à Bad luck to the man,-may never grow fat,— In the same spirit, a man may blow hot and cold in reference to his own affairs, and be inconsistent with himself. On the one day he may be inflamed with the most excessive zeal to promote some favourite scheme, occupation, or pursuit, and on the morrow he may regard it with the utmost indifference. Such inconsistency of conduct must be avoided by all who would gain esteem or respect. This fable teaches that a man should strive to be honest in word and deed towards his friends, and true to himself in the diligent application to all that he may undertake. This, above all: to thine own self be true, Oh, what may man within him hide, A KITE had been sick a long time, and finding there were no hopes of recovery, begged of his mother to address herself to the gods, and to see what prayers and promises would effect in his behalf. The old Kite replied: "Indeed, dear son, I would willingly undertake any thing to save your life; but I despair of doing you any service in the way you propose; for with what face can I ask any thing of the gods in favour of one whose whole life has been a continual scene of rapine and injustice, and who has not scrupled, upon occasion, to rob the very altars themselves?" MORAL. Be in health what when sick you will wish you had been. APPLICATION. The author approaches in this fable the province of the divine rather than of the moralist. The reflections which he places in the mouth of the parent Kite are remarkable for their truth and good sense, and are consistent with the sorrow and seriousness which the contemplation of a death-bed is calculated to produce. Earth is an island ported round with fears; Without referring to the consolations afforded by the teachings of Christianity, it will be generally allowed that the past actions of the life will be the tormentors or the comforters of the sick man's pillow. The child is father of the man; Bound each to each by natural piety. The joy or the sorrow experienced in the anticipation of death will be very much according to what the life. hath been. It should be our constant endeavour at all times so to act as we shall wish to have done when we are about to die. Our acts our angels are, for good or ill,— THE HAWK AND THE NIGHTINGALE. A NIGHTINGALE, sitting all alone among the shady branches of an oak, sang with so melodious and shrill a pipe, that she made the woods echo again, and alarmed a hungry Hawk, who was at some distance off watching for his prey; he had no sooner discovered the little musician, but, making a swoop at the place, he seized her with his crooked talons, and bid her prepare for death. "Ah!" says she, " for mercy's sake, don't do so barbarous a thing, and so unbecoming yourself; consider, I never did you any wrong, and am but a poor, small morsel for such a stomach as yours; rather attack some larger fowl, which may bring you more credit and a better meal, and let me go."—"Ay!" says the Hawk, "persuade me to it if you can: I have been upon the watch all day long, and have not met with one bit of any thing till I caught you ; and now you would have me let you go, in hopes of something better, would you? would be the fool then ?" Pray, who MORAL. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. APPLICATION. How crowded, in an advanced state of society, are all the avenues to patronage and promotion! how numerous the suppliants for every office of honour or emolument! Yet it is probable that to every man an opportunity of success is given at some time or other, if only he knew how to use it. There is a tide in the affairs of men Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Is bound in shallows and in miseries; And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures. This fable exposes the folly of giving up a certain good for an uncertain gain, and urges the duty of making the most of every present advantage. Live! live to-day! To-morrow never yet On any human being rose or set. |