Fables

John Gay

K. Paul, Trench, 1884 - 238 pages

Contents

• MEMOIR: xi
• PART THE FIRST: 1
• The Lion the Tiger and the Traveller: 7
• The Lady and the Wasp: 8
• The Bull and the Mastiff: 9
• The Elephant and the Bookseller: 10
• The Peacock the Turkey and the Goose 12 Cupid Hymen and Plutus: 12
• The Tame Stag: 13
• PAGE: 22
• The Butterfly and the Snail: 24
• The Scold and the Parrot: 25
• PAGE: 30
• 43: 39
• The Philosopher and the Pheasants: 43
• The Pin and the Needle: 45
• The Shepherds Dog and the Wolf: 48
• The Painter who pleased nobody and every body: 50
• The Lion and the: 53
• The old Hen and the Cock 21 The Ratcatcher and the Cats 22 The Goat without a Beard 23 The Old Woman and her Cats 50 53: 55
• The Cur and the Mastiff: 71
• The Persian the Sun and the Cloud: 75
• The Fox at the Point of Death: 77
• The SettingDog and the Partridge: 80
• The Universal Apparition: 82
• The Two Owls and the Sparrow: 85
• The Courtier and Proteus: 87
• The Mastiffs: 90
• Pythagoras and the Countryman: 94
• The Farmers Wife and the Raven: 96
• The Turkey and the Ant 92 94 96: 98
• The Father and Jupiter: 100
• The Two Monkeys: 103
• The Owl and the Farmer 103: 106
• FABLES PAGE 42 The Jugglers: 108
• The Council of Horses III: 111
• The Hound and the Huntsman: 115
• The Poet and the Rose: 117
• The Cur the Horse and the Shepherds Dog: 119
• The Court of Death: 121
• The Gardener and the Hog: 124
• The Man and the Flea: 126
• The Hare and many Friends: 129
• PART THE SECOND: 133
• The Dog and the Fox: 135
• The Vulture the Sparrow and other Birds: 140
• The Baboon and the Poultry: 146
• The Ant in Office: 152
• The Bear in a Boat: 159
• The Squire and his Cur: 165
• FABLES PAGE: 174
• The Degenerate Bees: 194
• Pan and Fortune: 204
• Plutus Cupid and Time: 210
• The Owl the Swan the Cock the Spider: 218
• The Cookmaid the Turnspit and the Ox: 226

Popular passages

Page xxxvi - Life is a jest, and all things show it, I thought so once, but now I know it, with what more you may think proper.‎

Page xxxvi - Unblamed thro' life, lamented in thy End. These are thy Honours ! not that here thy bust Is mix'd with Heroes, or with Kings thy dust: But that the Worthy and the Good shall say. Striking their pensive bosoms — 'Here lies GAY!‎

Page 129 - Friendship, like love, is but a name, Unless to one you stint the flame. The child, whom many fathers share, Hath seldom known a father's care.‎

Page 15 - Just as she spoke, a Pigmy Sprite Pops through the key-hole, swift as light; Perch'd on the cradle's top he stands, And thus her folly reprimands. Whence sprung the vain conceited lie, That we the world with fools supply ? What! give our sprightly race away, For the dull helpless sons of clay! Besides, by partial fondness shown, Like you we dote upon our own. Where yet was ever found a mother, Who'd give her booby for another ? And should we change with human breed, Well might we pass for fools indeed.‎

Page 1 - REMOTE from cities liv'da swain, ./ . Unvex'd with all the cares of gain: /(', " His head was silver'd o'er with age, And long experience made him sage; In summer's heat and winter's cold, He fed his flock and penn'd the fold...‎

Page 130 - And from the deep-mouthed thunder flies : She starts, she stops, she pants for breath ; She hears the near advance of death ; She doubles, to mislead the hound, And measures back her mazy round ; Till, fainting in the public way, Half-dead with fear, she gasping lay. What transport in her bosom grew, When first the Horse appeared in view ! " Let me," says she, " your back ascend, And owe my safety to a friend.‎

Page xxxvi - Unblam'd through life, lamented in thy end, These are thy honours ! not that here thy bust Is mix'd with heroes, or with kings thy dust ; But that the worthy and the good shall say, Striking their pensive bosoms — Here lies GAY...‎

Page 29 - The man who, with undaunted toils, Sails unknown seas to unknown soils, With various wonders feasts his sight: What stranger wonders does he write! We read, and in description view Creatures which Adam never knew: For, when we risk no contradiction, It prompts the tongue to deal in fiction.‎

Page 114 - When I had health and strength like you, The toils of servitude I knew ; Now grateful man rewards my pains, And gives me all these wide domains. At will I crop the year's increase ; My latter life is rest and peace. I grant, to man we lend our pains, And aid him to correct the plains ; But doth not he divide the care, Through all the labours of the year ? How many thousand structures rise...‎

Page 183 - Some at the sounding anvil glow ; Some the swift-sliding shuttle throw, Some, studious of the wind and tide, From pole to pole our commerce guide...‎

Bibliographic information

• Title: Fables
• Author: John Gay
• Publisher: K. Paul, Trench, 1884
• Original from: Harvard University
• Digitized: Feb 16, 2006
• Length: 238 pages