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whether you be not guilty of the fame. To gain knowledge of ourselves, the best way is to convert the imperfections of others into a mirror for difcovering our own.

Apply yourself more to acquire knowledge than to fhow it. Men commonly take great pains to put off the little stock they have; but they take little pains to acquire more.

Never fuffer your courage to be fierce, your resolu tion obftinate, your wisdom cunning, nor your patience. fullen.

To measure all reafon by our own is a plain act of injuftice it is an encroachment on the common rights of mankind.

If you would teach fecrefy to others, begin with yourself. How can you expect another will keep your. fecret, when you yourself cannot ?

A man's fortune is more frequently made by his tongue than by his virtues; and more frequently crushed by it than by his vices..

V.

EVEN felf-intereft is a motive for benevolence. There are none fo low but may have it in their power to return a good office.

To deal with a man, you must know his temper, by which you can lead him; or his ends, by which you can: perfuade him; or his friends, by whom you can govern him.

The first ingredient in converfation is truth; the next, good fenfe; the third, good humour; the laft, wit.

The great error in converfation is, to be fonder of fpeaking than of hearing. Few how more complaisance than to pretend to hearken, intent all the while upon what they themselves have to fay; not confidering, that to feek one's own pleasure so paffionately is not the way to please others.

To be an Englifhman in London, a Frenchman in Paris, a Spaniard in Madrid, is no eafy matter; and yet it is neceffary.

A man entirely without ceremony has need of great: merit.

He who cannot bear a jeft ought never to make one.

B. 3.

In

In the deepest diftrefs, virtue is more illuftrious than vice in its highest profperity.

No man is fo foolish, but he may give good counsel at a time no man fo wife, but he may err, if he take no counfel but his own.

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He whofe ruling paffion is love of praise, is a flave to every one who has a tongue for detraction.

Always to indulge our appetites is to extinguish them. Abflain, that you may enjoy.

To have your enemy in your power, and yet to do him good, is the greatest heroism.

Modefty, were it to be recommended for nothing else, leaves a man at eale, by pretending to little: whereas vain-glory requires perpetual labour to appear what one is not. If we have fenfe, modesty beft fets it off; if not, beft hides the want.

When, even in the heat of difpute, I yield to my antagonist, my victory over myfelf is more illuftrious than over him had he yielded to me.

The refined luxuries of the table, befides enervating' the body, poifon that very pleasure they are intended to promote for, by foliciting the appetite, they exclude the greatest pleasure of tafte, that which arifes from the gratification of hunger.

VI. The Fox and the Goat.

A Fox and a Goat, travelling together in a very fultry day, found themfelves exceedingly thirfty; when, looking round the country in order to discover a place where they might probably meet with water, they at length defcried a clear fpring at the bottom of a well. They both eagerly defcended; and, having fufficiently allayed their thirit, began to confider how they should get out. Many expedients for that purpofe were mutually propofed and rejected. At laft the crafty Fox cried out with great joy-I have a thought juft ftruck into my mind, which, I am confident, will extricate us out of our difficulty. Do you, faid he to the Goat, only rear yourfelf up upon your her legs, and reft your fore feet against the fide of the well. In this pofture 1 will climb up to your head, from which I fhall be able, with a fpring, to reach the top: and when I am once there,

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you are fenfible it will be very eafy for me to pull you out by the horns. The fimple Goat liked the propofal well, and immediately placed himfelf as directed; by means of which, the Fox, without much difficulty, gained the top. And now, faid the goat, give me the affiftance you promifed. Thou old fool, replied the Fox, hadft thou but half as much brains as beard, thou wouldft never have believed that I would hazard my own life to fave thine. However, I will leave with thee a piece of advice, which may be of fervice to thee hereafter, if thou shouldst have the good fortune to make thy efcape:-Never venture into a well again, before thou haft well confidered how to get out of it.

VII. The Fox and the Stork.

THE Fox, though in general more inclined to roguery than wit, had once a ftrong inclination to play the wag with his neighbour the Stork. He accordingly invited her to dinner in great form; but, when it came upon the table, the Stork found it confifted entirely of different foups, ferved up in broad fhallow difhes, so that fhe could only dip in the end of her bill, but could not poffibly fatisfy her hunger. The Fox lapped it up very readily; and, every now and then addreffing himfelf to his gueft, defired to know how she liked her entertainment; hoped that every thing was feafoned to her mind; and protested he was very forry to fee her eat so sparingly. The Stork, perceiving the was played upon, took no notice of it, but pretended to like every difh extremely; and, at parting, preffed the Fox fo earnestly to return her vifit, that he could not in civility refufe. The day arrived, and he repaired to his appointment; but, to his great mortification, when dinner appeared, he found it compofed of minced meat, ferved up in long narrow-necked glaffes; fo that he was only tantalized with the fight of what it was impoffible for him to taste. The Stork thruft in her long bill, and helped herfelf very plentifully; then, turning to Reynard, who was eagerly licking the outfide of a jar where fome fauce had been fpilled-I am very glad, faid fhe, smiling, that you feem to have fo good an appetite; I hope you will make as hearty a dinner at my table as I did the

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other day at yours. Reynard hung down his head, and looked very much difpleafed - Nay, nay, faid the Stork, don't pretend to be out of humour about the matter; they that cannot take a jest should never make one.

VIII. The Court of Death.

DEATH, the king of terrours, was determined to choofe a prime minifter; and his pale courtiers, the ghaftly train of diseases, were all fummoned to attend; when each preferred his claim to the honour of this illuftrious office. Fever urged the numbers he deftroyed; cold Palfy fet forth his pretenfions by fhaking all his limbs; and Dropfy, by his fwelled unwieldy carcafe. Gout hobbled up, and alleged his great power in racking every joint; and Afthma's inability to speak was a strong, though filent, argument in favour of his claim. Stone and Colic pleaded their violence; Plague, his rapid progrefs in deftruction; and Confumption, though flow, infifted that he was fure. In the midst of this contention, the court was difturbed with the noise of mufic, dancing, feafting, and revelry; when immediately entered a lady, with a bold lafcivious air, and a flushed and jovial countenance: fhe was attended on one hand by a troop of cooks and Bacchanals; and, on the other, by a train of wanton youths and damfels, who danced half-naked to the fofteft mufical inftruments her name was INTEMPERANCE. She waved her hand, and thus addreffed the crowd of Difeafes: Give way, ye fickly band of pretenders, nor dare to vie with my fuperiour merits in the fervice of this great monarch. Am not I your parent? the author of your beings? Do ye not derive the power of fhortening human life almost wholly from me? Who then fo fit as myfelf for this important office ?The grifly monarch grinned a fmile of approbation, placed her at his right-hand, and she immediately became his prime favourite and principal minifter.

IX. The partial Judge..

A FARMER came to a neighbouring Lawyer, expreffing great concern for an accident which he faid had.

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just happened. One of your oxen, continued he, has been gored by an unlucky bull of mine; and 1 thould be glad to know how I am to make you reparation. Thou art a very honeft fellow, replied the Lawyer, and wilt not think it unreasonable that I expect one of thy oxen in return. It is no more than justice, quoth the Farmer, to be fure but what did 1 fay?--I miftake-It is your bull that has killed one of my oxen. Indeed! fays the Lawyer; that alters the cafe: I must enquire into. the affair; and if-And if! faid the Farmer-the business I find would have been concluded without an if, had you been as ready to do justice to others as to exact it from them.

X. The fick Lion, the Fox, and the Wolf.

A LION having furfeited himself with feafting too lu xuriously on the carcafe of a wild boar, was feized with a violent and dangerous diforder. The beafts of the foreft flocked in great numbers to pay their relpects to him upon the occafion, and scarce one was abfent except the Fox. The Wolf, an ill natured and malicious beaft, feized this opportunity to accufe the Fox of pride, ingratitude, and diffaffection to his majefty. In the midft of this invective the Fox entered; who, having heard part of the Wolf's accufation, and obferving the Lion's countenance to be kindled into wrath, thus adroitly excufed himfelf, and retorted upon his accufer: I fee many here, who, with mere lip-fervice, have pretended to fhow you their loyalty; but, for my part, from the moment I heard of your majefty's illnefs, neglecting ufelefs compliments, I employed myfelf day and night to enquire among the moit learned phyficians an infallible remedy for your difeafe, and have at length happily been informed of one. It is a plafter made of part of a Wolf's fkin, taken warm from his back, and laid to your majesty's ftomach. This remedy was no fooner proposed, than it was determined that the experiment fhould be tried and, whilft the operation was performing, the Fox, with a farcaftic fmile, whispered this ufeful maxim in the Wolf's ear-If you would be fafe from harm yourfelf, learn for the future not to meditate mischief against others.

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