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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| XVII. | FABLE XVII. The Fox, and Sick Hen: |
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 | Truth in Fiction |  |
23
FABLE XVII. The Fox, and Sick Hen:
Or, Self-Preservation natural.
A
Fox, when visiting the Poultrey's Shed,
Observ'd a groaning Hen, that kept her Bed,
And, with feign'd Friendship, cloaking deadly Hate,
Wou'd fain have felt her Pulse, to know her State.
To whom Dame Partlet, almost dead with Fear,
Reply'd, I cannot bring my self so near,
Through all my Limbs such feeble Shiverings go;
But were you gone, the Fit wou'd leave me too.
Observ'd a groaning Hen, that kept her Bed,
And, with feign'd Friendship, cloaking deadly Hate,
Wou'd fain have felt her Pulse, to know her State.
To whom Dame Partlet, almost dead with Fear,
Reply'd, I cannot bring my self so near,
Through all my Limbs such feeble Shiverings go;
But were you gone, the Fit wou'd leave me too.
The MORAL.
‘Self-Preservation none neglect, but Fools;‘'Tis the first Lesson taught in Nature's Schools:
‘From thence we learn all noxious things to shun,
‘By whose Insults we fear to be undone;
‘And restless, at their dreaded Presence, grow;
‘Which, if we are not Sick, will make us so.
‘At thoughts of Dying, we become shagreen,
‘And start at Death, in any Object seen:
‘But such base Cowards just Reproaches bear,
‘Who kill themselves, to shun the Fate they fear.
| Truth in Fiction | |