2l6 FABLES. 



but when he came to take his leave, owned ingenu- 

 ously, that he had been used as he deserved; and 

 that he had no reason to take any treatment ill, of 

 which himself had set the example. 



APPLICATION. 



IT is very imprudent, as well as uncivil, to affront 

 any one, and we should always reflect, before we 

 rally another, whether we can bear to have the jest 

 retorted. Whoever takes the liberty to exercise his 

 witty talent in that way, must not be surprised if 

 he meet reprisals in the end. Indeed, if all those 

 who are thus paid in their own coin, would take it 

 with the same frankness that the Fox did, the mat- 

 ter would not be much; but we are too apt, when 

 the jest comes to be turned home upon ourselves, 

 to think that insufferable in another which we look- 

 ed upon as pretty and facetious when the humour 

 was our own. The rule of doing as we would be 

 done by, so proper to be our model in every trans- 

 action of life, may more particularly be of use in 

 this respect. People seldom or never receive any 

 advantage by these little ludicrous impositions ; 

 and yet, if they were to ask themselves the ques- 

 tion, would find, that they would receive the same 

 treatment from another with a very bad grace. 



