280 FABLES. 



confined for a dream about such a beast, he struck 

 at the painting with his fist, with all his might. 

 There happened to be a nail in the wall behind the 

 canvas, which lacerated the hand terribly. The 

 wound festered, and threw the Young Man into a 

 fever, of which he died; so that the Father's dream 

 was fulfilled by the very step he took to prevent it. 



APPLICATION. 



THOSE people who govern their lives by fore- 

 bodings and dreams, and signs of ill-luck, are kept 

 in a state of constant anxiety and uneasiness. 

 Such a disposition is grounded on superstition, 

 which is the offspring of a narrow mind, and adds 

 greatly to the evils with which life is sufficiently 

 loaded. Heaven has kindly concealed from us the 

 knowledge of futurity, and it is therefore foolish for 

 us to attempt to pry into it, or to disturb our minds 

 with absurd conceptions of events which are only 

 realised by our ridiculous precautions against them. 

 How inconsistent is the conduct of people who 

 imagine things to be predestined, and yet busy 

 themselves in endeavours to prevent their coming 

 to pass: as if the vain efforts of human power 

 or prudence were able to counteract the will, or 

 reverse the decrees of the Omnipotent. 



