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 |  |
32
FABLE XXIV. The Sick Impostor:
Or, Prevarication Punish'd.
An Impious Wretch, and Poor, as Wicked too,
By Sickness, found Just Heav'n gave Vice its due:
He pray'd the Gods, with more than usual Zeal,
To spare his Life, and his Distemper heal;
And promis'd, if they wou'd reverse his Doom,
To load their Altars with an Hecatomb.
The Gods, to try how he wou'd keep his Word,
Granted his Suit, and former Health restor'd.
But he, that had not any Beast to give,
Did more to break, than pay his Vow, contrive:
With that Design, he trac'd vast Tracts of Ground,
And gather'd all the scatter'd Bones he found;
And, when the promis'd Number was compleat,
Hop'd, with that Sham, the Deities to cheat;
Then on an Altar the bare Off'ring laid,
And thought his Vow sufficiently was paid.
The Pow'rs thus mock'd, on sharp Revenge conclude,
To suit his Falshood and Ingratitude:
And, by his Bed, appearing in a Dream,
Bid him repair to an adjacent Stream;
And near its Bank a certain Place assign'd,
Where he shou'd dig, and mighty Treasures find.
The Fellow, on this sleeveless Errand sent,
(Like April-Fool, on Wild-Goose Chase intent)
With haste, that wou'd admit of no delay,
Went on, but took a Tartar by the Way:
Among a Pack of roving Thieves he fell,
Who made him Pris'ner, stript, and drub'd him well:
To whom the greater Cheat, to buy his Peace,
Promis'd a Thousand Pound for his Release.
By Sickness, found Just Heav'n gave Vice its due:
He pray'd the Gods, with more than usual Zeal,
To spare his Life, and his Distemper heal;
And promis'd, if they wou'd reverse his Doom,
To load their Altars with an Hecatomb.
The Gods, to try how he wou'd keep his Word,
Granted his Suit, and former Health restor'd.
But he, that had not any Beast to give,
Did more to break, than pay his Vow, contrive:
With that Design, he trac'd vast Tracts of Ground,
And gather'd all the scatter'd Bones he found;
And, when the promis'd Number was compleat,
Hop'd, with that Sham, the Deities to cheat;
Then on an Altar the bare Off'ring laid,
And thought his Vow sufficiently was paid.
The Pow'rs thus mock'd, on sharp Revenge conclude,
To suit his Falshood and Ingratitude:
And, by his Bed, appearing in a Dream,
Bid him repair to an adjacent Stream;
And near its Bank a certain Place assign'd,
Where he shou'd dig, and mighty Treasures find.
The Fellow, on this sleeveless Errand sent,
(Like April-Fool, on Wild-Goose Chase intent)
33
Went on, but took a Tartar by the Way:
Among a Pack of roving Thieves he fell,
Who made him Pris'ner, stript, and drub'd him well:
To whom the greater Cheat, to buy his Peace,
Promis'd a Thousand Pound for his Release.
The MORAL.
‘Liars, embolden'd by strange Impudence,‘Are always ready at a coin'd Pretence:
‘To gain their Ends, all Falshoods they devise,
‘Play foul with Heav'n, and glory in their Lies.
‘But they who with the Gods prevaricate,
‘Are justly punish'd with a proper Fate:
‘The angry Pow'rs infatuate the Cheats
‘To Credit, and to Perish, by Deceits.
| Truth in Fiction | |