FABLES. 



363 



THE FOWLER AND THE PARTRIDGE, 



A Fowler having taken a Partridge in his nets, 

 the bird begged hard for a reprieve, and promised 

 the man, if he would let him go, to decoy the other 

 Partridges into his snares. No, replies the Fowler, 

 if I had before been undetermined what to do with 

 you, now you have condemned yourself by your 

 own words: for he who is such a scoundrel as to 

 offer to betray his friends, to save himself, deserves 

 if possible worse than death. 



APPLICATION. 



To betray our friends is one of the blackest of 

 crimes; and however much traitors may suppose 

 they recommend themselves by their successful 

 acts of treachery, they will find that those who 



