The Moral.
Upon my Word 'twas shrewdly said,
Of one that was no better bred:
Yes all this sad complaints and fear
Are for the Thing she's forced to bear:
And tho' she knew, she was to dye,
She could not change her destiny.
Therefore I think, where all is lost,
He, that sees farthest, suffers most.
The Dog and the Ass.
Help one another is, no doubt,
A Law we can't live well without:
Yet one Day, (and how't came to pass
I don't know) 't happen'd that an Ass,
Who's otherwise an honest Creature,
Of no uncharitable Nature,
Did slight it: A large Dog and he
Were travelling in Company,
Without a thought of Strife or Care,
Followed by him whose Goods they were;
And coming to some curious Grass,
The latter went to sleep; his Ass,
Who was a Lover of good Pasture,
Made better use on't than his Master,
And fell a feeding heartily:
But the poor Dog stood starving by,
And said, Much good may do thy heart,
Dear fellow Traveller; thou art
My loving Friend.—But Mr. Gray,
My Meat is in your Panier, pray,
Stoop down, and let me take out some,
I han't eat since we came from home;
He gets no Answer, asks again,
But No, th' Arcadian Gentleman
Thought every Word a mouthful lost,
And would say nothing to his cost,
So held his Tongue a while; at last
He told him, Friend, I am in haste,
And, when I stoop my Back, it akes;
Have patience till your Master wakes,
It won't be long, and then you'll get
Your Belly full, if he thinks fit.
Just then a Wolf came from the Wood,
And they have Appetites as good
As any; Grizz'l at a distance
Hears him, and asks the Dog's assistance;
But he don't budge, and serves him right;
Says he, I never us'd to fight
Without a cause for fighting's sake;
Stay till your Master is awake;
Hear what he says, it won't be long;
Sir Wolf won't offer any wrong;
And if you fear his Teeth or Claws,
Knock but his Brains out, break his Jaws,
And lay him sprawling on the Ground;
You're newly Shod, and Iron bound;
And whilst this fine Discourse went on,
Poor Grizzle's business was done.
The Moral.
None can live happily together,
Without assisting one another.
The Fox and Wolf.
The Fox went on the search one Night,
The Moon had hung out all her light;
He sees her Image in a Well;
But what it was he could not tell;
Gets on the Bricks to look at ease:
At last concludes it is a Cheese:
One Bucket's down, the other up,
He jumps in that which was a-top,
And coming to the Water, sees
How little Skill he had in Cheese.
Poor Ren, remov'd from all Acquaintance,
Sits in the Bucket of Repentance;
And when the Rascal ought to have laid
The fault upon himself, it's said,
He blam'd his Stars, tho' I b'lieve rather
He curst the Moon, and all fair Weather.
Well, there he sat, and wish'd, no doubt on't,
For half his Tail that he was out on't:
Sometimes he rav'd and talk'd like mad, }
And every thing came in his Head, }
That to his purpose could be said. }
Happy are those that don't love Cheese;
We may go downward when we please,
But to come back again, hoc opus,
All tricks are vain; my only hope is,
That Somebody as wise as I,
Hits on my Whim, or else I die.
Two Days are past; poor Animal,
Sees Nobody come near the Well;
And now old Time had in one Place,
Cut a good piece of Cynthia's Face;
For as he does all things, he eats her,
And takes a slice, where'er he meets her:
Volpone spies it, and it grieved him,
To see that spoil'd which had deceiv'd him,
Thinking his case was desperate:
When on the third Night pretty late,
A Wolf who could not sleep, because
He felt an itching in his Jaws,
Look'd into it; What are you there?
Says Ren; pray see what I got here;
It is a groaning Cheese, 'twas made
From Io's Milk, and Faunus had
The ordering of it, 'twould have been
Kept for Dame Juno's Lying in,
But she miscarry'd: I took off
This Corner; still there's Meat enough
For two or three, I thought on you,
Wish'd I might see you, and to shew,
How I esteem, love, and adore ye,
That Bucket's left on purpose for ye.
The silly Wolf believes, gets in,
And draws Volpene up again.