Here safe the depths no longer they explore ; 

 But, their huge bulk extending near the shore, 

 Take freely from our hands what we bestow, 

 And grace the royal streams at Fountainbleau: 

 But, chiefly they rejoice, when, near the side, 

 Great Lewis walks, and as in youthful pride, 

 Strong both in body and in mind remains, 

 And all youth's vigour ev'n in age retains: 

 We could not think he sixty years had reign'd, 

 Did we not count our gains by sea and land; 

 Or view his grandsons round the monarch stand. 



Tho' the rich pike, to entertain your guest, 

 Smokes on the board and decks a royal feast j 

 Yet must you not this cruel savage place 

 In the same ponds that lodge the finny race: 

 In the same tow'ryou might as well unite, 

 The fearful pigeons and the rav'nous kite; 

 In the same yard the fox with chickens keep, 

 Or place the hungry wolf with harmless sheep. 

 For he, the tyrant of the wat'ry plains 

 Devours all fish, nor from his kind abstains; 



fhinke me worthy to be coramendid ; for it Is wryttyn, the mowth of an othir 

 man mote coiamende the and not thyn ovvne, for all commendacyon and 

 iawde of hyna self is fowle in y e . mouth of the spekar. Therefor* bettyr hit 

 is that those that prayse them self goo togider to the see iuge, that is, the 

 Dolphyn, which is a iuste iuge and a rightfull and dredinge god, for he shall 

 rightfully determjn this mater. This counsell pleayd them well, and forth 

 went these twayn togider vnto the Dolphyn and shewyd to him all ther 

 xnyndes, and to ther power comendid the" self. To whom the Dolphyn 

 sayde : children, I ncuyr sawe yowe tell this tyrne, for ye be alwaye hydde ia 

 the floedes, and I am stexinge in the great 'wawys ef the see ; wherfore I 

 cannot gyue ryghtfull sentence betwene yowe. but yf I first assaye and make 

 a taste of yowe. And thus saynge, he gaue a sprynge anc! swalowyd them lit 

 both two, aad sayde, 



Noman owlth hym self to ccmmende, 



Aboue all other, laste he offende.' 



Unless 



