Whoever has once become notorious by base fraud, even if he speaks the truth, gains no belief. To this, a short Fable of Æsop bears witness. A Wolf indicted a Fox upon a charge of theft; the latter denied that she was amenable to the charge. Upon this, the Ape sat as judge between them; and when each of them had pleaded his cause, the Ape is said to have pronounced {this} sentence: “You, {Wolf}, appear not to have lost what you demand; I believe that you, {Fox}, have stolen what you so speciously deny.” FABLE XI. THE ASS AND THE LION HUNTING. A dastard, who in his talk brags of his prowess, and is devoid of courage,[11] imposes upon strangers, but is the jest of all who know him. A Lion having resolved to hunt in company with an Ass, concealed him in a thicket, and at the same time enjoined him to frighten the wild beasts with his voice, to which they were unused, while he himself was to catch them as they fled. Upon this, Long-ears, with all his might, suddenly raised a cry, and terrified the beasts with {this} new cause of astonishment.[12] While, in their alarm, they are flying to the well-known outlets, they are overpowered by the dread onset of the Lion; who, after he was wearied with slaughter, called forth the Ass {from his retreat}, and bade him cease his clamour. On this the other, in his insolence, {inquired}: “What think you of the assistance given by my voice?” “Excellent!” said {the Lion}, “so much so, that if I had not been acquainted with your spirit and your race, I should have fled in alarm like {the rest}.” [Footnote I.11: _Devoid of courage_)--Ver. 1. Burmann suggests, with great probability, that Phædrus had here in mind those braggart warriors, who have been so well described by Plautus and Terence, under the characters of Pyrgopolynices and Thraso.] [Footnote I.12: _This new cause of astonishment_)--Ver. 8. Never having heard the voice of an ass in the forests before.] FABLE XII. THE STAG AT THE STREAM. This story shows that what you contemn is often found of more utility than what you load with praises. A Stag, when he had drunk at a stream, stood still, and gazed upon his likeness in the water. While there, in admiration, he was praising his branching horns, and finding fault with the extreme thinness of his legs, suddenly roused by the cries of the huntsmen, he took to flight over the plain, and with nimble course escaped the dogs. Then a wood received the beast; in which, being entangled and caught by his horns, the dogs began to tear him to pieces with savage bites. While dying, he is said to have uttered these words: “Oh, how unhappy am I, who now too late find out how useful to me were the things that I despised; and what sorrow the things I used to praise, have caused me.” FABLE XIII. THE FOX AND THE RAVEN. He who is delighted at being flattered with artful words, {generally} pays the ignominious penalty of a late repentance.