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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| LXII. | FABLE LXII. The Miser robb'd:
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 | Truth in Fiction |  |
FABLE LXII. The Miser robb'd:
Or, Hid Treasure useless.
A greedy Wretch his Patrimony sold,
And turn'd his fruitful Land to barren Gold;
And, lest the Sum, by using, shou'd decay,
Committed Earth to Earth, and Clay to Clay.
His Wealth thus bury'd in a secret Hole,
And, with his Bags, his very Heart and Soul;
To their dear Tomb he daily Visits made,
And at that Shrine his whole Devotion paid.
A Needy Fellow, that observ'd his Walk,
And guess'd the Ghost did near some Treasure stalk,
Came to the Place; and, when he try'd the Ground,
The rich Depositum, rejoycing, found:
He bless'd his Fortune, and the Booty bore
(To spend it safely) to a foreign Shore.
And turn'd his fruitful Land to barren Gold;
And, lest the Sum, by using, shou'd decay,
Committed Earth to Earth, and Clay to Clay.
His Wealth thus bury'd in a secret Hole,
And, with his Bags, his very Heart and Soul;
To their dear Tomb he daily Visits made,
And at that Shrine his whole Devotion paid.
A Needy Fellow, that observ'd his Walk,
And guess'd the Ghost did near some Treasure stalk,
Came to the Place; and, when he try'd the Ground,
The rich Depositum, rejoycing, found:
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(To spend it safely) to a foreign Shore.
The Owner soon return'd to watch his Coin,
But found another Hand had digg'd the Mine:
Sad Signs inform'd him his Delight was gone,
His Yellow-hammers from the Nest were flown.
Sunk by this Loss into profound Despair,
He beat and tore his guiltless Breast and Hair:
His raging Sorrow, in no Bounds restrain'd,
Gave a convincing Proof it was not feign'd.
But found another Hand had digg'd the Mine:
Sad Signs inform'd him his Delight was gone,
His Yellow-hammers from the Nest were flown.
Sunk by this Loss into profound Despair,
He beat and tore his guiltless Breast and Hair:
His raging Sorrow, in no Bounds restrain'd,
Gave a convincing Proof it was not feign'd.
A Friend, that saw him in this Transport rave,
Bid him his Grief for better Purpose save;
And said, You vainly your lost Hoard deplore,
Which, since you kept it hid, was yours no more:
Bury a Stone where your dear Idol lay,
And there, as formerly, your Visits pay;
Imagination will Effects produce
Of equal Value, since of equal Use.
Bid him his Grief for better Purpose save;
And said, You vainly your lost Hoard deplore,
Which, since you kept it hid, was yours no more:
Bury a Stone where your dear Idol lay,
And there, as formerly, your Visits pay;
Imagination will Effects produce
Of equal Value, since of equal Use.
The MORAL.
‘How vainly Men, with restless Industry,‘Acquire the Wealth they to themselves deny?
‘While what is theirs, they, by not using, want,
‘The Property is insignificant.
‘Riches are lost to them who live in Need;
‘Use, not Possession, makes us Rich indeed.
| Truth in Fiction | |