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 |
 |
 | A Poetical Translation Of The Fables of Phaedrus |  |
FABLE IV. The Man and the Ass.
A Certain man, when he had made
A sacrifice, for special aid
To Hercules, and kill'd a swine,
Did for his Ass's share assign
All the remainder of the corn;
But he rejecting it with scorn,
Thus said, “I gladly would partake—
“But apprehend that life's at stake;
“For he you fatted up and fed
“With store of this, is stuck and dead.”
A sacrifice, for special aid
To Hercules, and kill'd a swine,
Did for his Ass's share assign
All the remainder of the corn;
But he rejecting it with scorn,
Thus said, “I gladly would partake—
“But apprehend that life's at stake;
“For he you fatted up and fed
“With store of this, is stuck and dead.”
Struck with the import of this tale,
I have succeeded to prevail
Upon my passions, and abstain
From peril of immod'rate gain.
But, you will say, those that have come
Unjustly by a handsome sum,
Upon the pillage still subsist—
Why, if we reckon up the list,
You'll find by far the major part
Have been conducted in the cart:
Temerity for some may do,
But many more their rashness rue.
I have succeeded to prevail
Upon my passions, and abstain
From peril of immod'rate gain.
But, you will say, those that have come
Unjustly by a handsome sum,
Upon the pillage still subsist—
Why, if we reckon up the list,
195
Have been conducted in the cart:
Temerity for some may do,
But many more their rashness rue.
| A Poetical Translation Of The Fables of Phaedrus | |