Fables of La Fontaine Part 6

XII.--THE DRAGON WITH MANY HEADS, AND THE DRAGON WITH MANY TAILS.[14]

An envoy of the Porte Sublime, As history says, once on a time, Before th' imperial German court[15]

Did rather boastfully report, The troops commanded by his master's firman, As being a stronger army than the German: To which replied a Dutch attendant, 'Our prince has more than one dependant Who keeps an army at his own expense.'

The Turk, a man of sense, Rejoin'd, 'I am aware What power your emperor's servants share.

It brings to mind a tale both strange and true, A thing which once, myself, I chanced to view.

I saw come darting through a hedge, Which fortified a rocky ledge, A hydra's hundred heads; and in a trice My blood was turning into ice.

But less the harm than terror,-- The body came no nearer; Nor could, unless it had been sunder'd, To parts at least a hundred.

While musing deeply on this sight, Another dragon came to light, Whose single head avails To lead a hundred tails: And, seized with juster fright, I saw him pa.s.s the hedge,-- Head, body, tails,--a wedge Of living and resistless powers.-- The other was your emperor's force; this ours.'

[14] The original of this fable has been attributed to the chief who made himself Emperor of Tartary and called himself Ghengis Khan (b.1164, d. 1227). He is said to have applied the fable to the Great Mogul and his innumerable dependent potentates.

[15] _German court_.--The court of the "Holy Roman Empire" is here meant.

XIII.--THE THIEVES AND THE a.s.s.[16]

Two thieves, pursuing their profession, Had of a donkey got possession, Whereon a strife arose, Which went from words to blows.

The question was, to sell, or not to sell; But while our st.u.r.dy champions fought it well, Another thief, who chanced to pa.s.s, With ready wit rode off the a.s.s.

This a.s.s is, by interpretation, Some province poor, or prostrate nation.

The thieves are princes this and that, On spoils and plunder p.r.o.ne to fat,-- As those of Austria, Turkey, Hungary.

(Instead of two, I've quoted three-- Enough of such commodity.) These powers engaged in war all, Some fourth thief stops the quarrel, According all to one key, By riding off the donkey.

[16] Aesop.

XIV.--SIMONIDES PRESERVED BY THE G.o.dS.[17]

Three sorts there are, as Malherbe[18] says, Which one can never overpraise-- The G.o.ds, the ladies, and the king; And I, for one, endorse the thing.

The heart, praise tickles and entices; Of fair one's smile, it oft the price is.

See how the G.o.ds sometimes repay it.

Simonides--the ancients say it-- Once undertook, in poem lyric, To write a wrestler's panegyric; Which, ere he had proceeded far in, He found his subject somewhat barren.

No ancestors of great renown; His sire of some unnoted town; Himself as little known to fame, The wrestler's praise was rather tame.

The poet, having made the most of Whate'er his hero had to boast of, Digress'd, by choice that was not all luck's, To Castor and his brother Pollux; Whose bright career was subject ample, For wrestlers, sure, a good example.

Our poet fatten'd on their story, Gave every fight its place and glory, Till of his panegyric words These deities had got two-thirds.

All done, the poet's fee A talent was to be.

But when he comes his bill to settle, The wrestler, with a spice of mettle, Pays down a third, and tells the poet, 'The balance they may pay who owe it.

The G.o.ds than I are rather debtors To such a pious man of letters.

But still I shall be greatly pleased To have your presence at my feast, Among a knot of guests select, My kin, and friends I most respect.'

More fond of character than coffer, Simonides accepts the offer.

While at the feast the party sit, And wine provokes the flow of wit, It is announced that at the gate Two men, in haste that cannot wait, Would see the bard. He leaves the table, No loss at all to 'ts noisy gabble.

The men were Leda's twins, who knew What to a poet's praise was due, And, thanking, paid him by foretelling The downfall of the wrestler's dwelling.

From which ill-fated pile, indeed, No sooner was the poet freed, Than, props and pillars failing, Which held aloft the ceiling So splendid o'er them, It downward loudly crash'd, The plates and flagons dash'd, And men who bore them; And, what was worse, Full vengeance for the man of verse, A timber broke the wrestler's thighs, And wounded many otherwise.

The gossip Fame, of course, took care Abroad to publish this affair.

'A miracle!' the public cried, delighted.

No more could G.o.d-beloved bard be slighted.

His verse now brought him more than double, With neither duns, nor care, nor trouble.

Whoe'er laid claim to n.o.ble birth Must buy his ancestors a slice, Resolved no n.o.bleman on earth Should overgo him in the price.

From which these serious lessons flow:-- Fail not your praises to bestow On G.o.ds and G.o.dlike men. Again, To sell the product of her pain Is not degrading to the Muse.

Indeed, her art they do abuse, Who think her wares to use, And yet a liberal pay refuse.

Whate'er the great confer upon her, They're honour'd by it while they honour.

Of old, Olympus and Parna.s.sus In friendship heaved their sky-crown'd ma.s.ses.

[17] Phaedrus, IV. 24.

[18] _Malherbe_.--See note to Fable I., Book III.

XV.--DEATH AND THE UNFORTUNATE.[19]

A poor unfortunate, from day to day, Call'd Death to take him from this world away.

'O Death' he said, 'to me how fair thy form!

Come quick, and end for me life's cruel storm.'

Death heard, and with a ghastly grin, Knock'd at his door, and enter'd in 'Take out this object from my sight!'

The poor man loudly cried.

'Its dreadful looks I can't abide; O stay him, stay him' let him come no nigher; O Death! O Death! I pray thee to retire!'

A gentleman of note In Rome, Maecenas,[20] somewhere wrote:-- "Make me the poorest wretch that begs, Sore, hungry, crippled, clothed in rags, In hopeless impotence of arms and legs; Provided, after all, you give The one sweet liberty to live: I'll ask of Death no greater favour Than just to stay away for ever."

[19] Aesop.

[20] _Maecenas_.--Seneca's Epistles, CI.

XVI.--DEATH AND THE WOODMAN.[21]

A poor wood-chopper, with his f.a.got load, Whom weight of years, as well as load, oppress'd, Sore groaning in his smoky hut to rest, Trudged wearily along his homeward road.

At last his wood upon the ground he throws, And sits him down to think o'er all his woes.

To joy a stranger, since his hapless birth, What poorer wretch upon this rolling earth?

No bread sometimes, and ne'er a moment's rest; Wife, children, soldiers, landlords, public tax, All wait the swinging of his old, worn axe, And paint the veriest picture of a man unblest.

On Death he calls. Forthwith that monarch grim Appears, and asks what he should do for him.

'Not much, indeed; a little help I lack-- To put these f.a.gots on my back.'

Death ready stands all ills to cure; But let us not his cure invite.

Than die, 'tis better to endure,-- Is both a manly maxim and a right.

[21] Aesop: it is also in Corrozet's fables.

XVII.--THE MAN BETWEEN TWO AGES, AND HIS TWO MISTRESSES.[22]