unprovoked attack upon every Dog he met. The villagers immediately fallied forth with great indignation to rescue their refpective favourites; and falling upon our two friends without diftinction, or mercy, poor Tray was moft cruelly treated, for no other reafon but his being found in bad company.

JUPITER fent forth Death and Cupid to travel round the world, giving each of them a bow in his hand, and a quiver of arrows at his back. It was ordered by the Supreme Difpofer of all events, that the arrows of Love fhould only wound the young, in order to fupply the decays of mortal men; and thofe of Death were to ftrike old age, and free the world from an ufelefs charge. Our travellers, being one day extremely fatigued with

their journey, refted themfelves under the covert of a wood, and throwing down their arrows in a promifcuous manner, they both fell faft afleep. They had not repofed themselves long, before they were awakened by a fudden noife; when haftily gathering up their arms, each in a confufion took by mistake fome of the darts that belonged to the other. By this means, it frequently happened that Death vanquifhed the young, and Cupid fubdued the old. Jupiter obferved the error, but did not think proper to redrefs it; forefeeing that fome good might arife from their unlucky exchange. And, in fact, if men were wife, they would learn from this mistake to be apprehenfive of Death in their youth, and to guard against the amorous paffions in their old age,

THE

FABLE LII.

HIERE is a certain Bird in the Weft-Indies, which has the faculty of mimicking the notes of every other fongfter, without being able himself to add any original ftrains to the concert. As one of thefe Mock-Birds was. difplaying his talent of ridicule among the branches of a venerable wood: 'Tis very well, faid a little warbler, fpeaking in the name of all the reft, we grant you that our mufic is not without its faults: but why will you not favour us with a ftrain of your own?

HOW ftrangely all mankind differ in their opinions! and how ftrongly each is attached to

his own!

Jupiter one day, enjoying himself over a bowl of nectar, and in a merry humour, determined to make mankind a prefent. Momus was appointed to convey it to them; who, mounted on a rapid car, was prefently on earth. Come hither, fays he, ye happy mortals; great Jupiter has opened for

your benefits his all-gracious hands. "Tis true, he made you fomewhat fhort-fighted, but to remedy that inconvenience, behold how he has favoured you! So faying, he unloofed his portmanteau, when an infinite number of Spectacles tumbled out, and were picked up by the crowd with all

the eagerness imaginable. There were enough for all, every man had his pair. But it was foon found that thefe Spectacles did not represent objects to all mankind alike: for one pair was purple, another blue; one was white, and another black: fome of the glaffes were red, fome green, and fome yellow. In fhort, there were of all manner of colours, and every fhade of colour. However, notwithstanding this diverfity, every man was charmed with his own, as believing it the trueft; and enjoyed in opinion all the fatisfaction of reality.