FABLE III. The Petitioners.
Envy, its own Tormenter.
Two Men, unlike in Mind, and Body too,
With vile Intentions, at Jove's Altar sue:
One, of large Bulk, whose more extended Mind
(Within no reasonable Bounds confin'd)
Did on the sordid Wretch, for Gain, prevail
To set his mercenary Life to Sale.
The other, Meagre-look'd, and Narrow-soul'd,
Who did all Pleasure with Regret behold;
And with the gnawing Pain uneasie grown,
Malign'd his Neighbour's Blessings, and his own.
Jove (to avoid their execrable Pray'r)
Referr'd the Vot'ries to Apollo's Care:
Who let them know, That what they each did want,
He wou'd, with this Proviso, freely grant;
That whatsoever Boon the one did crave,
The other shou'd in double Measure have.
The greedy Worldling long demurr'd, to find
Demands conform'd to his insatiate Mind;
At last, a most prodigious Sum did name,
Obtain'd it, and his Fellow twice the same.
But he, whose peevish, fretful Soul repin'd,
That Heav'n had to his Neighbour been so kind;
To do the envy'd Wretch a double Spight,
Desir'd one Eye might be depriv'd of Sight.
The God (engag'd, what he desir'd, to do)
Put out his one Eye, and his Fellows two:
And he with Joy perceiv'd its Opticks gone,
Since he with t'other saw his Mate had none.
The MORAL.
‘The avaricious Wretch, who Wealth admires,
‘And grasps the Globe, in his immense Desires;
‘Tempted by Love of Gain, becomes unjust,
‘Do's Men defraud, and Providence distrust.
‘But Envy, grieving at its Neighbour's Joy,
‘Lessens its own, that it may theirs destroy.
‘So the Old Serpent, grated at the Bliss
‘Our happy Parents found in Paradise,
‘To drive them from that Station to a worse,
‘Became a Sharer in the Fatal Curse.
