. Fables of Aesop and others. us incapable of defending ourselvesagainst it. This is the case even in respect of real danger; asfire, thieves, or violent enemies, and even in this case, a man ofeither sense or honour would be ashamed to be detected ofsuch a weakness. But when the cause of our alarm is ground,less, and subsists no where but in our childish imagination, weshould not only take care how we expose ourselves upon thataccount, but resolve to man our understanding with reason andfortitude enough to maintain it against the attacks of every lit-tle imaginary phantom. Even those who have
. Fables of Aesop and others. us incapable of defending ourselvesagainst it. This is the case even in respect of real danger; asfire, thieves, or violent enemies, and even in this case, a man ofeither sense or honour would be ashamed to be detected ofsuch a weakness. But when the cause of our alarm is ground,less, and subsists no where but in our childish imagination, weshould not only take care how we expose ourselves upon thataccount, but resolve to man our understanding with reason andfortitude enough to maintain it against the attacks of every lit-tle imaginary phantom. Even those who have thoroughly reasoned the point, may yetretain something of the old woman in their minds, which havingtaken root too deep to be entirely plucked out, may sometimessurprise them in an unguarded moment, and make them startlike the lion in the fable; but then they presently recollectthemselves; and, as he did, treat the cause of their delusionwith the utmost contempt. 160 iESOPS FABLES. FAB. LXXXIII. The Fir-tree and the il- <••???•«?? •MiiiBiiaiiakia ? ? ? ? ?61????? ^ tf a ??? a (St j ? ????????HI I ^^ ^?????????mi, • ???????????•li•^????????????•.I a???•????????^J \ A tall straight Fir-tree, that stood towering- up inthe middle of the forest, was so proud of his dignityand high station, that he overlooked the little shrubawhich grew beneath him. A bramble, being one ofthe inferior throng, could by no means brook thishaughty carriage, and therefore took him to task, anddesired to know what he meant by it? Because, saysthe Fir-tree, I look upon myself as the first tree forbeauty and rank, of any in the forest; my spiring topshoots up into the clouds, and my branches displaythemselves with a perpetual beauty and verdure; whileyou lie grovelling upon the ground, liable to be crush-ed by every foot that comes near you, and impover-ished by the
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