The Fox went on the search one Night, The Moon had hung out all her light; He sees her Image in a Well; But what it was he could not tell; Gets on the Bricks to look at ease: At last concludes it is a Cheese: One Bucket's down, the other up, He jumps in that which was a-top, And coming to the Water, sees How little Skill he had in Cheese. Poor Ren, remov'd from all Acquaintance, Sits in the Bucket of Repentance; And when the Rascal ought to have laid The fault upon himself, it's said, He blam'd his Stars, tho' I b'lieve rather He curst the Moon, and all fair Weather. Well, there he sat, and wish'd, no doubt on't, For half his Tail that he was out on't: Sometimes he rav'd and talk'd like mad, } And every thing came in his Head, } That to his purpose could be said. } Happy are those that don't love Cheese; We may go downward when we please, But to come back again, _hoc opus_, All tricks are vain; my only hope is, That Somebody as wise as I, Hits on my Whim, or else I die. Two Days are past; poor Animal, Sees Nobody come near the Well; And now old Time had in one Place, Cut a good piece of _Cynthia's_ Face; For as he does all things, he eats her, And takes a slice, where'er he meets her: _Volpone_ spies it, and it grieved him, To see that spoil'd which had deceiv'd him, Thinking his case was desperate: When on the third Night pretty late, A Wolf who could not sleep, because He felt an itching in his Jaws, Look'd into it; What are you there? Says Ren; pray see what I got here; It is a groaning Cheese, 'twas made From _Io's_ Milk, and _Faunus_ had The ordering of it, 'twould have been Kept for Dame _Juno's_ Lying in, But she miscarry'd: I took off This Corner; still there's Meat enough For two or three, I thought on you, Wish'd I might see you, and to shew, How I esteem, love, and adore ye, That Bucket's left on purpose for ye. The silly Wolf believes, gets in, And draws _Volpene_ up again. The Moral. _Don't blame the stupid Animal, You credit things less probable; And most Men easily give ear, To what they either wish or fear._ _FINIS._ THE AUGUSTAN REPRINT SOCIETY _WILLIAM ANDREWS CLARK MEMORIAL LIBRARY_ University of California, Los Angeles PUBLICATIONS IN PRINT #1948-1949# 15. John Oldmixon, _Reflections on Dr. Swift's Letter to Harley_ ... (1712) and _A. Mainwaring's The British Academy_ ... (1712). 17. Nicholas Rowe, _Some Account of the Life of Mr. William Shakespeare_ (1709). #1949-1950# 22. Samuel Johnson, _The Vanity of Human Wishes_ (1749) and two _Rambler_ papers (1750). 23. John Dryden, _His Majesties Declaration Defended_ (1681). #1950-1951# 26. Charles Macklin, _The Man of the World_ (1792). #1951-1952# 31. Thomas Gray, _An Elegy Wrote in a Country Churchyard_ (1751); and The Eton College Manuscript.