FABLE
[
25
]
XXV
.
The
Scold
and
the
Parrot
.
The
husband
thus
reprov'd
his
wife
.
Who
deals
in
slander
,
lives
in
strife
.
Art
thou
the
herald
of
disgrace
,
Denouncing
war
to
all
thy
race
?
Can
nothing
quell
thy
thunder's
rage
,
Which
spares
nor
friend
,
nor
sex
,
nor
age
?
That
vixen
tongue
of
yours
,
my
dear
,
Alarms
our
neighbours
far
and
near
;
Good
Gods
!
'tis
like
a
rolling
river
,
That
murm'ring
flows
,
and
flows
for
ever
!
Ne'er
tir'd
,
perpetual
discord
sowing
!
Like
fame
,
it
gathers
strength
by
going
.
Heighday
!
the
flippant
tongue
replys
,
How
solemn
is
the
fool
!
how
wise
!
Is
nature's
choicest
gift
debarr'd
?
Nay
,
frown
not
;
for
I
will
be
heard
.
Women
of
late
are
finely
ridden
,
A
parrot's
privilege
forbidden
!
You
praise
his
talk
,
his
squawling
song
;
But
wives
are
always
in
the
wrong
.
Now
reputations
flew
in
pieces
Of
mothers
,
daughters
,
aunts
and
neices
,
She
ran
the
parrot's
language
o'er
;
Bawd
,
hussy
,
drunkard
,
slattern
,
whore
,
On
all
the
sex
she
vents
her
fury
,
Trys
and
condemns
without
a
jury
.
At
once
the
torrent
of
her
words
Alarm'd
cat
,
monkey
,
dogs
and
birds
;
All
join
their
forces
to
confound
her
,
Puss
spits
,
the
monkey
chatters
round
her
,
The
yelping
cur
her
heels
assaults
,
The
magpye
blabs
out
all
her
faults
;
Poll
,
in
the
uproar
,
from
his
cage
,
With
this
rebuke
out-scream'd
her
rage
.
A
parrot
is
for
talking
priz'd
,
But
prattling
women
are
despis'd
;
She
,
who
attacks
another's
honour
,
Draws
ev'ry
living
thing
upon
her
.
Think
,
madam
,
when
you
stretch
your
lungs
,
That
all
your
neighbours
too
have
tongues
;
One
slander
must
ten
thousand
get
,
The
world
with
interest
pays
the
debt
.