IF these gay tales give pleasure to the FAIR, The honour's great conferred, I'm well aware; Yet, why suppose the sex my pages shun? Enough, if they condemn where follies run;...
Three sorts there are, as Malherbe[2] says, Which one can never overpraise - The gods, the ladies, and the king; And I, for one, endorse the thing. The heart, praise tickles and entices;...
WHO knows the world will never feel surprise, When men are duped by artful women's eyes; Though death his weapon freely will unfold; Love's pranks, we find, are ever ruled by gold....
A certain mountain bear, unlick'd and rude, By fate confined within a lonely wood, A new Bellerophon,[2] whose life, Knew neither comrade, friend, nor wife, -...
WHEN Cupid with his dart, would hearts assail, The rampart most secure is not the VEIL; A husband better will the FAIR protect, Than walls or lattices, I much suspect....
A knight of powder-horn and shot Once fill'd his bag - as I would not, Unless the feelings of my breast By poverty were sorely press'd - With birds and squirrels for the spits...
A fox once journey'd, and for company A certain bearded, horned goat had he; Which goat no further than his nose could see. The fox was deeply versed in trickery....
A man who had a great fondness for gardening, being half a countryman and half town-bred, possessed in a certain village a fair-sized plot with a field attached, and all enclosed by a quickset hedge. Here sorrel and lettuce gre...
A lover of gardens, half cit and half clown, Possess'd a nice garden beside a small town; And with it a field by a live hedge inclosed, Where sorrel and lettuce, at random disposed,...
A GASCON (being heard one day to swear, That he'd possess'd a certain lovely fair,) Was played a wily trick, and nicely served; 'Twas clear, from truth he shamefully had swerved:...
A STURGEON, once, a glutton famed was led To have for supper - all, except the head. With wond'rous glee he feasted on the fish; And quickly swallowed down the royal dish....
Jupiter had a son, who, sensible of his lofty origin, showed always a god-like spirit. Childhood is not much concerned with loving; yet to the childhood of this young god, loving and wishing to be loved was the chief concern. I...
A father once, whose sons were two, For each a gift had much ado. At last upon this course he fell: 'My sons,' said he, 'within our well Two treasures lodge, as I am told;...
When Nature angrily turn'd out Those plagues, the spider and the gout, - 'See you,' said she, 'those huts so meanly built, These palaces so grand and richly gilt? By mutual agreement fix...
The Grasshopper, singing All summer long, Now found winter stinging, And ceased in his song. Not a morsel or crumb in his cupboard - So he shivered, and ceased in his song. ...
The heifer, the goat, and their sister the sheep, Compacted their earnings in common to keep, 'Tis said, in time past, with a lion, who sway'd Full lordship o'er neighbours, of whatever grade....