Aesop Dress'd or A Collection of Fables Writ in Familiar Verse. By B. Mandeville |
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The Sick Lyon and the Fox.
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 | Aesop Dress'd |  |
The Sick Lyon and the Fox.
The King of Brutes sent all about,
He was afflicted with the Gout;
And orders ev'ry Species
To visit him by Embassies.
To see his Subject Beasts would be
Some Comfort to him in his Misery:
He swears them faithfully, they shall
Be lodg'd, and treated very well.
Then for a Safeguard, sends forsooth,
Passes against his Claw and Tooth.
His Vassals in obedience come,
And ev'ry Species sends him some.
Only the Foxes stay at home;
Their Reason was, they saw the Print
Of ev'ry beastly Foot, that went:
But found no Marks, by which, 'twas plain,
That any e'er came back again:
And truly that's suspicious,
Says one, poor Folks are timerous.
We know the King would not abuse us;
But yet desire him to excuse us.
As for his Pass we thank him for't,
And believe 'tis good. But in his Court
We know, which way we may go in,
But not, which to come back again.
He was afflicted with the Gout;
And orders ev'ry Species
To visit him by Embassies.
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Some Comfort to him in his Misery:
He swears them faithfully, they shall
Be lodg'd, and treated very well.
Then for a Safeguard, sends forsooth,
Passes against his Claw and Tooth.
His Vassals in obedience come,
And ev'ry Species sends him some.
Only the Foxes stay at home;
Their Reason was, they saw the Print
Of ev'ry beastly Foot, that went:
But found no Marks, by which, 'twas plain,
That any e'er came back again:
And truly that's suspicious,
Says one, poor Folks are timerous.
We know the King would not abuse us;
But yet desire him to excuse us.
As for his Pass we thank him for't,
And believe 'tis good. But in his Court
We know, which way we may go in,
But not, which to come back again.
The Moral.
Wise Men sometimes Instruction findIn that, which others never mind;
Examining the least of things,
By Deeds, not Words, they judge of Kings;
And never venture on that Coast,
Where once they knew another lost.
| Aesop Dress'd | |