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60 The Plumb-cakes.............................................................................................................................

61 The Two Weavers

62 The Plague among the Beasts..............

63 The Boy, the Cat and the Young Birds...............

64 The Falcon and the Hen

65 The Cuckow Traveller.................................................................................................................

66 The Ant and the Grasshopper ..............................................................................

67 The Two Foxes.........

68 The Butterfly and the Boy.............................................................................................

69 The Two Doves...............................................................................................

70 The Beau and the Butterfly

71 The Philosopher and the Glow-worm .....................................

72 The Four Bulls.....

73 The Pepper-box and the Salt Cellar..........................................

74 The Blackbird and the Bull-finch

75 The Old Man, his Children and Bundle of Sticks.

76 The Fly and the Trout

77 The Boy and the Ring-Dove..................................................................

78 The Hare and the Tortoise. ..........................................................

79 The Hares weary of Life .........................................................

80 The Goldfinch and the Cricket.................................................................

81 The Cock and the Doves......................................................................................................

82 The Lark and her Young ones...............................................................

83 The Magpie

84 The Looking-Glass and the Orange-Tree............

85 The Shepherd's Boy and the Wolf.....................................................

86 The Dog in the Manger

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FABLE I.

THE EAGLE AND THE ROBIN RED BREAST.

From one by Archibald Scott, written before the Year 1600.

THE Prince of all the feather'd kind,
That with spread wings out-flies the wind,
And tow'rs far out of human sight
To view the shining orb of light:
This Royal Bird, tho' brave and great,
And armed strong for stern debate,
No tyrant is, but condescends
Oft-times to treat inferior friends.

One day at his command, did flock
To his high palace on a rock,
The courtiers of each various size
That swiftly skim in crystal skies;
Thither the valiant Falcons hie,
And here rapacious Ravens cry,
And noisy Pyes and chattering Daws,
And gaudy Parrots and Macaws,
Proud Peacocks and a hundred more
Well plum'd to stand their King before.
They bow'd submissive to my Lord,
Then took their places at his board.

Meantime, while feasting on a Fawn, And drinking blood from Lambkins drawn. A tuneful Robin, blithe and young, Hard-by upon a birch-tree sung. He sang the Eagle's royal race, His piercing eye, his awful grace, His flight sublime, his strength renew'd, His mind with clemency endued. The Monarch Bird delighted heard The chaunting little sylvan Bard, Call'd up a Buzzard, who was then His favourite and Chamberlain. 'Go quickly to my treasury, 'And to yon sweet-ton'd Robin pay 'A sum that fairly may appear

A handsome living, thro' the year;
'We can well spare, and 'tis his due?'
He bade, and forth the Judas flew
Straight to the branch where Robin sung,
And, with a wicked lying tongue,
Said, 'Ah! ye sing so dull and rough,
'Ye've deaf'd our ears more than enough,
His Majesty has a nice ear,

'And no more of your stuff can bear;
'Forbear your notes, no more attend
'At court, I warn you as a friend?'

He spake, while Robin's swelling breast, And drooping wings his grief express'd, The tears ran trickling down his cheek, His heart grew big, he could not speak,

Not for the lucre of reward,

But that his notes met no regard ;
Straight to the nest he spreads his wing,
Resolv'd again no more to sing;
Where princely bounty is suppress'd
By such with whom they are oppress'd;
Who cannot bear, (because they want it)
That aught should be to merit granted.

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By Shakspeare, (Coriolanus, Act I. Scene 1.)

THERE was a time, when all the Body's Members Rebell'd against the Belly: thus accus'd it :That only like a gulf it did remain

I' the midst o' the Body, idle and unactive,

Still cupboarding the viand, never bearing

Like labour with the rest; where the other instru

ments

Did see, and hear, devise, instruct, walk, feel,

And mutually participant, did minister

Unto the appetite and affection common

Of the whole body.

With a kind of smile,

Which ne'er came from the lungs, but eyen thus,

(For look

you, I may make the Belly smile,

As well as speak,) it tauntingly replied

To the discontented Members, the mutinous parts That envied his receipt, thus answer'd :

'True it is, my incorporate friends,' quoth he, 'That I receive the general food at first, "Which you do live upon and fit it is; 'Because I am the store-house, and the shop "Of the whole body: but: if you do remember, "I send it thro' the rivers of your blood,

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Even to the court, the heart,-to the seat o' the

brain;

And, thro' the cranks and offices of man,

'The strongest nerves, and small inferior veins, 'From me receive that natural competency

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Whereby they live: and, tho' all at once cannot 'See what I do deliver out to each;

'Yet I can make my audit up, that all

'From me do back receive the flower of all, And leave me but the bran.'

The senators of Rome are this good Belly, And you the mutinous Members: for examine Their counsels, and their cares; digest things rightly, Touching the weal o' the common; you shall find, No public benefit, which you receive,

But it proceeds, or comes, from them to you,

And no way from yourselves.-What do you think?

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