A fox, old, subtle, vigilant, and sly,-- By hunters wounded, fallen in the mud,-- Attracted, by the traces of his blood, That buzzing parasite, the fly. He blamed the gods, and wonder'd why The Fates so cruelly should wish To feast the fly on such a costly dish. 'What! light on me! make me its food! Me, me, the nimblest of the wood! How long has fox-meat been so good? What serves my tail? Is it a useless weight? Go,--Heaven confound thee, greedy reprobate!-- And suck thy fill from some more vulgar veins!' A hedgehog, witnessing his pains, (This fretful personage Here graces first my page,) Desired to set him free From such cupidity. 'My neighbour fox,' said he, My quills these rascals shall empale, And ease thy torments without fail.' 'Not for the world, my friend!' the fox replied. 'Pray let them finish their repast. These flies are full. Should they be set aside, New hungrier swarms would finish me at last.' Consumers are too common here below, In court and camp, in church and state, we know. Old Aristotle's penetration Remark'd our fable's application; It might more clearly in our nation. The fuller certain men are fed, The less the public will be bled. [24] Aesop; also Philibert Hegemon, and others. XIV.--LOVE AND FOLLY.[25] Love bears a world of mystery-- His arrows, quiver, torch, and infancy: 'Tis not a trifling work to sound A sea of science so profound: And, hence, t' explain it all to-day Is not my aim; but, in my simple way, To show how that blind archer lad (And he a god!) came by the loss of sight, And eke what consequence the evil had, Or good, perhaps, if named aright-- A point I leave the lover to decide, As fittest judge, who hath the matter tried. Together on a certain day, Said Love and Folly were at play: The former yet enjoy'd his eyes. Dispute arose. Love thought it wise Before the council of the gods to go, Where both of them by birth held stations; But Folly, in her lack of patience, Dealt on his forehead such a blow As seal'd his orbs to all the light of heaven. Now Venus claim'd that vengeance should be given. And by what force of tears yourselves may guess The woman and the mother sought redress. The gods were deafen'd with her cries-- Jove, Nemesis, the stern assize Of Orcus,--all the gods, in short, From whom she might the boon extort. The enormous wrong she well portray'd-- Her son a wretched groper made, An ugly staff his steps to aid! For such a crime, it would appear, No punishment could be severe: The damage, too, must be repair'd. The case maturely weigh'd and cast, The public weal with private squared: Poor Folly was condemn'd at last, By judgment of the court above, To serve for aye as guide to Love.[26]