238 FABLES. 



Parrot; and to the Dove innocence. Each of these 

 is contented with his own peculiar quality; and 

 unless you have a mind to be miserable, you must 

 learn to be so too. 



APPLICATION. 



THE most useful lesson that we can possibly 

 learn, towards the attainment of happiness in this 

 world, is to enjoy those blessing's that we have in 

 our power, without vainly pining 1 after those which 

 we have not. Instead of being ambitious of having 

 more endowments than nature has allotted to us, 

 we should spare no pains to cultivate those we 

 have; and which a sourness or peevishness of tem- 

 per, instead of improving, will certainly lessen and 

 impair. Whoever neglects the happiness within 

 his reach, in order to brood over the consideration 

 of how much happier he might have been, had his 

 situation been like that of others, ingeniously ccn- 

 trives to torment himself, and opens a perpetual 

 source of discontent, which prevents his ever being, 

 at ease. He does not reflect, or he would soon 

 discover, that all the desirable properties in the 

 world never centered in one man, and that those 

 who have had the greatest share of them, if of an 

 unhappy disposition, still wished for something 

 more, and wanted to possess some inherent gifts 

 w r hich shone forth in other men: but such persons 

 ought to be put in mind, that it does not become 

 mortals to repine at the will of Heaven, which dis- 

 tributes happiness w r ith an equal hand upon the 

 highest and the lowest of mankind, if they \vere 

 wise enough, and grateful enough, to perceive it. 



