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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| XXX. | FABLE XXX. The Mouse in a Chest: |
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 | Truth in Fiction |  |
FABLE XXX. The Mouse in a Chest:
Or, The World a Wise Man's Home.
A
Mouse, that in a Chest was born and bred,
And there on homely Cheese and Bisket fed,
Fell from the Edge, while too intent on Play,
And wou'd return, but cou'd not find the Way.
Driv'n by her Fear, she sought a safe Retreat;
And in her Search, found more delicious Meat.
By this she saw she had kept Home too long,
And did her Palate and her Freedom wrong:
She thought, at first, all Joys to Home confin'd,
But, as she chang'd her Station, chang'd her Mind;
And bless'd the Chance, that in another Air,
Gave her more Liberty, and better Fare.
And there on homely Cheese and Bisket fed,
Fell from the Edge, while too intent on Play,
And wou'd return, but cou'd not find the Way.
Driv'n by her Fear, she sought a safe Retreat;
And in her Search, found more delicious Meat.
By this she saw she had kept Home too long,
And did her Palate and her Freedom wrong:
She thought, at first, all Joys to Home confin'd,
But, as she chang'd her Station, chang'd her Mind;
And bless'd the Chance, that in another Air,
Gave her more Liberty, and better Fare.
41
The MORAL.
‘Uncurious Men, fond of their Native Ground,‘Their whole Desires within its Limits bound:
‘While others, Wiser, for Improvement, roam,
‘And find Abroad a more delightful Home.
‘By Prudence govern'd, and with Sense endu'd,
‘They suit themselves to ev'ry Latitude.
‘These Trees revers'd, by Transplantation thrive,
‘That scarce were, in their Nurs'ries, kept alive:
‘No change of Climate disappoints their aim,
‘Since they, and Heav'n, are ev'ry-where the same.
| Truth in Fiction | |