. Fables of Aesop and others. ous lawns, or lose himself agree-ably in the shady verdant mazes of unrestrained contemplation?It is impossible. Vulgar notions are so generally attended witherror, that wherever one traces the footsteps of many tendingall one way, it is enough to make one suspect, with the Fox inthe Fable, that there is some trick in it. The eye of reason isdulled and stupified when it is confined, and made to gaze con-tinually upon the same thing; it rather chooses to look about it,and amuse itself with a variety of objects, as they lie scatteredup and down in the unbounded pros
. Fables of Aesop and others. ous lawns, or lose himself agree-ably in the shady verdant mazes of unrestrained contemplation?It is impossible. Vulgar notions are so generally attended witherror, that wherever one traces the footsteps of many tendingall one way, it is enough to make one suspect, with the Fox inthe Fable, that there is some trick in it. The eye of reason isdulled and stupified when it is confined, and made to gaze con-tinually upon the same thing; it rather chooses to look about it,and amuse itself with a variety of objects, as they lie scatteredup and down in the unbounded prospect. He that goes invillicitly into a thing, may be mistaken, notwithstanding thenumber of those who keep him company; but he who keeps outtill he sees reason to enter, acts upon true maxims of policyand prudence. In short, it becomes us, as we are reasonablecreatures, to behave ourselves as such, and to do as few thingsas possible, of which we may have occasion to repent. 260 J:S0PS fables. FAB. CXLIIT. The Mice in The Mice called a general council, and having* met,after the doors were locked, entered into a free con-sultation about ways and means, how to render theirfortunes and estates more secure from the dangersof the cat. Many things were offered, and much wasdebated pro and con, upon the matter. At last ayoung mouse, in a fine florid speech, concluded uponan expedient, and that the only one which was to putthem in future entirely out of the power of the ene-my; and this was, that the cat should wear a bellabout his neck, which, upon the least motion, wouldgive the alarm, and be a signal for them to retire intotheir holes. This speech was received with great ap-plause, and it was even proposed by some, that themouse who made it should have the thanks of the assembly. Upon which, an old gray mouse, who hadsat silent all the while, stood up, and in anothei iESOPS FABLES. i261 speech, owned that the contrivance was admirable,and the author of it without doubt an i
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