Truth in Fiction Or, Morality in Masquerade. A Collection of Two hundred twenty five Select Fables of Aesop, and other Authors. Done into English Verse. By Edmund Arwaker |
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 | Truth in Fiction |  |
77
FABLE LVI. The Ass in a Lion's Skin:
Or, Fools betray themselves.
An
Ass, that fain for Courage wou'd be priz'd,
In a dead Lion's Skin himself disguiz'd:
The dull Impostor, in that Cov'ring dress'd,
Ap'd, with Success, a-while, the Royal Beast:
Where he appear'd, the frighted Beasts gave Way,
And all to him did low Obeisance pay.
While thus he rang'd the Fields, admir'd and fear'd,
And thought himself as Brave as he appear'd:
He saw a more discerning Fox pass by,
And him the Counterfeit resolv'd to try;
But had forgot himself, and made a Noise
That struck less Terror than a Lion's Voice.
The Cheat discover'd, by this lucky Chance,
Embolden'd doubting Reynard to advance,
And thus accost him; Sir, I was afraid,
'Till, when your Highness meant to Roar, you Bray'd.
In a dead Lion's Skin himself disguiz'd:
The dull Impostor, in that Cov'ring dress'd,
Ap'd, with Success, a-while, the Royal Beast:
Where he appear'd, the frighted Beasts gave Way,
And all to him did low Obeisance pay.
While thus he rang'd the Fields, admir'd and fear'd,
And thought himself as Brave as he appear'd:
He saw a more discerning Fox pass by,
And him the Counterfeit resolv'd to try;
78
That struck less Terror than a Lion's Voice.
The Cheat discover'd, by this lucky Chance,
Embolden'd doubting Reynard to advance,
And thus accost him; Sir, I was afraid,
'Till, when your Highness meant to Roar, you Bray'd.
The MORAL.
‘Fools, while reserv'd, and seemingly precise,‘Pass, with the shallow Mob, for Grave and Wise:
‘For they read Learning in a formal Face,
‘And find deep Mysteries in strain'd Grimace:
‘But Men of Judgment slight the senseless Tools,
‘Whose hollow Sound proclaims them empty Fools.
| Truth in Fiction | |