306 FABLES. 



father. You hard-hearted wretch, say they, how 

 can you suffer that poor lad to wade through 

 the dirt, while you, like an alderman, ride at your 

 ease ? The good-natured Miller stood corrected, 

 and immediately took his Son up behind him. 

 And now the next man they met exclaimed, with 

 more vehemence and indignation than all the rest, 

 Was there ever such a couple of lazy loobies ! to 

 overload in so unconscionable a manner, a poor 

 dumb creature, who is far less able to carry you, 

 than you are to carry him ! The complying Old 

 Man would have been half inclined to make the 

 trial, had not experience by this time sufficiently 

 convinced him, that there cannot be a more fruitless 

 attempt, than to endeavour to please all mankind. 



APPLICATION. 



IT is better to pursue the dictates of one's own 

 reason, than attempt to please every body; for to 

 do this is next to impossible. Therefore we ought 

 to decide according to the best of our judgement, 

 and correct our mistakes from our own experience. 

 Wise men are instructed by reason; men of less 

 understanding by experience; the most ignorant 

 by necessity; and beasts by instinct. When a man 

 so neglects himself, as not to make a just use of his 

 reason and his mental powers, in combating with 

 prejudice and folly, as well as the caprice of others, 

 he will ever be led on in a maze of error, wavering 

 and embarrassed about pursuing this or that path, 

 until between them he is lost in a labyrinth, from 

 which he will never be able to extricate himself as 

 long as he lives. 



