Exert the honour of your race; He builds his rise on your disgrace. 'Tis industry our state maintains: 'Twas honest toils and honest gains That raised our sires to power and fame. Be virtuous; save yourselves from shame. _80 Know, that in selfish ends pursuing, You scramble for the public ruin.' He spoke; and from his cell dismissed, Was insolently scoffed and hissed. With him a friend or two resigned, Disdaining the degenerate kind. 'These drones,' says he, 'these insects vile, (I treat them in their proper style,) May for a time oppress the state, They own our virtue by their hate; _90 By that our merits they reveal, And recommend our public zeal; Disgraced by this corrupted crew, We're honoured by the virtuous few.' * * * * * FABLE XI. THE PACK-HORSE AND THE CARRIER. TO A YOUNG NOBLEMAN. Begin, my lord, in early youth, To suffer, nay, encourage truth: And blame me not for disrespect, If I the flatterer's style reject; With that, by menial tongues supplied, You're daily cocker'd up in pride. The tree's distinguished by the fruit, Be virtue then your sole pursuit; Set your great ancestors in view, Like them deserve the title too; _10 Like them ignoble actions scorn: Let virtue prove you greatly born. Though with less plate their sideboard shone, Their conscience always was their own; They ne'er at levees meanly fawned, Nor was their honour yearly pawned; Their hands, by no corruption stained, The ministerial bribe disdained; They served the crown with loyal zeal; Yet, jealous of the public weal, _20 They stood the bulwark of our laws, And wore at heart their country's cause; By neither place or pension bought, They spoke and voted as they thought. Thus did your sires adorn their seat; And such alone are truly great. If you the paths of learning slight, You're but a dunce in stronger light; In foremost rank the coward placed, Is more conspicuously disgraced. _30 If you to serve a paltry end, To knavish jobs can condescend, We pay you the contempt that's due; In that you have precedence too. Whence had you this illustrious name? From virtue and unblemished fame. By birth the name alone descends; Your honour on yourself depends: Think not your coronet can hide Assuming ignorance and pride. _40 Learning by study must be won, 'Twas ne'er entailed from son to son. Superior worth your rank requires; For that mankind reveres your sires; If you degenerate from your race, Their merits heighten your disgrace. A carrier, every night and morn, Would see his horses eat their corn: This sunk the hostler's vails, 'tis true; But then his horses had their due. _50 Were we so cautious in all cases, Small gain would rise from greater places. The manger now had all its measure; He heard the grinding teeth with pleasure;