future, returned the next day, and was killed by the farmer. Thus every age has its peculiar vice; the young fuffer by their infatiable thirft after pleasure; and the old, by their incorrigible and inordinate avarice.

A

FABLE XLI.

The conceited Owl.

YOUNG Owl, having accidentally feen him. felf in a cryftal fountain, conceived the higheft opinion of his perfonal perfections. 'Tis time, faid be, that Hymen fhould give me children as beauti

ful as myfelf to the glory of the night, and the ornament of our groves. What pity would it be, if the race of the moft accomplished of birds should be extinct for want of a mate! Happy the female who is destined to spend her life with me! Full of these felf-approving thoughts, he entreated the crow to propose a match between him and the royal daughter of the eagle. Do you imagine, faid the crow, that the noble eagle, whofe pride it is to gaze on the brighteft of the heavenly luminaries, will confent to marry his daughter to you, who cannot fo much as open your eyes whilft it is day-light? but the felf-conceited Owl was deaf to all that his friend could urge; who, after much perfuafion, was at length prevailed upon to undertake the commiffion. His propofal was received in the manner that might be expected: the king of birds laughed him to fcorn. However, being a monarch of fome humour, he ordered him to acquaint the Owl, that if he would meet him the next morning at fun-rise in the middle of the sky, he would confent to give him his daughter in marriage. The prefumptuous Owl undertook to perform the condition; but being dazzled with the fun, and his head growing giddy, he fell from his height upon a rock; from whence being pursued by a flight of birds, he was glad at laft to make his escape into the hollow of an old oak; where he paffed the remainder of his days in that obfcurity for which nature designed him.

TOTHING is more common than for men to condemn the very fame actions in others, which they practife themfelves whenever occafion offers.

A Fox and a Cat having made a party to travel together, beguiled the tedioufnefs of their journey by a variety of philofophical converfations. Of all the moral virtues, exclaimed Renard, mercy is fure the nobleft! What fay you, my fage friend, is it not fo? Undoubtedly, replied the Cat, with a moft demure countenance; nothing is more becoming, in a creature of any fenfibility, than a compaffionate difpofition. While they were thus moralizing, and mutually complimenting each other on the wifdom of their refpective reflections, a wolf darted out from a wood upon a flock of fheep,

which were feeding in an adjacent meadow; and without being in the least affected by the moving lamentations of a poor lamb, devoured it before their eyes. Horrible cruelty! exclaimed the Cat; why does he not feed on vermin, instead of making his barbarous meals on fuch innocent creatures? Renard agreed with his friend in the observation; to which he added-feveral very pathetic remarks on the odiousness of a fanguinary temper. Their indignation was rifing in its warmth and zeal, when they arrived at a little cottage by the way-fide; where the tender-hearted Renard immediately caft his eye upon a fine cock that was ftrutting about the yard. And now, adieu moralizing: he leaped over the pales, and without any fort of fcruple, demolished his prize in an inftant. In the mean while, a plump moufe, which ran out of the ftable totally put to flight our Cat's philofophy, who fell to the repaft without the leaft commiferation.