A Thunny and a Dolphin
A Thunny gave Chace to a Dolphin; and when he was just ready to seize him, the Thunny struck before he was aware, and the Dolphin, in the Eagerness of his Pursuit, ran himself a ground with him. They were both lost; but the Thunny kept his Eye still upon the Dolphin, and observing him when he was just at last Gasp; well, says he, the Thought of Death is now easy to me, so long as I see my Enemy go for Company.
'Tis a wretched Satisfcation, that a revengeful Man takes, even in the losing of his own Life, provided that his Enemy may go for Company.
An Eagle and a Man
A Man took an Eagle, pelted her Wings, and put her among his Hens. Some body came and brought this and presently new feather’d her. She made a Flight at a Hare, truss’d it, and brought it to her Benefactor. A Fox perceiving this, came and gave the Man a piece of good Counsel. Have a care, says Reynard, of putting too much Confidence in this Eagle; for she’ll go near, one time or other else, to take you for a Hare. Upon this Advice the Man plum’d the Eagle once again.
Persons and Humours may be jumbled and disguis’d; but Nature is like Quicksilver, that will never be kill’d.
Two Enemies at Sea
There were two Enemies at Sea in the same Vessel, the one at the Ship’s Head, the other at the Stern. It blew a dreadful Storm, and when the Vessel was just ready to be swallow’d up, one of them ask’d the Master, which part of the Ship would be first under Water; so he told him the t’other End would sink first. Why then, says he, I shall have the Comfort of seeing my Enemy go before me.
'Tis a wretched Satisfcation, that a revengeful Man takes, even in the losing of his own Life, provided that his Enemy may go for Company.
A Cunning-Woman
A certain Dame that pass'd in the World under the Name of a cunning Woman, took upon her to avert Divine Judgments, and to foretel strange Things to come. She play'd the counterfeit Witch so long, till, in the Conclusion, she was taken up, arraign'd, try'd, convicted, condemn'd to die, and at last executed for a Witch indeed. D'ye hear, good Woman, (says one to her, as she was upon the Way to her Execution) are the Gods so much easier than the Judges, that you should be able to make them do any Thing for ye, and yet could not prevail with the Bench for the saving of your own Life?
There needs be more than Impudence and Ignorance, on the one side, and a superstitious Credulity on the other, to the setting up of a Fortune-teller.
An Old Man and a Lion
A Person of Quality dream’d one Night that he saw a Lion kill his only Son, who was, it seems, a generous Cavalier, and a great Lover of the Chace. This Fancy ran in the Father’s Head to that degree, that he built his Son a House of Pleasure, on purpose to keep him out of harm’s way; and spar’d neither Art nor Cost to make a delicious Retreat. This House, in short, was to be the young Man’s Prison, and the Father made himself his Keeper. There was a world of Paintings every where up and down, and among the rest, there was the Picture of a Lion, which stirred the Blood of the young Man for the Dream sake, and to think that he should now be a Slave for the Fancy of such a Beast. In this Indignation he made a blow at the Picture; but striking his Fist upon the Point of a Nail in the Wall, his Hand cancerated, he fell into a Fever, and soon after died on’t: So that all the Father’s Precaution could not secure the Son from the Fatality of dying by a Lion.
A body may as well lay too little as too much stress upon a Dream; for some Dreams are monitory, as others are only complexional; but upon the Main, the less we heed them better; for when that Freak has once taken possession of a fantastical Head, the Distemper is incurable.
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