A mountain was in travail pang;The country with her clamour rang.Out ran the people all, to see,Supposing that the birth would beA city, or at least a house.It was a mouse! In thinking of this fable,Of story feign’d and false,But meaning veritable,My mind the image callsOf one who writes, “The war I singWhich Titans waged […]

A little fish will grow,If life be spared, a great;But yet to let him go,And for his growing wait,May not be very wise,As ’tis not sure your baitWill catch him when of size.Upon a river bank, a fisher tookA tiny troutling from his hook.Said he, ”Twill serve to count, at least,As the beginning of my […]

A cunning old fox, of plundering habits,Great crauncher of fowls, great catcher of rabbits,Whom none of his sort had caught in a nap,Was finally caught in somebody’s trap.By luck he escaped, not wholly and hale,For the price of his luck was the loss of his tail.Escaped in this way, to save his disgrace,He thought to […]

The selfsame patient put to testTwo doctors, Fear-the-worst and Hope-the-best.The latter hoped; the former did maintainThe man would take all medicine in vain.By different cures the patient was beset,But erelong cancell’d nature’s debt,While nursedAs was prescribed by Fear-the-worst.But over the disease both triumph’d still.Said one, ‘I well foresaw his death.’‘Yes,’ said the other, ‘but my […]

A prelate’s mule of noble birth was proud,And talk’d, incessantly and loud,Of nothing but his dam, the mare,Whose mighty deeds by him recounted were,–This had she done, and had been present there,–By which her son made out his claimTo notice on the scroll of Fame.Too proud, when young, to bear a doctor’s pill;When old, he […]

Old Boreas and the sun, one dayEspied a traveller on his way,Whose dress did happily provideAgainst whatever might betide.The time was autumn, when, indeed,All prudent travellers take heed.The rains that then the sunshine dash,And Iris with her splendid sash,Warn one who does not like to soakTo wear abroad a good thick cloak.Our man was therefore […]

A youthful mouse, not up to trap,Had almost met a sad mishap.The story hear him thus relate,With great importance, to his mother:–‘I pass’d the mountain bounds of this estate,And off was trotting on another,Like some young rat with nought to doBut see things wonderful and new,When two strange creatures came in view.The one was mild, […]

Sick in his den, we understand,The king of beasts sent out commandThat of his vassals every sortShould send some deputies to court–With promise well to treatEach deputy and suite;On faith of lion, duly written,None should be scratch’d, much less be bitten.The royal will was executed,And some from every tribe deputed;The foxes, only, would not come.One […]

From wrongs of wicked men we drawExcuses for our own:–Such is the universal law.Would you have mercy shown,Let yours be clearly known. A fowler’s mirror served to snareThe little tenants of the air.A lark there saw her pretty face,And was approaching to the place.A hawk, that sailed on highLike vapour in the sky,Came down, as […]

Beside a placid, crystal flood,A stag admired the branching woodThat high upon his forehead stood,But gave his Maker little thanksFor what he call’d his spindle shanks.‘What limbs are these for such a head!–So mean and slim!’ with grief he said.‘My glorious heads o’ertopsThe branches of the copse;My legs are my disgrace.’As thus he talk’d, a […]

This world is full of shadow-chasers,Most easily deceived.Should I enumerate these racers,I should not be believed.I send them all to Aesop’s dog,Which, crossing water on a log,Espied the meat he bore, below;To seize its image, let it go;Plunged in; to reach the shore was glad,With neither what he hoped, nor what he’d had.

The apologue is from the immortal gods;Or, if the gift of man it is,Its author merits apotheosis.Whoever magic genius laudsWill do what in him liesTo raise this art’s inventor to the skies.It hath the potence of a charm,On dulness lays a conquering arm,Subjects the mind to its control,And works its will upon the soul.O lady, […]

If worth, were not a thing more rareThan beauty in this planet fair,There would be then less need of careAbout the contracts Hymen closes.But beauty often is the baitTo love that only ends in hate;And many hence repent too lateOf wedding thorns from wooing roses.[A]My tale makes one of these poor fellows,Who sought relief from […]

A husband’s death brings always sighs;The widow sobs, sheds tears–then dries.Of Time the sadness borrows wings;And Time returning pleasure brings.Between the widow of a yearAnd of a day, the differenceIs so immense,That very few who see herWould think the laughing dameAnd weeping one the same.The one puts on repulsive action,The other shows a strong attraction.The […]

The goddess Discord, having made, on high,Among the gods a general grapple,And thence a lawsuit, for an apple,Was turn’d out, bag and baggage, from the sky.The animal call’d man, with open arms,Received the goddess of such naughty charms,–Herself and Whether-or-no, her brother,With Thine-and-mine, her stingy mother.In this, the lower universe,Our hemisphere she chose to curse:For […]

A pot of milk upon her cushion’d crown,Good Peggy hasten’d to the market town;Short clad and light, with speed she went,Not fearing any accident;Indeed, to be the nimbler tripper,Her dress that day,The truth to say,Was simple petticoat and slipper.And, thus bedight,Good Peggy, light,–Her gains already counted,–Laid out the cashAt single dash,Which to a hundred eggs […]

The world has never lack’d its charlatans,More than themselves have lack’d their plans.One sees them on the stage at tricksWhich mock the claims of sullen Styx.What talents in the streets they post!One of them used to boastSuch mastership of eloquenceThat he could make the greatest dunceAnother Tully CiceroIn all the arts that lawyers know.‘Ay, sirs, […]

His lion majesty would know, one day,What bestial tribes were subject to his sway.He therefore gave his vassals all,By deputies a call,Despatching everywhereA written circular,Which bore his seal, and did importHis majesty would hold his courtA month most splendidly;–A feast would open his levee,Which done, Sir Jocko’s sleightWould give the court delight.By such sublime magnificenceThe […]

Upon a sandy, uphill road,Which naked in the sunshine glow’d,Six lusty horses drew a coach.Dames, monks, and invalids, its load,On foot, outside, at leisure trode.The team, all weary, stopp’d and blow’d:Whereon there did a fly approach,And, with a vastly business air.Cheer’d up the horses with his buzz,–Now pricked them here, now prick’d them there,As neatly […]

A certain maid, as proud as fair,A husband thought to findExactly to her mind–Well-form’d and young, genteel in air,Not cold nor jealous;–mark this well.Whoe’er would wed this dainty belleMust have, besides rank, wealth, and wit,And all good qualities to fit–A man ’twere difficult to get.Kind Fate, however, took great careTo grant, if possible, her prayer.There […]