The Fables of Phaedrus Part 26

Minerva upon this inquired Why they all barren trees admired?

"The cause," says Jupiter, "is plain, Lest we give honour up for gain."

"Let every one their fancy suit, I choose the olive for its fruit."

The sire of G.o.ds and men replies, "Daughter, thou shalt be reckon'd wise By all the world, and justly too; For whatsover things we do, If not a life of useful days, How vain is all pretence to praise!"

Whate'er experiments you try, Have some advantage in your eye.

XVII. JUNO AND THE PEAc.o.c.k.

Her fav'rite bird to Juno came, And was in dudgeon at the dame, That she had not attuned her throat With Philomela's matchless note; "She is the wonder of all ears; But when I speak the audience sneers."

The G.o.ddess to the bird replied, (Willing to have him pacified,) "You are above the rest endued With beauty and with magnitude; Your neck the em'rald's gloss outvies, And what a blaze of gemmeous dies s.h.i.+nes from the plumage of your tail!"

"All this dumb show will not avail,"

Cries he, "if I'm surpa.s.s'd in voice."

"The fates entirely have the choice Of all the lots--fair form is yours; The eagle's strength his prey secures; The nightingale can sing an ode; The crow and raven may forebode: All these in sheer contentment crave No other voice than Nature gave."

By affectation be not sway'd, Where Nature has not lent her aid; Nor to that flatt'ring hope attend, Which must in disappointment end.

XVIII. ESOP AND THE IMPORTUNATE FELLOW.

Esop (no other slave at hand) Received himself his lord's command An early supper to provide.

From house to house he therefore tried To beg the favor of a light; At length he hit upon the right.

But as when first he sallied out He made his tour quite round about, On his return he took a race Directly, cross the market-place: When thus a talkative buffoon, "Esop, what means this light at noon?"

He answer'd briefly, as he ran, "Fellow, I'm looking for a man."

Now if this jackanapes had weigh'd The true intent of what was said, He'd found that Esop had no sense Of manhood in impertinence.

XIX. THE a.s.s AND PRIESTS OF CYBELE.

The luckless wretch that's born to woe Must all his life affliction know-- And harder still, his cruel fate Will on his very ashes wait.

Cybele's priests, in quest of bread, An a.s.s about the village led, With things for sale from door to door; Till work'd and beaten more and more, At length, when the poor creature died, They made them drums out of his hide.

Then question'd "how it came to pa.s.s They thus could serve their darling a.s.s?"

The answer was, "He thought of peace In death, and that his toils would cease; But see his mis'ry knows no bounds, Still with our blows his back resounds."

BOOK IV.

PROLOGUE.

To you, who've graver things bespoke, This seems no better than a joke, And light for mere amus.e.m.e.nt made; Yet still we drive the scribbling trade, And from the pen our pleasure find, When we've no greater things to mind.

Yet if you look with care intense, These tales your toil shall recompense; Appearance is not always true, And thousands err by such a view.

'Tis a choice spirit that has pried Where clean contrivance chose to hide; That this is not at random said, I shall produce upon this head A fable of an arch device, About the Weasel and the Mice.

FABLE I. THE WEAZEL AND MICE.

A Weasel, worn with years, and lame, That could not overtake its game, Now with the nimble Mice to deal, Disguised herself with barley meal; Then negligent her limbs she spread In a sly nook, and lay for dead.

A Mouse that thought she there might feed, Leapt up, and perish'd in the deed; A second in like manner died; A third, and sundry more beside: Then comes the brindled Mouse, a chap That oft escaped both snare and trap, And seeing how the trick was played, Thus to his crafty foe he said:-- "So may'st thou prosper day and night, As thou art not an errant bite."

II. THE FOX AND THE GRAPES.

An hungry Fox with fierce attack Sprang on a Vine, but tumbled back, Nor could attain the point in view, So near the sky the bunches grew.

As he went off, "They're scurvy stuff,"

Says he, "and not half ripe enough-- And I've more rev'rence for my tripes Than to torment them with the gripes."

For those this tale is very pat Who lessen what they can't come at.

III. THE HORSE AND BOAR.

A Wild-Boar wallow'd in the flood, And troubled all the stream with mud, Just where a horse to drink repair'd-- He therefore having war declared, Sought man's alliance for the fight, And bore upon his back the knight; Who being skill'd his darts to throw, Despatched the Wild-Boar at a blow.

Then to the steed the victor said, "I'm glad you came to me for aid, For taught how useful you can be, I've got at once a spoil and thee."

On which the fields he made him quit, To feel the spur and champ the bit.

Then he his sorrow thus express'd: "I needs must have my wrongs redress'd, And making tyrant man the judge, Must all my life become a drudge."

This tale the pa.s.sionate may warn, To bear with any kind of scorn; And rather all complaint withdraw Than either go to war or law.

IV. ESOP AND THE WILL.

That one man sometimes is more shrewd Than a stupendous mult.i.tude, To after-times I shall rehea.r.s.e In my concise familiar verse.

A certain man on his decease, Left his three girls so much a-piece: The first was beautiful and frail, With eyes still hunting for the male; The second giv'n to spin and card, A country housewife working hard; The third but very ill to pa.s.s, A homely s.l.u.t, that loved her gla.s.s.

The dying man had left his wife Executrix, and for her life Sole tenant, if she should fulfil These strange provisos of his will: "That she should give th' estate in fee In equal portions to the three; But in such sort, that this bequest Should not be holden or possess'd; Then soon as they should be bereav'n Of all the substance that was giv'n, They must for their good mother's ease Make up an hundred sesterces."

This spread through Athens in a trice; The prudent widow takes advice.

But not a lawyer could unfold How they should neither have nor hold The very things that they were left.

Besides, when once they were bereft, How they from nothing should confer The money that was due to her.

When a long time was spent in vain, And no one could the will explain, She left the counsellors unfeed, And thus of her own self decreed: The minstrels, trinkets, plate, and dress, She gave the Lady to possess.

Then Mrs. Notable she stocks With all the fields, the kine and flocks: The workmen, farm, with a supply Of all the tools of husbandry.

Last, to the Guzzler she consigns The cellar stored with good old wines, A handsome house to see a friend, With pleasant gardens at the end.

Thus as she strove th' affair to close, By giving each the things they chose, And those that knew them every one Highly applauded what was done Esop arose, and thus address'd The crowd that to his presence press'd: "O that the dead could yet perceive!

How would the prudent father grieve, That all th' Athenians had not skill Enough to understand his will!"

Then at their joint request he solved That error, which had all involved.

"The gardens, house, and wine vaults too, Give to the spinster as her due; The clothes, the jewels, and such ware, Be all the tippling lady's share; The fields, the barns, and flocks of sheep, Give the gay courtesan to keep.

Not one will bear the very touch Of things that thwart their tastes so much; The s.l.u.t to fill her cellar straight Her wardrobe will evacuate; The lady soon will sell her farms, For garments to set off her charms; But she that loves the flocks and kine Will alienate her stores of wine, Her rustic genius to employ.

Thus none their portions shall enjoy, And from the money each has made Their mother shall be duly paid."

Thus one man by his wit disclosed The point that had so many posed.

V. THE BATTLE OF THE MICE AND WEASELS.

The routed Mice upon a day Fled from the Weasels in array; But in the hurry of the flight, What with their weakness and their fright Each scarce could get into his cave: Howe'er, at last their lives they save.

But their commanders (who had tied Horns to their heads in martial pride, Which as a signal they design'd For non-commission'd mice to mind) Stick in the entrance as they go, And there are taken by the foe, Who, greedy of the victim, gluts With mouse-flesh his unG.o.dly guts.

Each great and national distress Must chiefly mighty men oppress; While folks subordinate and poor Are by their littleness secure.

VI. PHaeDRUS TO THE CAVILLERS.

Thou that against my tales inveigh'st, As much too pleasant for thy taste; Egregious critic, cease to scoff, While for a time I play you off, And strive to soothe your puny rage.

As Esop comes upon the stage, And dress'd entirely new in Rome, Thus enters with the tragic plume.-- "O that the fair Thessalian pine Had never felt the wrath divine, And fearless of the axe's wound, Had still the Pelian mountain crown'd!