Hands Refuse to put on Gloves the vexd Foot stands Mean while the Stomach was come down and cries What once a hollow Tooth serv'd would suffice The streightend Maw one bit one crum bestow But still the moodie Members answer No. At last an extreme feeblenesse they felt Saw all but skin and their hard bones to melt A pale Consumption Lording over all At which a Counsell the faint Brethren call The Stomach must be fed which now was so Contracted that like them it answer'd No. At which pale Death her cold approaches made When to the dying Feet the weak Hands said Brethren in evill since we did deny The Bellie food we must together die All that are Members in a Common-wealth Should more than Private aim at Publick health The Rich the Poor and Poor the Rich must aide None can protect themselves with their own shade None for themselves are Born we brought in food Which the kind Stomach did prepare for Blood The Liver gave it tincture the great Vein Sends it in thousand severall streams again To feed the parts which there assimulates Concord builds high when Discord ruins States But the chief cause did our destruction bring Was we Rebell'd ' gainst Reason our true King MORALL Civill Commotions strongly carried on Seldome bring Quiet when the War is done Then thousand Interests in strange shapes appear And through all ways to certain Ruine steer 48 THE EIGHT AND FOURTIETH FABLE Of the Horse and laden Asse DEear Brother Horse so heavy is my load That my galld back Is like to crack Some pitty take Or I shall perish in the road For thy fair Sisters sake Who once did bear To me a Son a Mule my hopefull Heir Assistance lend My burthen share Or else a cruell end Waits on thy fellow servant and thy friend Here I must lye And die The tird Asse said to th' empty Horse went by Prick'd up with Pride and Provender the Horse Deni'd his aid Shall I he said My own back lade And hurt my self stird up with fond remorse My prudent Master laid This on thee who Better than you or I know's what to doe My Sister Mare Was given to you Our Nobler race to spare The Asse and Mule must all the burthens bear I must no pack Nor sack But my dear Master carry on my back This said Heart-broak the Asse fell down and di'd The Master streight Laid all the weight On his proud Mate And spread above the Asses hide Repenting but too late The Horse then said Thou wert accurs'd didst not thy Brother aid Now on my back Th' whole burthens laid Such Mortals goodnesse lack And Counsell which their Friends distrest not aid Had I born part The smart Had been but small which now must break my Heart MORALL People that under Tyrant Scepters live Should each to other kind Assistance give The Rich the Poor still over-Taxd should aid Lest on their Shoulders the whole burthens laid 49 THE NINE AND FOURTIETH FABLE Of the Fox and the Cock. SOon as the Fox to Pullein-furnish'd Farms Approaches made Though valiant Chanticleere not trusting Arms Nor humane aid Ascends a tree Where he Stood safe from harms Loud was the Cackle at no false Alarms From ground About him round For safety all his feather'd Household Flock When Reynard thus spake to the wary Cock O thou through all the world for vallour fam'd Hast thou not heard What our two Kings so lately have proclaim'd Both Beast and Bird At Amity Must be War which enflam'd Since Adams fall all creatures wild and tam'd Must cease In lasting Peace The cruell Lyon and the Eagle then Will joyn their force against more cruell Men. The sacrilegious Woolf in graves must feed And Birds of prey With humane slaughter must supply their need The Popinjay Needs not to bauk The Hauke The Lamb and Kid ' Mongst hungry Bears may in dark Forests feed At Feasts Both Birds and Beasts Begin to meet the Cat with Linnets plays And Griffons Dine where tender Heifers graze Therefore most Noble Chanticleer descend And though your Spurs Maintaining Pullein Quarters once did rend My tender Furs When Feathers I Made fly I 'm now your friend Unlesse we strive in love let us contend No more Though Reynard's poor He 's faithfull to his trust and boldly can Affirme no Beast is half so false as Man The Cock long weary of devasting War And fierce Alarms Well knowing what outrages committed are By Civill Arms And how the Man Had slain To mend his fare His Off-spring yet pretending love and care Right glad To him then said I meet your love Sir Reynard and descend To choose 'mong Beasts rather than Men a friend While the Cock spake a pack of cruell Hounds The Fox did hear And saw them powdering down from Hilly grounds After a Deer Reynard not stays Delays Are dangerous found But earth's himself three fathome underground At last The Dogs being past All danger ore again he did appear Then to the Fox return'd spake Chanticleer Learned Sir Reynard if the words be true Which you have said Why did these Dogs the trembling Deer pursue They should have staid Like enemies From these You also flew Then said the Fox though I th' agreement drew So late This Act of State Came forth I fear they th' Edict did not hear But I shall trounce them have they kild the Deer The Cock reply'd but I le make good this tree Is it now true then 't will to morrow be MORALL To what we like we easy credit give This makes us oft from foes feignd news beleive Fame mighty Holds hath took and storm'd alone And false Reports whole Armies overthrown 50 THE FIFTIETH FABLE Of the Lyon and the Forester VAst Forrests and great Cities opend when Betwixt wild Beasts and Men A long Cessation was And it was then That Citizens and Rusticks viewd the Lyons Den At his vast Courts amaz'd Where now fat Buls Colts and tame Asses graz'd Through desarts Travellers took the nearest way Where with their Spaniels wanton Tygers play Foxes 'mong Geese Wolves 'mong fat Weathers lay At Skinners Shops the Bear unmuzeld calls Cheapning on furnished Stals His friend or Cozens fur In common Halls Panthers behold themselves on stately Pedistals And now no Yeoman Cur Nor Sergeant mastive Beasts indebted stir The Woods Inhabitants wander every where And brizly Boars walk safe with untouch'd eare After the Proclamation they did hear When the great Lyon met a Forester With whom he oft in War Had strove with various chance This with a spear The Lyon gald that would his strong-spun ambush tear Then boldly up advance And with his teeth in sunder bite the lance To whom the Lyon said Sir you and I Could nere decide our strength by victory Let us dispute and it by Logick trie Then said the Woodman let us wave dispute Antiquity shall doo 't Behold Mausolus toomb And then be mute If the worlds wonder by example thee confute There let
warlike sound Of spirit-stirring Hornets Gnats and Bees Such Trumpeters would blood turnd Ice unfreeze Told the approach of two no petty Kings While the long Vale with big-voyc'd Croakers rings First King Frogpadock with the freckled face Enters the List for they by Lot took place Riding a Crafish arm'd from head to heel In shell dame Natures gift insteed of steel Although the many-footed could not run With the great Crab which yearly feasts the Sun Nor with the golden Scorpion could set forth And measure daily the tun-belli'd Earth Yet such his speed he nere was overtook By any shell-backd monster of the brook The armes he wore once wear a water snakes Which in the battell when the springs and lakes Decided were a Conqueror he brought From the deep floods with gold and purple wrought Ore these a water-Rats black fur he cast Dreadfull with teeth and claws Thus as he past The Vulgar showt to see their six inch'd King Like great Alcides in his Lyons skin A whole house arm'd his head had been a snails Though Estridge Plumes it wants and Peacocks tails Yet every colour the great Raine-bow dies Shone on his crest the wings of butter-flies Sent him of old a present from Queen Mab. His Targe the shell of a deserted Crab Where in the Phrogian tongue this verse was writ The Manlike swimming King unvanquish'd yet Six sprightly Toadpoles his rush Javelins bore His sword a sharp-long-two-edg'd-Flag he wore Girt to his thigh a wandring snaile the hilt With a bright varnish in Meanders gilt Appointed thus about the lists he rid While all admire the Champions arms and steed Soon as the pleas'd spectators setled were Glad acclamations melting into aire Voices were heard through ecchoing valleys ring Th' approach foretelling of the Micean King A subdu'd mouse-trap his Sedan in peace His Chariot now from mans high pallaces Moustapha brought Nere through the scorching plaine Did sweating Kings draw such a Tamberlaine Six Princes captive ferrets through deep tracts Fearing the lash oft fir'd his thundring axe And though a heavie mortall was their load King Oberon they ore hill and dale out-rode Enter'd the list he lights then mounted on A dapled Weesell the bold Micedon Appear'd may we great things compare with small Like the worlds Conqueror though not so tall His armes were not of steele nor gold nor brasse Nor sweating Cyclops turn'd the yeelding masse With griping tongues nor Bull-skin bellows rore To purge Electrum from the froathie ore But the black coat of a Westphalia swine Long hung in smoke which now like jet did shine Fame says and she tels truth as oft as lyes The seasond Gammon Miceans did surprize Spoyld the red flesh before 't was once serv'd up After full boards to rellish a fresh cup This their Kings right his Captains did present To him for safety and an ornament Such was black Moustapha's habergeon The antient Hero's had but steel upon The heads of cruell spears but this did weeld A lance whose body was all over steeld It was a knitting needle strong and bright His helm a thimble daz'd th' enemies sight Ore which a thick fald plume wagd with each gale Of Tiffanie gnawn from a Ladies vaile In it a Sprig which made his own afeard The stiff Mustachios of a dead Catts beard His solid Shield which he so much did trust Was Bisket though some write t was Manchet crust Historians oft as Poets do mistake But I affirme 't was Bisket for the Cake They all agree by Navigation Foure times was season'd in the Torrid Zone The Story thus is told the Rattish Prince A great Diviner had Intelligence From occult causes that the dangerous Seas Must be forsook and floating Palaces His ship next voyage would by Stormes be lost Therefore his black bands swom to the next coast On Bisket safe But Tybert by the way The Prince of Catts made him and it a prey Slew on the shore and feasted on his head He with blood sated leaves neglected bread Of which black Moustapha after made his Targe Like Ajax sevenfold shield but not so large His Motto was his Title and his name Transpos'd into no costive Anagram Which from the Micean tongue we thus translate The Parmazan affecter strong and great Both Champions searcht found free from fraud or Charmes They take their stands and peise their mighty Armes At once loud Hornets sound at once they start At once couch'd Speares with equall Force and Art Clos'd bevers met struck fire at once they both Did backward kisse their mother Earth though loth But first his nimble foot the Micean found When King Frogpadock as loath'd Irish ground His limbs had touch'd lay on his back upright Yet soon recovering never Frogian Knight Made such a Charge for with strange fury led At the first blow he leapes quite ore his head Bearing his pondrous Arms his Sword and Targe Nor was black Moustapha wanting in the Charge To shew his wondrous courage strength and skill For by the advantage of a rising Hill A Mole had wrought he strikes and though the stroke Would not have feld an Oxe or cleft an Oake Yet such it was that had it took in blood His Soul had wandred through the Stygian flood But missing the soft air receives the wound And ore and ore he tumbles to the ground Nor at th' advantage was Frogpadock slack But at one jump bestrides the Miceans back Then grasping him twixt his cold knees he said Robber of man who now shall give thee ayd Foul Toad so Oberon please I feare not thee Stout Moustapha replyed then actively He backward caught the short arm'd King by th'rists And bore him on his shoulders round the Lists Lowd croaks scale Heaven then mauger all his strength Regaines his Sword and threw him thrice his length On equall tearms agen they battle joynd Heroick Soules in narrow breasts confind For these in Trojan wars once Champions fierce With gallant Acts adorn'd great Homers verse After became Testie Philosophers And fought in hot disputes and learned jarrs Then Lyons Beares Cocks Bulls and brisly Hogs Last transmigrated Schismaticks or Dogs Where ere they meet the war is still renewd With lasting hatred and immortall feud The King whose Grandsire when it thunderd loud Mongst fire and haile dropt from a broken Cloud And with an Hoast of Toadpoles from the sky In those vast Fennes a Frogian Colony At first did plant though icy was his skin With Rage and Shame an Aetna felt within Rais'd his broad Flag to make a mighty blow Thinking at once in two to cleave the Foe Who nimbly traversing with skill his ground On the Ceralian Shield receiv'd the wound Yet from the orbed bisket fell a slice Which neer the List was eaten in a trice Here the Crum-picking King puts in a stuck With a bright needle his stiff Spanish Tuck Which pierc'd Frogpadocks skin through's Dragons mail Rage doubles then the Flag becomes a Flail And on his Thimble Cask struck
wondrous fortune Erswind stil'd She married Isgrim and if fame be true Him a she Woolf bore to a wandring Jew Who by his humane nature got the hint Of Wolvish discipline in Geneva Print And his mad zeale first made the Forrest blaze This by his howling Rhetorick did raise Arms ' gainst his King did antient right supplant And made Beasts take a beastly Covenant This Urchins calld and stird up senslesse Moles And innocent Sheep inspir'd with Woolvish souls Then Femals like milch Tygers first were seen To rage against the Lyonesse their Queen Steers Colts and Asses did like Panthers stare And Buls horn-mad for Reformation were When Erswind with a blessed Of-spring big Weary with Lamb and Mutton long'd for Pig And thus She howld to move her surly Mate Swines flesh I loath with a Maternall hate Yet for the Of-spring of the Salvage Boar The fat Priests Quarter which I keep in store Which at my lying in I meant should feast My Mother and her Calydonian guest Now I would give to see one Pig depart To eat the Liver and the bleeding Heart When the grim sire reply'd Leave off complaints Afflictions have been wholesome to the Saints But if the Boar her Husband be abroad My mortall Foe by force or pious fraud I le get thee one no scruple is in meat And thou and I abundantly will eat This said he hasts unto the spreading Oke Where lay a pregnant Sow and kindly spoke Sister your Husband hath great service done And by his valour we the victory won But since I hear your Spouse in Countries far Must for small pay attend a lingering War And this your charge is great take friendly helps Some of your Sons I le foster with my Whelps Not in prophaner Arts like Popish Pigs To pettietoe-it on the Organs Jigs When Surplic'd Asses chaunt it to the Lyre Nor they supine shall wallow in the Mire But Pastors be and them I le teach to keep The Sheepish souls of flocks and shear the Sheep They have Prick-ears and as we Teachers wear Howling in hollow trees such is their Hair The Brawny Dame did here break off all speech If you are such a friend Sir I beseech You 'l shew it in your absence nothing more Can me and mine oblige back twentie score That is the greatest favour you can doe You hate all Swine and I abhorre a Jew I hear him whet his tusk the Boar is neer And you have taken a wrong Sow by th' eare Cowring his tail endeavouring to have fled Wings fear not added to his feet but Lead Whom suddainly the angry Boar ore-took Him at whose rage the Lyons partie shook No more resistance than a tender Lamb Made ' gainst this foe whom streight he overcame And with his phang a Window in his side To Flanck from Shoulder rent where as he dy'd The deep Hypocrisie and bloodie ends Writ in his heart were read by foes and friends Soon after that the Boar the Wood enjoy'd And Wolves as new Malignants be destroyd MORALL Mischiefs best Plots Women too oft have laid And tender Females soonest are betraid Some great Seducers make a timely end But oftner they in bloodie sheets descend 72 THE SEVENTIE SECOND FABLE Of the She Goat and Kid. A She Goat Widowed by Civill War As many other wofull Matrons are Although her sequestration a small fine Had taken off Had little cause to laugh For when she rose she knew not where to dine Which made cold cups be Seasond oft with brine One Son she had now Heir Just of his Fathers Haire Her comfort and her care But what did most extoll this gentle Kid He did All the Commands which his dear Mother bid When to her only hope the Parent said I goe dear Child subsistance must be had Where I for thee will crop the tender Bud And search the ground For Moon-wort rarely found Which from our wounds draws steel stops the blood A Soveraign Med'cine and a dainty food But Kid when I am gone Open the Gate to none To friend nor foe not one The Woolf although the Boar hath brought him low I know His Nature keeps and will no mercy shew Shall I forget how he thy father slew When from the Cambrian Hils a Goatish Crew Of British Long-beards with three Sons he lead He pierc'd his throat And dronk his best blood hot Then on his Bowels and his Liver fed As ill woes me thy haplesse brethren sped When down their arms they threw Quarter being granted too Most barbarously he slew And in his Den their Limbs in pieces tore Nay more With their gnawn bones he pav'd his bloodie flore This said away she speeds The Woolf who long Had watch his time skild in the Goatish tongue On 's loyns the British Captains spoils did guird With his fair horns His horrid Brow adorns Down from his Chin hung a long silver Beard As if the King and Father of the Heard Accoutred thus before At the dull Goatheards dore He oft drank Kiddish gore When thus disguis'd with feigned voice he spoke Unlock Long-beard is here the Father of the Flock I live whom Fame reported dead and bring Good tydings never better was the King The Lyon now is fourty thousand strong Enumerous swarms Both old and young take arms And he will thunder at their Gates ere long Changing their tryumph to a dolefull Song And now the Conquering Boar Of those subu'd before Doth speedie aid implore But the dissenting Brethren in one Fate Too late Shall rue they turnd this Forrest to a State Whom Pan his Parents and his King obey'd Duty Belief and Piety betraid And boulted dores he suddainly unbars The Woolf rush'd in Throwing off his borrowd Skin His eys with rage blazing like ominous Stars Which threaten Earth with Famine Plague and Wars Then on the expected prize With open mouth he flies His jaws sweet purple dies When thus th' Insulter did the Kid upbraid And said Let all thus perish wish the Lyon aid MORALL First Gods commands your Parents next obey A thousand Snares Pride Lust and Avarice lay But other arts now taught in modern Schools Stile all our wise and pious Fathers Fools 73 THE SEVENTIE THIRD FABLE Of the Youngman and the Cat. GRimmalkins Grand-child Tyberts Noble race For Beauty gave no Cattish Damsell place Round was her face Her Eys were Grey as Germans or the Gaul The Stars that fall Through gloomy shade cast no such dazeling light Nor Gloeworms that most glorious are by night Her Bosome soft and white Like down of Silver Swans her Head was small And round as any Ball Daily she wore a party-collourd gown Curiously mix'd with white black grey and brown Stoln from her Mothers Teat a young man bred This Femall up and laid her in his Bed Each Morning fed And Evening with warm strokings from the Cow Would Fish allow But not to wet her tender feet afford She may in pleasant Gardens catch a Bird Or make afeard