Fables of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists/Fable XXI

by Roger L'Estrange

Fab. XXI

A Dog and a Thief.

AS a Gang of Thieves were at work to Rob a House, a Mastiff took the Alarum, and fell a Baying: One of the Company spoke him Fair, and would have Stopt his Mouth with a Crust: No, says the Dog, This will not do, for Several Reasons. First, I'll take no Bribes to Betray my Master. Secondly, I am not such a Fool neither, as to fell the Ease and Liberty of my Whole Life to come, for a piece of Bread in Hand: For when you have Rifled my Master; pray who shall Maintain Me?

The Moral.

Fair Words, Presents, and Flatteries are the Methods of Treachery in Courts as well as in Cottages, only the Dogs are Truer to their Masters than the Men.

REFLEXION.

When Ill Men take up a Fit of Kindness all on a sudden, and appear to be Better Natur'd than Usual, 'tis Good Discretion to suspect Fraud, and to lay their Words, and their Practices together: The Greater the Trust, the Greater is the Treachery, and the Baser is the Villany too. This Moral reaches to All sorts of Trustees whatsoever.

It were well if All Two-Footed Servants were but as Faithful to their Masters as This Four-Legg'd Animal. A Loaf of Bread was as much to Him as a Bag of Guineas to a Great Officer; And why should not the One make as much Conscience of Betraying his Patron for Gold, as the Other of doing it for a Crust? Beside the Right Reasoning of the Dog uppon the Consequence of Things. If I take Your Bread, (says he) You'll Rob My Master. But in the Other case it is not so much a Deliberation of what will follow upon't, as a kind of Tacit Composition, that does as good as say [For so much Mony I'll shut my Eyes, and let You Rib my Master.] Here's an Emblem now, of the Foresight, Fidelity, and Duty of a Trusty Servant, on the One hand, and of the Flattery, Arts and Practices that are Employ'd by Evil Men to Corrupt him on the Other.

Under the figure of This Faithful Trusty Servant; is Couch'd a Lecture to All men of Business; let them be Councellors, Confidents, Favourites, Officers, Soldiers, Traders, or what you will. For there are Good and Bad of All Kinds and Professions. So that Æsop's Dog is a Reproach to False Men. Publick Persons have their ways of Temptation, and Address, as well as Private. And He that suffers a Government to be Abus'd by Carelesness, or Neglect, does the Same thing, with Him that Maliciously and Corruptly sets himself to Cozen it. This holds as well too in the Private Case of being either Principal or Accessory to the Robbing of a House; Only the Former, is a Treachery of a Deeper Dye. There arc Loaves at the Gates of Courts and Palaces, as well as at the Door of a Cottage; and to Encourage the Abuse, there are a Thousand Quirks to avoid the Stroke of the Law, though None to Avoid the Guilt of the Sin. There needs no Contract Express; No Explicit Confederacy; for the Consent, and the Assistance is Imply'd in receiving the Present; Or according to the Word in Fashion, the [Acknowledgment:] which is only a Softer Name for a Bribe. Now this Acknowledgment is of the Nature of a Direct Bargain, where the Sum, or the Reward is agreed upon before the Thing be done; though there's room yet for a Distinction, even in These Cases, betwixt what's done Openly and Barefac'd, and a Thing that's done in Hugger mugger, under a Seal of Secrecy and Concealment. But the Conscience at last is the Best Judg of the Fraud. And without any more Words, the Dog in the Fable perform'd All the Parts of a Trusty Servant.