[Footnote V.14: _Old Barker_)--Ver. 7. We may here enumerate the names of this nature, which we find given by Phædrus to various animals: “laniger,” “wool-bearer,” the sheep; “auritulus,” “long-ears,” the ass; “sonipes,” “sounding-hoof,” the horse; “barbatus,” “long-beard,” the goat; “retorridus,” “brindle,” the mouse; and “latrans,” “barker,” the dog.] [Footnote V.15: _Philetus._)--Ver. 10. Of this Philetus nothing certain is known, but he is supposed to have been a freedman of the emperor Claudius.] THE NEW FABLES, BY SOME ATTRIBUTED TO PHÆDRUS.[1] [Footnote NF.1: _Attributed to Phædrus_)--Cassito and Jannelli, with several other critics, are strongly of opinion that these Fables were written by Phædrus. On a critical examination, however, they will be found to be so dissimilar in style and language from those acknowledged to be by Phædrus, that it is very difficult not to come to the conclusion that they are the work of some more recent writer, of inferior genius, and less pure latinity. They were first published in 1809, at Naples, by Cassito, from a MS. which had belonged to Nicholas Perotti, Archbishop of Sipontum or Manfredonia, at the end of the fifteenth century, and who, notwithstanding his assertions to the contrary, was perhaps either the author of them or altered them very materially. They appear in the MSS. in a mutilated condition; and the lacunæ have been filled up according to the fancy of the successive Editors of the Fables. Those inserted in Gail’s edition have in general been here adopted.] FABLE I. THE APE AND THE FOX. _The Greedy Man is not willing to give even from his superabundance._ An Ape asked a Fox for a part of her tail, that he might decently cover his naked hinder parts therewith; but the ill-natured creature {replied}: “Although it grow {even} longer {than it is}, still I will sooner drag it through mud and brambles, than give you ever so small a part {thereof}.” FABLE II. THE AUTHOR. _We must not require what is unreasonable._ If Nature had[2] formed the human race according to my notions, it would have been far better endowed: for she would have given us every good quality that indulgent Fortune has bestowed on {any} animal: the strength of the Elephant, and the impetuous force of the Lion, the age of the Crow, the majestic port of the fierce Bull, the gentle tractableness of the fleet Horse; and Man should still have had the ingenuity that is peculiarly his own. Jupiter in heaven laughs to himself, no doubt, he who, in his mighty plan, denied these {qualities} to men, lest our audacity should wrest {from him} the sceptre of the world. Contented, therefore, with the gifts of unconquered Jove, let us pass the years of our time allotted by fate, nor attempt more than mortality permits.