If thou wou'dst be a Wooden God after thy Decease away with thy Coffers beyond the Alps. 19. The Lyon and Dragon ALyon ranging o'er a Plain To find no doubt his Prey Met vvith a Dragon when began A fierce and bloody Fray The Lyon knew his Power great Commenc'd unto a King Which made him rore and stamp his Feet To feel the Dragon's Sting At length he bravely Won the day And made the Dragon Yield Who falling on his Back doth say O let me quit the Field The MORAL WILT thou become Victor over thine Adversaries and be able to grapple with Monsters This is not attain'd to presently First try thy Skill vvith Dwarfs and Pigmies then profess thy self Master of the Science I mean my Friend thus In the Juvenal of thy Years begin to encounter vvith petty Vices such as Lying Jesting Coveting Reviling and prophane Babling all vvhich as the Domesticks of thy grand Adversary are to Worry thee vvith Despair that He may vvith the more ease overcome thee at last Begin to make this thy Study and let Conscience be thy Master vvho never vvill Fight but vvhen thou art in Danger and thou shalt not only free thy self from Wounds but evade the Assaults of a Satanick Host. Is it not easy to say thus If I do not leave off drinking novv I shall fall asleep and my Enemy vvill come and Surprize me c. Do these things and thou shalt be a Man of War more Politick than the Devil himself Nip Vice in th' Bud at first however If cropt at last it s better late than Never 20. The Parliament of Bees THe Bees in Parliament agree To chuse themselves a King To make such Laws as Liberty And Property may bring At length they to a Royal be Do make a grievous Moan Imploring him their King to be To sit upon the Throne Which done some idle Drones contrive Their lawful King to Slay Because he had preserv'd their Hives From all the Beasts of Prey But in the very int'rim they were took And justly hang'd on a Triangle Hook The MORAL MOnarchy Thou Witchcraft of Felicity and Enemy to a State free from the pale Cabals of Blood and Slaughter in thy Bowels are Vipers and on thy Brest Vultures Kings that should be most free from Danger move as if every step they took were in the Dark and are if not Hated Envied by all The Courts of Princes are full of Minions Parasites and Favourites Conspirators in the Palace and Regicides in the Bed-Chamber with innumerable Emmissaries without And though Mortals have universally Consented to the Punishment of Treason yet they will indulge themselves therein though they see Quarters expos'd to view on the City-Gates For my part I do not love to imbrew my Hands in the Blood of any Creature especially in the Blood of that Monarch who hath restor'd me Liberty and Property unto whom I owe Subjection Nor is it consistent with Nature that the Feet should kick against the Head because it 's Elivated above all the other Parts of the Body and Governs the same 21. The Vine and Bramble AS flourishing a Grape Vine grevv A Farmer 's House about Some Brambles in a Hedge hard by Had nevvly taken Root Who quarrels vvith the Vine and cryes Where are thy Weapons novv That able are to save thy Fruit Which grovvs on every Bough The Vine replies I 'm vvell content My Fruit should gather'd be Rather than Hevven dovvn and burnt As is the Bramble-Tree The MORAL ARt thou One not given to Contention and wou'dst live Peaceably with â—hy Neighbour Value not the Reproaâ—hes of the Simple What if thou hast â—ot Money enough to Corrupt a Judge â—r Parasites to pervert Justice yet thou â—ast a Friend within who will send thee â—way Justified What if Heaven blesseth thee with Wealth a fruitful Wife and Vertuous Children for a time and afterwards sends one Messenger for thy Son another for thy Wealth a Third â—or thy Wife and a Fourth for the very Bed from under thee it is only to see what Sap is in thy Heart and to make â—hy Vertues grow and Flourish the more And is it not better for thee to be prun'd with the Hook of Affliction than to be cut down by the Ax of Destruction and â—aid up for Fuel with the Thorns of this World Consider thou canst not have 〈◊〉 better Master than Providence and thô â—mmoralists brand thee with Simplicity â—et this suffice to Content thee That thou art not Listed under their Banner If thou hast peace within tho' poor in purse Ne'r mind Reproach That shall be all thy Curse 22. The Parrot HOw apt Young Parrots are to learn What 's by their Owners taught They 'll sing or Whistle forth a 〈◊〉 And plainly speak by Wrote Thus lives poor pritty pritty Poll And in a Cage is hung On high there to be seen by all Who love his prateling Tongue Advanc'd he is within a Hall To live a Life of ease Till from the Hook the Cage falls down And Death does on him seize The MORAL DOst thou take delight in the prateling Discourse of thy Child and art â—esirous to see it terminate in Sagacity â—egin to be a good Dictator betimes so â—â—alt thou be held in Veneration and â—e styl'd in Old Age the Parent of good Manners Let not thy Child's first Lesâ—â—n be a Song an Ayre or Jocose Reâ—artee but rather an Instance of Moral Duty or an Imitation of some Vertue â—is Understanding is able to conceive â—hen instil into him Death and an After-State with the Knowledge of a Deity who is the Chiefest Good and Creator of Heaven and Earth This will put him upon Knowing Himself and inable him to Form a true Idea of the Contempt of this World It will buâ—â— him up under all the Oppressions of Fate and lead him at last to rest on a higher Power than Nature In fine he will be a Wise Man of Use to the Publick when he that has been Educated in all Tongues without Improvement shall be a Rattle for Wise Men to Laugh at Teach not thy Children what is naught For they 'll Learn That without b'ing Taught 23. The Mairmaid and Fish A Mairmaid combs her Amber Lock As sporting on the Sea The which a neighb'ring Fish invites This wond'rous Sight to see Who Swimming underneath did think Securely there to hide For fear that any danger might The Enterprise betide Mean while the Mairmaid ' spies her out Using a Syren's Art Inchanting first her Mind and then Acts a more Tragick part The MORAL THe way to avoid Falling is not to Climb up a Precipice Come not â—ithin the Stench if thou woud'st avoid â—â—fection Nor let the Guilded Bait lure thee to Swallow the Hook Why â—ilt thou suffer thine Opticks to behold â—hat which thou knowest before-hand â—ill prove Prejudicial to thee But â—â—re's thy Misery First thou wilt sit â—â—d look on and then turn Practitioner â—â—rst thou wilt stand afar off and View
be Oftentatiously Impudent and the other Carelesly Remiss in Duty Secondly Childrens Duty to their Parents Which is To keep if not otherways Order'd within Call or Sight of their Parents and not run Loitering up and down the Streets But if thou wilt wander my Child then away to the Church-Yard where thou shalt find Graves of all Sizes Seat thy self on One about thy Length and Consider thus Is there not little Sinders as well as great Coals in Hell If thou lovest Good this will put thy Conscience to the Test and thou l't be as a Brand snatch'd out of the Fire If not expect no other than to leave thy Father and Mother and all thy fine Cloathes and Toys to go and live with a Stranger in eternal Burnings 29. The Dog and Bag of Money A Friendly Couple with their Dog Were Trav'ling to'ards a Mart To buy some Merchandize when soon One of them did divert Himself behind Nature to ease And leaves upon the Ground A Purse of Money and strait hyes Towards the Seaport Town This Purse the watchful Dog espies and down himself he lays Close by it till his Masters were Gone out of Sight Two Days hy'd Before they miss'd'em both when back they Finding the Purse of Money by his side The MORAL FRiendship is an inestimable Jewel For Two or Three Friends join'd become the Geryon describ'd to be a Man with Six Hands and Three Heads So it is with those whose Friendship is knit together by Truth for the one will not suffer the other to be wrongfully Prejudiced without taking his part nay thô Death it self stands in the gap if one passes through the other must of Necessity follow Like Euthydicus and Damon who Sayling towards Athens it happened Damon fell over-board when being almost ready to Sink his Cryes awak'd Euthydicus who seeing his Friend in such a deplorable Condition jump'd in and sav'd his Life Likewise Servants ought to be Faithful to their Masters and not suffer themselves nor others to imbezzle their Effects for if a Dog will preserve a thing only for knowing it is his Master's much more shou'd Man who knows the Owner and what Value he has for it No Blows a Servant should Disgust So as to quit his Master's Trust. 30. The Fox and Coney WHen crafty Reynard long had sought A Coney to betray And could not do 't by any Means To the King he goes away Accusing him of Thievery And Humbly begs he might A Warrant have that so thereby The Law should have its Right Unto the Bar the Coney's brought thro' Reynard's Subtlety Where quick two Foxes plead the Cause So as he 's judg'd to dye The MORAL MIght generally Overcomes Right And as it is with the poor Coney so it is with those Men who go to Law for their just Estates For whether the Cause be Right or Wrong Doth it not fall to those who give the greatest Fee But if thou must go to Law beware of Running Why wilt thou be Mad or over Hasty to Ruine thy Self or Neighbour Go not one Step farther when thou seest Ruin a far off for its Motion is Swift as a Dromedary Fling Coat Cloke and all away and take Blows into the Bargain rather than stay to see the Events Have a care of gratifying thy Appetite in a Hectick Fever I mean When thou Wishest the Death of any as GOD forbid beware that thy Passion lead thee not to taste the Cup Revenge is not easily Satisfied with a Sip And What wilt not thou do then to Obtain thy End What shall I say unto thee If thou lovest Swearing Woe to thy Neighbour's Land-mark Malice abhor Nor falsly Swear 'Gainst any Speak the Truth with Fear 31. Of the Monkey and Whelps A Monkey having Two young Whelps In one she took a great Delight but void of natural Love The other she did Hate But mind too fond of this young Whelp As Suckling it one Day She ' spyes the Hunter drawing nigh And up she runs away Hugging that Whelp so hard until Of Life it was bereav'd But th' other jumping on her Back Held fast and so was Sav'd The MORAL JUst so it is with those Parents who place their whole Joy and Delight in one peculiar Child cockering him up with that which proves his Bane For by so doing they not only prove Libertines and Prophane but often happen to bring lasting Disgrace on their Families by making untimely Exits on a Gallows Besides if Parents mind it such Children hate 'em most being Impudent and Haughty and always the first who forsake them in their Extremity Whilst the others kept under by a Moross Disposition and Rigid Hand bear more Affection and Filial Duty to them becoming thereby Ornaments of an Hoary Head and Staves to a feeble Old Age. Be not therefore too Fond with thy Child lest you do as that Silly Phrygian Woman who seeing her Darling Child fall in the Fire rashly takes it out and flings it into the River hard by where it was Drowned When thro' Care it might have been Sav'd A Medium's Good the Balance keep thou just Those Children Cocker'd often prove the Worst 32. The Chastity of Turtle-Doves IN a Dove house where Turtles liv'd Together Lovingly Each had its Mate to Bill withall And keep their Chastity But on a Season in the Spring When 't was fine Sun-shine Weather Two Pair upon the House did sit A Billing one another When strait a Pidgeon to them flyes A Hen t' entice astray Who with just scorn his Suit denies So back he flys away The MORAL HEre is a Glass for all Immodest People wherein they may see how far different they are from Turtles who void of Sense and Reason are Naturally Chaste For they have a confused innate Obligation to keep themselves so after they have Coupled Men and Women have a double Rational Tye Divine and Moral Inward Conscience and Outward Ceremony Yet for ought I see the Generality value Neither a Button One will have his Whore and the other her Rogue Licentiously turning that blessed State into a Common Road of Bestiality For shame then thou Yoked Leacherous Satyr leave off Surfeiting thy Lust and when thou art again the like Tempted powerfully Resist and perform thy Marriage Vow with a Just and Sacred Chastity Nor may those Unmarry'd take any such wicked Course in Filthiness since No Whore-mongers as well as Adulterers and Fornicators shall enter into the Kingdom of GOD. file Keep chaste do not thy Marriage-bed de-Resist the Tempter and he 'll soon Recoil 33. The injur'd Lark A Lark having an Ill Name got Amongst the other Birds Could not by any means perswade Them from 't through dint of Words But so it happen'd that as they Were sitting on a Tree One call'd him Fool and quickly all Unto the same agree Each picking at him down he falls Tho' Innocent he was Where weeping lyes he sore bewails Th' Iujustice of his Case The MORAL GIve a Man an Ill Name
with all the Freeness and Generosity imaginable Wilt thou then my Child turn Beast to Eat and Drink thine own Dung and Nastiness GOD forbid Consider it is better to Disgorge thy self of that Venom of Pleasure which infects thy Conscience and henceforward loath the most daintiest Dish in the World 5. The Fly and Candle ALas what makes the pretty Fly to hover thus about But with its silly Wings to try the Candle to put out It flutters round the glimm'ring Light and pleased is to see A burning Tapour in the Night which works its Misery Poor senseless Insect thus to toil to have thy fond desire 'T will prove to thee a fatal Foil and set thy Wings on fire The MORAL THere is one grand Folly which possesses the generality of Mankind and obstructs their Happiness and that is Inconstancy This puts him upon the Wing to Honour and Disgrace Wealth and Poverty Ambition and Content and a World of Contrarieties it carries him from Hope to Despair from Joy to Sorrow and like a Ball of Snow gathers as it rowls to make its Fall the greater This is hovering round the burning Taper and working thine own Misery The glimmering Pleasures of a Dissolute and Wanton Life attract Man as the Flame does the Fly till he is somewhat Disabled and forced to withdraw but immediately his Madness and Folly turns the Tide of Sobriety when egregiously he crosses it backward and forward till he is forc'd to yield as Victim to his Lusts and Hearts Desire There is nothing like shunning Extreams and keeping to a well-grounded Mediocrity which will prove another sort of Honey than that which endeth in Gall and Bitterness when Malorum esca Voluptas Pleasure is the Baits of Iniquity Char. l. 3. c. 38. 6. The Laborious Bee sucking Honey from Flowers What makes th' industrious Bee to strive with 's Wings abroad to Roam But only for to fill the Hive with Luscious Honey-Comb It ranges thro' each fragrant Bower 'mongst Valleys Meadows Hills From Violets Cowslips and each Flower it Nourishment distills And Humming Labours hard all day upon the Thistle Rose And Lilly Laden strait away unto its Hive it goes The MORAL THere is but one Habit to be got at one time the Novelty of which is the Memory's Whetstone till it becomes pall'd and insipid Vice seldom is Burdensom in it self and consequently the longer Retained Now there is a Duty incumbent on Parents viz. To secure their Children from ill Precedents which they must do if they will have 'em free from ill Manners And there is a Duty adopted for Children too viz. To avoid Vicious Companions and Consort themselves with the Lovers of Virtue The Effect of this Practise will be this You shall send your Son out and he will return with an Improvement of his Talent he will say Father I heard a Boy contemn God by telling a Lye which made my Heart Ach till I had Reprov'd him Mother I saw a Rarity a rich good Man take his Coat off and Cloath a poor Miserable Wretch therewith Would to God I were firmly Riâ—eted in Wisdom also Is not this Honey in thy Hive O Parents Surely thou shalt be Happy in the goings out and comings in of such Children 7. The Nightingale WHen Winter 's hoary Frosts retire to usher in the Spring Up strikes th'harmonious winged Quire melodiously to Sing Hark how the well-tun'd Nightingale sounds forth her quiv'ring Note And warbles out a pleasant Tale with Musick in her throat All Life she flutters in the Bush her strenuous Notes to raise And whilst her Life doth last she thus Chants forth her Maker's Praise The MORAL THere is in Nature saith Seneca a most villainous and odious Vice the which is so Aggravating that it Dissolves all Humane Society Grave vitium intoler abile quod dissociat Homines And this I call Ingratitude Of which if Man would but rightly consider he might be Asham'd and justly Reproach himself with the worst of Infamies He may learn otherwise of irrational Creatures and when he finds the Charity of another extended towards him he ought to extend his Thanks to the Donor and blaze abroad with just Encomiums his Deliverer's Praise Thus the grateful Man will Reflect and run over the Mercies of the Day-past adore his Maker and make use of all the Faculties of his Soul and Body in Singing his Praise He will sit down more contented with his Morsel of Bread and Bottle of Water than the ingrateful Wretch with all his Delicacies and Dainties It is a Passion to be abhorred as base and sordid and not to be found in a vertuous and generous Soul 8. The Ostrage hiding her Eggs in the Sand. LOok how the Ostrage rakes the Sand her Eggs therein to hide Alas she does not Understand what may them soon betide Unnat'ral Ostrage thus to make a Nest within the Earth To lay thine Eggs in and not take some care to see their Birth Suppose Mens Feet should crush them down or what if Beasts of Prey Should with their Paws break ev'ry one when-e'er they come that way The MORAL WHat says Plato I cannot imagine why Man should be more studious in any thing than in bringing up his Children Well! In this he speaks right because the Chief Good of a Common-Wealth consists in the Vertuous Education of their Youth And this Duty lies wholly upon the Parents especially the Father as it is Branched out into these four depending Parts viz. Life Nourishment Instruction and Communication All which the Parent should take more Care of than his Estate For as Crates Exclaims To what Purpose do Mortals fatigue themselves in the laying up Riches and trouble themselves so little with those that are to enjoy them Is it not valuing the Shoe more than the Foot And to do like the Ostrage bury thy Son alive in the Quick sands of Hair-brain'd Extravagancies This is Pindarus's Vanity The Dream of a Shadow And the Child is more injur'd by not learning to Govern himself than Benefited by giving him all the Wealth and Power in the World to Govern others 9. A Ship Sailing to her desired Port. BEhold the Ship which steddy steers its Course thro' th'watry Main Nor Rocks nor Sands nor Storms it fears But cuts the Waves in twain It suffers many bitter Shock and many rouling Sea Makes it like to a Cradle Rock Before 't can harbour'd be When any Hurricane appears or when the Land is nigh The Seamen are possess'd with Fears and to their Pilot Cry The MORAL BEhold O Man an Emblem of thy Life thy swift Journey thy passage into another World to the Port of Delivery and to a State which puzzles the most Sagacious Philosophers living How is that feeble Bark thy Body blown up and down by every Gust of Vanity and Pride toss'd upon the Shelves of Poverty and Want elevated by the Waves of Ambition and Honour and cast down by the inconstant Frowns of Fortune We are all like Ships newly
and day expect the Punishment that their Crimes deserve This World affords at best no other Life Than what is Complicated up with Strife For in this lesser Orb we Mortals see The very Eliments at Variance be The flitting Air and solid Earth make War And th' Fire and Water nothing do but Jar No Wonder then we Mortals Change and Fade When we of Fickle Elements are made Wealth Beauty Honour and Preferment high No sooner come from Heav'n but back they fly Whilst those poor Souls who fix therein their trust By Heav'ns Blasts are blown away like Dust And plung'd in Mis'ry with the Ambitious Soul For where 's the Mortal can the Fates Controul But if we would Live Undisturb'd and Free And shun the Labyrinth of Misery Let 's seek ah seek and find poor Souls distrest A humble Cottage where Life lives at Rest And feed our Vitals maugre horrid Strife On that we Mortals call The Bread of Life Quenchin◠that Thirst which doth our Spirits cloy By Drinking everlastig Streams of Joy This Summum Bonum if we hope to have We must Conform to th' Advice which Solon gave Contemn this World and follow Wisdom's Rule 〈◊〉 is most Wise who thinks himself most Fool. 1. The ROSE crop'd by Youth LOOK in the Morning and you 'll see the Rose-buds to awake And from their Beds most fragrantly a pleasant Odour make And when the Gard'ner to it goes it can't his Knife withstand But strait descends this Damask Rose to wither in his Hand Ah! gentle Youth thus strive to crop from off this Bush a Flower Turn back behold one ready stands thy Youth for to devour The MORAL T IS most expedient that Man first of all should Meditate upon Death whether he will be a Philosopher or not For we find but two Certainties in this World Life and Death From whence I infer As soon as Nature has done her Duty in the first and set the Wheels at work the latter should be put in Practice i. e. We should be putting our selves in the Grave every day we live To which end consider O my Reader that thou art brought forth in a Garden whereof God is supream Lord and Master thou art set as a Plant in such a Soil to grow up according to its Fertility Death is thy Gardener who is appointed to Root up evil Weeds and to gather fragrant Herbs and Flowers for his Master's Palace therefore is it not better for thee to Converse with thy Gardener to understand his Natural Qualities that thou mayst be the more Potent in Pruning-time to lose a Branch or two than to have the whole trodden despicably amongst Briars and Thorns Consider thou canst not Fee Death nor evade his Darts and that every one must kiss his cold Lips and fall asleep in the Dust. 2 The Innocent Lambs Sporting and Playing HOW innocent and lovingly the tender Lambs do play Bah Bah they cry most chearfully as trav'ling on their way They think no hurt With quiet Mirth they 're drove with Whip in hand Nor do they Dream at all of Death when Butchers by them stand Amongst the Grass i' th' pleasant Fields these harmless Lambs Consort They leap for Joy and toss their Heels till Death does end their Sport The MORAL WHY wilt thou Delight thy self O my Child in provoking thy Brother to Wrath Is it for thy Credit to be Quarrelling one with another when every day Providence drives thee nearer towards the Slaughter-house Thou little think'st of this but know that thou art going where-ever thou art to the Court of Justice and is it not better to take thy Brother by the Hand and run quietly that the Judge may Smile on thee and Sing thee Asleep in his Arms. Consider Brotherly Love is as Chains of Gold about the Neck and without it we are worse than Savage Beasts Love Sweetens our Dispositions and flings away all Acts of Hostility constraining us to turn and Kiss one another in the Heat of Broils and Animosities But where is this to be sought for In Relations there 's very little Sympathy to be found every one's Heart is case hardened to the Afflictions of his Friend and to say in Extremity I am thy Brother or Kinsman by Blood c. is like Whistling to the Wind or rowling Stones up-hill 3. The Turtle Surpriz'd and took Sleeping WHen blust'ring storms are blown away and Waves begin to fall Then Sol with his warm glitt'ring Rays most calmly up does call The Turtle pleasingly to float asleep upon the Sea But when it 's catch'd by Men i' th' Boat it wakes immediately And when too late it sees it self surpriz'd and taken fast It sighs and sobs with briny Tears so long as Life doth last The MORAL IF thou wilt Hunt be sure let it be with all the innocent Diversion imaginable For what occasion hast thou to Curse thy Horse because thy Game out runs him Or thy Game because it endeavours to escape thee with its Life Surely thou art asleep when thou dost so and no Wonder if thou art taken Napping when thy Horse is Leaping a Hedge or Style by the common Hunt who is at the Back of every one to catch'em when they fall Let this be thy Rule in all thy Recreation and thou wilt Discern him plain enough to Shun him Besides when thou art about a Journey or Some other Sporting Exercise of Body form an Idea of its Nature and Quality thereby no Mischief shall ensue nor will thy Senses be Stupify'd with the Fatiegues thereof Farther let this Consideration rouse my young Schollar out of that Lethargy of childish Pleasures which terminate in Affliction So he shall have true Pleasure and Delight in his Satchel the Love of his Superiors and escape the Epidemical Consequents of Excess and Wantonness when the impure Child shall be devour'd by the Jaws of Satan and Weep when 't is too late 4. A Dog returning to his Vomit IS' t not a Nasty sight to see a Dog to Spue amain And when 't is out immediately to eat it up again So strangely does this Cur delight to swallow down his Throat What he before with all his might most loathfully cast out Would it not make Man's Stomach loathe the daintiest Dish of Meat To see this nasty brutish Dog its Vomit up to Eat The MORAL T IS common with School-Boys to Spue out Repentance upon one anothers Backs when they are under their Master's Correction and as frequent to wipe it off with their Tears For how many irreiterated Promises will they make to save a little Smart But when it 's over they forget 'em and run to their unlawful Exercise with as much Celerity and Egregiousness as before Indeed some Cry up Correction as the Chief to be used in Governing Youth but for my Part I abhor it especially the Excess and esteem it as Bestiality and fit for none but Irrational Creatures Slaves and Criminals But rather on the other Hand that they should be manag'd
â—â—d then draw near and Touch. If thou â—oud'st be out of Danger fly Gameing â—ioting the Play house and the like For â—â—e Stage Now serves only to deiude unâ—ary Souls into the Snares of Vice and become almost the greatest Piece of â—mmorality in the World Run not â—ither then to have thy Mind Inchanted â—ith Ravishing Imagination and thy Boâ—y Corrupted with the Consequence of â—ust Besides who knows whilst thou â—â—t Vindicating thy Friend but thou â—ay'st receive a Wound thrô thy Body 〈◊〉 a Hector Thou oughtest not to deâ—â—ght in seeing thy Fellow Creature miâ—ick'd into the Shape of a Beast 24. Friendship of Mice IN an Old House run to Decay That ready was to sink There stood a Tub of Water where The Mice did use to drink At length it happen'd as in haste To Drink they going were The foremost miss'd his Footing and Fell down for want of care At which the Mice did all agree To help him out with speed Each hung by th' other's Tail when he Caught hold thereof was freed The MORAL WHat 's the Old Proverb Claw me and I will Claw you One good Turn deserves another But if thou 'lt be neither Scribe nor Pharisee remember this If thine Enemy Hunger Feed him if he Thirst give him Drink Down comes Heaven's Fire upon his Head if afterwards he proves Ingrate But when thou dost Good to those who Deserve it not and at the same time Wishest Ill to the Party a Fig for thy Compassion Is there not That within thee which thou callest Conscience Beware of its being an unwelcome Evidence another Day In fine If thou seest an Object Naked Consider thus with thy self Have I not an old Garment at home useless to me Or when one meets thee going to Spend Two-pence with thy Friend and asketh thine Alms Lend one Half and Spend the other c. This is pulling a Man out of the Water But be not thou as some Men with some Souls who love to pass by Affliction Blind fold Be Friends with all and ready stand To lend in Need thy helping Hand 25. The Salamander and Man IN Flames the Salamander lives Burning in Sulph'rous Fire Whose Heat the Beast fresh Vigour gives Making the Man admire Who thus Disputes Pray whence came you Thou art Immortal sure Or else those fiery red-hot Coals You never cou'd endure I 'm not Immortal quick saith he Tho' Fire I can feel But Naturally it suits with me According to my Zeal The MORAL IT 's no difficult matter to Guess who is meant by the Salamander because â—â—ere is no Creature under the Sun more like it than an Atheist For stifling all Convictions his Conscience is Sear'd as with an Hot Iron making his own shallow Reason his God which being False is utterly Uncapable to direct him to search and find out the most True and Holy GOD and Creator of Wisdom it Self and so he Lives diving in the Fire of his own boundless and foolish Imaginations His hellish Zeal Obliging him to venture his All on the Notion of Dying like a Beast and yet not Suffer'd to Live a Life like it Thus he spends his Youth like a witty Fool his Man-hood worse than an unreasonable Beast and his Age if Justice cut him not off like a Devil incarnate Avoid then the Society of such Mortal immortal Devils lest you are Infected by their Bituminous Poyson and Atheistical Conversation Ah pity me I do Believe dread GOD Those who do not Lord Scourge them with thy Rod. 26. The Unnatural Eagle A Wealthy Eagle chosen King Had by his Queen a Son Who by his Father's Will was made Successor to the Crown But mind This wicked Paricide Who not Content to stay With spreading Wings at 's Father Flew And took his Life away And so usurp'd the Vacant Throne When all the Birds agreed To Cut him off And so he dy'd A Parri Regicide The MORAL I Cou'd Wish none in the World were like this young Eagle But scarce a Year revolves without some Unnatural Instance or other All that the Wise Man saith is True and this we know to be so Covetousness is the Root of all Evil. From whence springs Ambition Restlesness Discontent and a World of Miseries Murder is Subordinate to Ambition and Discontent And with that Peasants as well as Princes are made Impure I my self have known one Relation Murder another for less than Half a Crown It is indeed most Benefit to thee to arrive at the highest Zenith of Glory by Gradations that thou may'st know Others Dispositions as well as thine Own But neither Ambition nor Discontent will suffer this but force thee to Jump in the dark Abyss of Disorder If thou wilt wait Nature's due Time thou shalt be Happy and have what Providence design'd for thee If not then thou' rt Unworthy to enjoy the Elements of Life Content's a Iem Let what you have suffice Let Nature have its Course Man quickly dyes 27. The Boys and Bear TWo Boys as rambling thrô a Wood By chance a Bear espy'd At which one took to 's Heels and loud Unto the other Cry'd Who strait fell down on 's Back and lay Perdue until the Bear Came up when thus the Boy began To Whisper in his Ear You hollow Tree with Honey full Unto the top is heap'd Away the Bear runs and the Boy Immediately escap'd The MORAL POlicy goes beyond Strength But that Man who lyes still in a Ditch crying Lord Help me and never offer so much as one Struggle towards it merits no more Pity than he does Incouragement who lyes Gaping under a Plumb-Tree expecting the Plumbs to drop into his Mouth without lifting up his Hand to Gather 'em though within Reach Therefore wish not or pray for such a thing or such a Deliverance but use also the Means to attain it And if thou seest thine Enemy prove too Strong for thee then Resist not but turn to thy Money-Politicks for 't will certainly prove the securest Safety in such an exigent Extremity Observe this as a certain Maxim One Yard of subtle Policy join'd to an Inch of experienc'd Strength if well us'd may Measure the whole Universe When Lord in any Danger e'er I fall By Satan's skill O then attend my Call I 'll use the Means but wait on thee for all 28. The Hen and Chickens A Careless Hen that Chickens had As from her Coop doth stray A Hawk espying darted down And carry'd one away One Chicken bigger than the Rest Upon her Back doth fly And over all the other Chicks Makes an attempt to Fly Again the nimble Hawk darts down The silly Chick t' insnare Which done away with motion quick She cutts the â—â—itting Air. The MORAL BY this Fable we may learn Two Duties First The Duty of Parents to their Children Which is To restrain the Haughtiness of their Dispositions that they mayn't Ride Paramount on their Backs And to signalize no more Favour for one than the other If thou dost one shall