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 |  |
FABLE LVI. The Hawk and Nightingale:
Or, Profit, the best Pleasure.
A
Nightingale was by a Merlin seiz'd,
And saw but little hope to be releas'd;
Yet, loth to Die, she begg'd the eager Foe
To let her pay her Ransom down, and go.
The Hawk, who knew she had not much to give,
Ask'd, what she cou'd afford for a Reprieve?
She answer'd, She wou'd strain her charming Voice,
To please his Ears, and make his Heart rejoyce.
The Hawk reply'd, Pray, save your fruitless Pray'rs
I must indulge my Belly, not my Ears:
That calls for Meat, and has been empty long,
And will not be contented with a Song:
And I, who only live by what I eat,
Can want your Tunes, but cannot want my Meat.
And saw but little hope to be releas'd;
Yet, loth to Die, she begg'd the eager Foe
To let her pay her Ransom down, and go.
The Hawk, who knew she had not much to give,
Ask'd, what she cou'd afford for a Reprieve?
She answer'd, She wou'd strain her charming Voice,
To please his Ears, and make his Heart rejoyce.
The Hawk reply'd, Pray, save your fruitless Pray'rs
I must indulge my Belly, not my Ears:
That calls for Meat, and has been empty long,
And will not be contented with a Song:
And I, who only live by what I eat,
Can want your Tunes, but cannot want my Meat.
274
The MORAL.
‘He, who do's Pleasure, more than Profit prise,‘Deprives himself of Food, and, starving, dies;
‘While he who only do's his Gain pursue,
‘By getting That, in That has Pleasure too.
| Truth in Fiction | |