A Poetical Translation Of The Fables of Phaedrus With The Appendix of Gudius, And an accurate Edition of the Original on the opposite Page. To which is added, A Parsing Index For the Use of Learners. By Christopher Smart |
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| XV. | FABLE XV. The Fox and the Dragon. |
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 | A Poetical Translation Of The Fables of Phaedrus |  |
159
FABLE XV. The Fox and the Dragon.
A Fox was throwing up the soil,
And while with his assiduous toil
He burrow'd deep into the ground,
A Dragon in his den he found,
A watching hidden treasure there,
Whom seeing, Reynard speaks him fair:
“First for your pardon I apply
“For breaking on your privacy;
“Then, as you very plainly see
“That gold is of no use to me,
“Your gentle leave let me obtain
“To ask you, what can be the gain
“Of all this care, and what the fruit
“That you should not with sleep recruit
“Your spirits, but your life consume
“Thus in an everlasting gloom?”
“'Tis not my profit here to stay
“(He cries) but I must Jove obey.”
“What will you therefore nothing take
“Yourself, nor others welcome make?”
“Ev'n so the fates decree.”—“Then, Sir,
“Have patience, whilst I do aver,
“That he who like affections knows
“Is born with all the Gods his foes.
“Since to that place you needs must speed,
“Where all your ancestors precede,
“Why in the blindness of your heart,
“Do you torment your noble part?”
And while with his assiduous toil
He burrow'd deep into the ground,
A Dragon in his den he found,
A watching hidden treasure there,
Whom seeing, Reynard speaks him fair:
“First for your pardon I apply
“For breaking on your privacy;
“Then, as you very plainly see
“That gold is of no use to me,
“Your gentle leave let me obtain
“To ask you, what can be the gain
“Of all this care, and what the fruit
“That you should not with sleep recruit
“Your spirits, but your life consume
“Thus in an everlasting gloom?”
“'Tis not my profit here to stay
“(He cries) but I must Jove obey.”
“What will you therefore nothing take
“Yourself, nor others welcome make?”
“Ev'n so the fates decree.”—“Then, Sir,
“Have patience, whilst I do aver,
“That he who like affections knows
“Is born with all the Gods his foes.
161
“Where all your ancestors precede,
“Why in the blindness of your heart,
“Do you torment your noble part?”
All this to thee do I indite
Thou grudging churl, thy heir's delight!
Who rob'st the Gods of incense due,
Thyself of food and raiment too;
Who hear'st the harp with sullen mien,
To whom the piper gives the spleen;
Who'rt full of heavy groans and sighs
When in their price provisions rise;
Who with thy frauds heav'ns patience tire
To make thy heap a little high'r,
And, lest death thank thee, in thy will
Has tax'd the undertaker's bill.
Thou grudging churl, thy heir's delight!
Who rob'st the Gods of incense due,
Thyself of food and raiment too;
Who hear'st the harp with sullen mien,
To whom the piper gives the spleen;
Who'rt full of heavy groans and sighs
When in their price provisions rise;
Who with thy frauds heav'ns patience tire
To make thy heap a little high'r,
And, lest death thank thee, in thy will
Has tax'd the undertaker's bill.
| A Poetical Translation Of The Fables of Phaedrus | |