Thieves that Stole a Cock
A Band of Thieves Brake into a House once, and found nothing in’t to carry away, but One Poor Cock. The Cock said as much for Himself as a Cock could say; but Insisted Chiefly upon the Services of his calling People up to their Work, when ‘twas time to Rise. Sirrah (says one of the Thieves) You had better have let that Argument alone; for Your Waking the Family Spoils our Trade, and We are to be Hang’d forsooth your Bawling.
That which is One Body’s Meat, is Another Body’s Poison; as the Trussing up of Thieves is the Security of Honest Men. One Foolish Word is enough to Spoil a Good Cause, and ’tis many a Man’s Fortune to Cut his Own Throat with his Own Argument.
A Cuckow and a Hawk
By the Beak and the Claws of a Cuckow, one would take her for a kind of Hawk, only One lives upon Worms, and the other upon Flesh: Insomuch that a Hawk twitted a Cuckow one Day with her coarse way of Feeding. If you'll look like a Hawk, why don't you live like Hawk? The Cuckow took this a little in dudgeon; but passing by a Pigeon-House some short time after, what should she see but the Skin of this very Hawk upon a Pole on the Top of the Dove-House: Well! says the Cuckow (Abstemius in conceit) to the Hawk, and had not you as good have been eating Worms now, as Pigeons?
Pride is an Abomination in the Sight of God, and the Judgment is Just upon us, when the Subject of our Vanity becomes the Occasion of our Ruin.
A Swallow and a Spider
A Spider that observ'd a Swallow catching of Flies, fell immediately to work upon a Net to catch Swallows, for she look't upon't as an Encroachment upon her Right: But the Birds, without any Difficulty, brake through the Work, and flew away with the very Net it self. Well, says the Spider, Bird-catching is none of my Talent I perceive; and so she return'd to her old Trade of catching Flies again.
A Wise Man will not Undertake any thing without Means answerable to the End.
A Cock and a Fox-Case
There was a Fox-Case set up near a Hen-Roost, to hold forth the Doctrine of Terror and Example. A Cock spy'd it, and scour'd away from't, as fast as his Legs and his Wings could carry him, and the Birds hooted at him for't. Hark ye my Masters (says he), there are Live-Foxes as well as Dead Ones, by the Token one of 'em had me by the Back but t'other day, a nd a Thousand Pound to a Nut-shell I had never got off again. And pray tell me now, if any of you had but been in my condition, whether the very Print of a Foxes Foot would not have started ye; and much more the Image of him in his Skin.
The Burnt Child Dreads the Fire.
A Crow and a Dog
A Crow invited a Dog to Joyn in a Sacrifice to Minerva. That will be to no Purpose (says the Dog) for the Goddess has such an Aversion to ye, that you are particularly excluded out of all Auguries. Ay, says the Crow, but I'll Sacrifice the rather to her for That, to try if I can make her my Friend.
We find it in the Practice of the World, that Men take up Religion more for Fear, Reputation, and Interest, than for true Affection.
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