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 |
![]() | I. |
![]() | II. |
I. |
![]() | II. |
III. |
![]() | IV. |
V. |
VI. |
![]() | VII. |
VIII. |
IX. |
X. |
XI. |
XII. |
XIII. |
XIV. |
XV. |
XVI. |
![]() | XVII. |
![]() | XVIII. |
XIX. |
XX. |
![]() | XXI. |
XXII. |
![]() | XXIII. |
XXIV. |
XXV. |
XXVI. |
XXVII. |
XXVIII. |
XXIX. |
XXX. |
XXXI. |
![]() | XXXII. |
XXXIII. |
XXXIV. |
XXXV. |
![]() | XXXVI. |
XXXVII. |
![]() | XXXVIII. |
![]() | XXXIX. |
XL. |
XLI. |
![]() | XLII. |
XLIII. |
XLIV. |
![]() | XLV. |
XLVI. |
![]() | XLVII. |
XLVIII. |
![]() | XLIX. |
L. | FABLE L. The Fisher and young Fish:
|
![]() | LI. |
LII. |
![]() | LIII. |
![]() | LIV. |
LV. |
LVI. |
LVII. |
LVIII. |
LIX. |
![]() | LX. |
LXI. |
![]() | LXII. |
LXIII. |
LXIV. |
LXV. |
LXVI. |
![]() | LXVII. |
![]() | LXVIII. |
![]() | III. |
![]() | IV. |
![]() | Truth in Fiction | ![]() |
FABLE L. The Fisher and young Fish:
Or, A Bird in the Hand, worth two in the Bush.
A
Fisher, Trolling with his Baited Hook,
Deceiv'd a poor young Native of the Brook.
The puny Captive pray'd him to excuse
Her Youth, that render'd her unfit for Use;
And when she to a larger Size was grown,
She pass'd her Word, she wou'd be all his own.
The Man reply'd, Forbear in vain to prate,
I will not purchase Hope at such a Rate;
For shou'd I now your Liberty restore,
'Tis ten to one I never hook you more:
Excuse me then, that I your Suit deny;
For, Friend, I have no other Fish to fry.
Deceiv'd a poor young Native of the Brook.
The puny Captive pray'd him to excuse
Her Youth, that render'd her unfit for Use;
And when she to a larger Size was grown,
She pass'd her Word, she wou'd be all his own.
The Man reply'd, Forbear in vain to prate,
I will not purchase Hope at such a Rate;
For shou'd I now your Liberty restore,
'Tis ten to one I never hook you more:
Excuse me then, that I your Suit deny;
For, Friend, I have no other Fish to fry.
The MORAL.
‘Such stolid Mortals are for Bedlam fit,‘Who Certainties, for Expectation, quit;
‘Or think it can the Rate of Joys inhance,
‘Whose sole Attainment must depend on Chance:
‘Since what we seek, we possibly may miss,
‘Fruition only makes a certain Bliss;
164
‘And of the Present Time shou'd make our Use:
‘Well may his disappointed Hopes grow stale,
‘Who lets a Crampus go, to take a Whale.
![]() | Truth in Fiction | ![]() |