४

COMPLETE FABULIST:

OR, A

CHOICE COLLECTION

O F

MORAL and ENTERTAINING

FABLE S,

In PROSE and VERSE,
From the Beft AUTHORS,

ANCIENT and MODERN.

Defigned for the Inftruction of both Sexes,

A S WELL AS

The USE of ENGLISH SCHOOLS.

Containing 240 Fables, which are nearly as many more than have
appeared in any Book on the Subject extant, at the Price.
The SECOND EDITION.

Here all Mankind may view the Moral Glaff
And laugh at Folly's Offspring as they pass
By Proxy cur'd, may here grozu cheaply wif
And their own Faults, in others Ramp'd, defpife.

By G. GREY,

Author of the EPITOME of the Hiftory of England.

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE:

PRINTED for THOMAS SLACK.

M. DCC. XXXII,

270. q. 739.

PREFACE.

convey inftruction by is not

Tonly the cafieft and moft intelligible

way, but also one of the politeft; as it comes nearest to personal dialogue, and yet not fo liable to give offence. Fables are calculated to point out to us a proper behaviour, not only in refpect to our own conduct, but to that of others; and demonftrate to us every virtue which claims our beft regard, and alfo every vice which we fhould be ftudious to avoid Nay, they furnish us with rules for our conduct in every station of life; and may be properly called the emblems of pure morality and found policy, expreffed in the moft engaging and pleasing manner.

The origin of fables is very ancient ; nor can it be properly afcertained. The bulk of the fables we have in profe, we are indebted to an ingenious old gentleman for, called

fop, who published them about the time the Roman empire began to rife out of obfcurity. Some fables indeed have been done by other learned gentlemen fince his time;

a 2

which