172 FABLES. 



IT is very inhuman to deny succour and comfort 

 to people in tribulation ; but to insult them, and 

 add to their misfortunes, is something superlatively 

 brutish and cruel. There is, however, in the world; 

 a sort of people of this vile temper, and littleness 

 of mind, who wait for an opportunity of aggravating 

 their neighbour's affliction, and defer the execution 

 of their evil inclinations until they can do it with 

 the severest effect. If a person suffer under an 

 expensive law-suit, lest he should escape from that, 

 one of these gentlemen will take care to arrest him 

 in a second action, hoping, at least, to keep him at 

 bay, while the more powerful adversary attacks 

 him on the other side. One cannot consider this 

 temper, without observing something remarkably 

 cowardly in it: for these shuffling antagonists never 

 begin their encounter till they are very sure the 

 person they aim at is already over-matched. 



