and Petticoat, Now Theſe Idle Curioſities may be Specious Enough in the Contemplation; but what if This Houſe, at the Foot of the Account, ſhould Prove to be Haunted, That Gay Furniture Borrow'd; T'other Fine Woman Clapt; The Curſe of Sacrilege cleaving to ſuch an Inheritance, and all the reſt of the Gawdy Fooleries perhaps Unpay’d for (as theſe Incumbrances are No New Things in Nature) Who would not rather take up with the Wolfe in the Woods again, then make ſuch a Clutter in the World upon Theſe Scandalous Conditions.
For the Obviating of All Caſes of this Quality, Children ſhould be Early Inſtructed, according to their Age and Capacity, in the True Eſtimate of Things, by Oppoſing the Good to the Evil, and the Evil to the Good; and Compenſating, or Qualifying One Thing with Another. What's Plenty without Health? What's Eaſe without Plenty? And what's Title and Greatneſs, with Carking Thoughts, and a Troubled Mind to Attend it? What does That Man Want that has Enough? Or What’s He the better for a Great deal, that can never be Satisfy’d? By This Method of Setting what we Have againſt What we have Not, the Equity of Providence will be made Manifeſt, and to All manner of purpoſes Juſtify’d; When it ſhall appear upon the Ballance, that Every man has his Share in the Bounties of Heaven to Mankind.
As to the Freedom here that Æſop is ſo Tender of, it is to be Underſtood of the Freedom of the Mind: A Freedom to Attend the Motions of Right Reaſon; and a Freedom, in fine, not to be Parted with for All the Senſual Satisfactions under the Sun. It is, I ſay, a Freedom under Theſe Limits; for there's No ſuch Thing as Abſolute Liberty: Neither is it poſſible that there ſhould be any, without a Violence to the Order of the Univerſe, and to the Dictates of Reaſonable Nature: For All men Living are in Some ſort or Other, and upon ſome Penalty or Other, Subjected to a Superior Power; That is to ſay, the Laws of Morality are Above them: But the Caſe wherein All men are upon the Behaviour is not here the Queſtion, To Wind up the Moral, in ſhort; Liberty is a Jewel, and a Bleſſing. The Wolfe was well enough pleas’d here with the State of the Dogs Body, but he had no fancy to his Collar.
Fab. LXIX.
A Farmer and his Dogs.
A Certain Farmer was put to ſuch a Pinch in a Hard Winter for Proviſions, that he was forc’d to Feed Himſelf and his Family upon the Main Stock. The Sheep went Firſt to Pot; the Goats Next; and after Them, the Oxen; and All Little enough to keep Life and Soul together. The Dogs call'd a Councel upon't and Reſolv'd to ſhew their Maſter a Fair pair of Heeles for't, before it came to be Their Turn; for, (ſaid they) after he has Cut the Throats of our Fellow Servants, that are ſo Neceſſary for his Bus'neſs, it cannot be Expected that he will ever Spare us.
The
