Roger L'Estrange (9)

Here are some more fables from Roger L'Estrange's Fables of Aesop and Other Eminent Mythologists, and you can click here for all the L'Estrange fables at this blog.

A Hunted Bever

The Bever is a kind of amphibious Creature, but he lives mostly in the Water. His Stones, they say, are medicinal; and it is principally for their Sake, he knows, that People seek his Life; and therefore when he finds himself hard pinch'd, he bites 'em off, and by leaving them to his Pursuers, he saves himself.

When a greater Interest is at stake, 'tis a warrantable Point of Honour and Discretion, to compound the Hazard, by parting with the less; provided, that while we quit the one, we may save the other.

illustration from a 19th-century Croxall

A Fox and a Hare to Jupiter

A Fox and a Hare presented a Petition to Jupiter. The Fox pray’d for the Hare’s swiftness of Foot, and the Hare for the Fox’s Craft and Wyliness of Address. Jupiter told them, since every Creature has some Advantage or other peculiar to itself, it would not stand with divine Justice, that had provided so well for every one in Particular, to confer all upon any one.

The Boundaries of Heaven are in such manner distributed, that every living Creature has its share; beside, that to desire Things against Nature, is effectually to blame the very Author of Nature itself.

An Impostor to the Oracle

There was a certain bantering Droll that took a Journey to Delphos, a purpose to try if he could put a Trick upon Apollo. He carry'd a Sparrow in his Hand under his Coat, and told the God, I have something in my Hand, says he, Is it dead or living? If the Oracle should say 'twas dead, he could shew it alive; if living, 'twas but squeezing it, and then 'twas dead. He that saw the Malice of his Heart, gave him this Answer: It shall e'en be which of the two you please; for 'tis in your Choice to have it either the one or the other.

Presumption leads People to Infidelity in a trice, and so by insensible Degrees to Atheism: For when Men have once cast off a Reverence for Religion, they are come within one Step of laughing at it.

illustration by Bewick

Cocks and a Partridge

A Cock-Master bought a Partridge, and turn’d it among his Fighting-Cocks, for them to feed together. The Cocks beat the Partridge away from their Meat, which she laid the more to Heart, because it look’d like an Aversion to her purely as a Stranger. But the Partridge finding these very Cocks afterwards cutting one another to pieces, she comforted her self with this thought, that she had no reason to expect they should be kinder to her, than they were to one another.

‘Tis no wonder to find those People troublesom to Strangers, that cannot agree among themselves. They quarrel for the Love of quarrelling; and the Peace be broken, no matter upon what Ground, or with whom.

illustration by Grandville

An Old Tree Transplanted

A certain Farmer had one choice Apple-Tree in his Orchard, that he valued above all the rest, and made his Landlord every Year a Present of the Fruit on’t. He lik’d the Apples so very well, that nothing would serve him but transplanting the Tree into his own Grounds. It wither’d presently upon the Removal, and so there was an end of both Fruit and Tree together. The News was no sooner brought to the Landlord, but he brake out into this Reflection upon it: This comes, says he, of transplanting an old Tree, to gratify and extravagant Appetite: whereas, if I could have contented my self with the Fruit, and left my Tenant the Tree still, all had been well.

Nature has her certain Methods and Seasons for the doing of every thing, and there must be no trying of Experiments to put her out of her Course.