FABLE III THE ATHEIST AND THE ACORN. By Anne Finch, Countess of Winchelsea. 'Methinks this world is oddly made, A dull presuming Atheist said, Behold,' quoth he, 'that mighty thing, 'A Pumpkin, large and round, Is held but by a little string, Which upwards cannot make it spring, Or bear it from the ground: 'While on this oak, an Acorn small Its ill contrivance knows. 'My better judgment would have hung The Pumpkin on the tree; And left the Acorn slightly strung 'Mong things that on the surface sprung, 'And small and feeble be." No more the Caviller could say, The wounded part with tears ran o'er, Fool! had that bough a Pumpkin bore, Thy whimsies must have work'd no more, 'Nor skull have kept them in.' FABLE IV. THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE. Imitated from Horace by Swift and Pope. ONCE on a time (so runs the Fable) He brought him bacon, nothing lean, Cheese, such as men in Suffolk make, And cried, Indeed you're mighty neat. May yield, we know, to strong temptation. 8 The guests withdrawn, the vacant seat Our courtier walks from dish to dish, 6 He stuffs, and swills, and stuffs again. 'I'm quite asham'd-'tis mighty rude To eat so much-but all's so good; 'I have a thousand thanks to giveMy Lord above knows how to live.' No sooner said, but from the hall, Rush servants, butler, dogs and all: A rat, a rat! clap to the door' The cat comes bouncing on the floor. 'An't please your honour, 'quoth the peasant, 'This same desert is not so pleasant: 'Give me again my hollow tree, 'A crust of bread, and liberty!' FABLE V. THE WOLF AND THE DOG. By William Somerville. A PROWLING Wolf, that scour'd the plains, 'How do you, coz?' Your servant, Sir! 'How plump thy sides, how sleek thy skin! While I, alas! decay'd and old, 'With hunger pin'd, and stiff with cold, 6 my moan. Pr'ythee, my happy friend! impart Thy wond'rous, cunning, thriving art.' 'Why, I will tell thee as a friend; But, first, thy surly manners mend; • Be complaisant, obliging, kind, And leave the Wolf for once behind.' The Wolf, whose mouth began to water, With joy and rapture gallop'd after, |