on the learned dunce
An ambushed Cat; who, very soon,
Experimentally made known,
That between Mice and Elephants
There is a mighty difference.

MORAL.

When fools pretend to wit and sense,
And wish to shine at your expense,
Defy them to the proof, and you
Will make them their own folly show.

FABLE LXXVI.

THE HUSBANDMAN AND HIS SONS.

A CERTAIN Husbandman, lying at the point of death, and being
desirous his sons should pursue that innocent, entertaining
course of agriculture in which he himself had been engaged all
his life, made use of this expedient to induce them to it. He
called them to his bed-side and spoke to this effect: "All the
patrimony I have to bequeath you, Sons, is my farm and my
vineyard, of which I make you joint heirs. But I charge you not
to let it go out of your own occupation; for if I have any
treasure besides, it lies buried somewhere in the ground, within
a foot of the surface."

This made the Sons conclude that he talked of money which he had hid
there; so, after their father's death, with unwearied diligence and
application, they carefully dug up every inch, both of the farm and
vineyard; from which it came to pass that, though they missed the
treasure which they expected, the ground, by being so well stirred
and loosened, produced so plentiful a crop of all that was sowed in
it as proved a real, and no inconsiderable treasure.

MORAL.

Labour and industry, well applied, seldom fail of finding a rich
treasure. And if these do not give us exactly the wealth we are
looking for, they will certainly give us health and cheerfulness,
with a tranquil mind, and, without these, all the gold of Peru
would lie in our coffers useless.

FABLE LXXVII.

THE BALD KNIGHT.

A CERTAIN Knight growing old, his hair fell off, and he became
bald; to hide which imperfection he wore a periwig. But as he was
riding out with some others a-hunting, a sudden gust of wind blew
off the periwig, and exposed his bald pate.

The company could not forbear laughing at the accident; and he
himself laughed as loud as anybody, saying, "How was it to be
expected that I should keep strange hair on my head, when my own
would not stay there."

MORAL.

If, by any word or action, we happen to raise the laughter of
those about us, we cannot stifle it better than, by a brisk
presence of mind, to join in the mirth of the company, and, if
possible, anticipate the