252 FABLES. 



old Hare, more sedate than the rest, observing, 

 called out, Have a care what ye do! Here are 

 other creatures I perceive, which have their fears 

 as well as we. Don't then let us fancy ourselves 

 the most miserable of any upon earth; but rather, 

 by their example, learn to bear patiently those in- 

 conveniences which nature has thrown upon us. 



APPLICATION. 



THIS Fable is designed to shew us how unreason- 

 able many people are, who live in continual fears 

 and disquiet about the miserableness of their con- 

 dition. There is hardly any state of life great 

 enough to satisfy the wishes of an ambitious man ; 

 and scarcely any so mean, but may supply the 

 necessities of him that is moderate. There are few 

 beings so very wretched, that they cannot pick out 

 others in a more deplorable situation, and with 

 whom they would not change cases. The rich man 

 envies the poor man's health, without considering 

 his wants; and the poor man envies the other's 

 treasure, without considering his diseases. The 

 miseries of others should serve to add vigour to our 

 minds, and teach us to bear up against the load of 

 lighter misfortunes. But what shall we say to 

 those who have a way of creating themselves 

 panics from the rustling of the wind, the scratching 

 of a rat or a mouse behind the hangings, the flutter- 

 ing of a moth, or the motion of their own shadow 

 by moon-light! Their whole life is as full of alarms 

 as that of a Hare, and they never think themselves 

 so easy as when, like the timorous folks in the 

 Fable, they meet with a set of creatures as fearful 

 as themselves. 



