![[frontispiece]](/images/authors/colour-portraits/banner-frontispiece.jpg)
![[section of text]](/images/screenshots/ECPA-snippet5.jpg)
![[poet writing]](/images/authors/colour-portraits/banner-poet.jpg)
[Page 124][Page 126]
[Illustration]
FABLE [37] XXXVII.
The Farmer's Wife and the Raven.
1 Why are those tears? Why droops your head?
2 Is then your other husband dead?
3 Or does a worse disgrace betide?
4 Hath no one since his death apply'd?
5 Alas! you know the cause too well.
6 The salt is spilt, to me it fell.
[Page 125]7 Then to contribute to my loss,
8 My knife and fork were laid across,
9 On Friday too! the day I dread!
10 Would I were safe at home in bed!
11 Last night (I vow to Heav'n 'tis true)
12 Bounce from the fire a coffin flew.
13 Next post some fatal news shall tell.
14 God send my Cornish friends be well!
15 Unhappy widow, cease thy tears,
16 Nor feel affliction in thy fears;
17 Let not thy stomach be suspended,
18 Eat now, and weep when dinner's ended,
19 And when the butler clears the table
20 For thy dissert I'll read my fable.
21 Betwixt her swagging pannier's load
22 A Farmer's wife to market rode,
23 And, jogging on, with thoughtful care
24 Summ'd up the profits of her ware;
25 When, starting from her silver dream,
26 Thus far and wide was heard her scream.
27 That raven on yon left-hand oak
28 (Curse on his ill-betiding croak)
29 Bodes me no good. No more she said,
30 When poor blind Ball with stumbling tread
31 Fell prone; o'erturn'd the pannier lay,
32 And her mash'd eggs bestrow'd the way.
33 She, sprawling in the yellow road,
34 Rail'd, swore and curst. Thou croaking toad,
35 A murrain take thy whoreson throat!
36 I knew misfortune in the note.
37 Dame, quoth the Raven, spare your oaths,
38 Unclench your fist, and wipe your cloaths.
39 But why on me those curses thrown?
40 Goody, the fault was all your own;
41 For had you laid this brittle ware
42 On Dun, the old sure-footed mare,
43 Though all the ravens of the Hunderd
44 With croaking had your tongue out-thunder'd,
45 Sure-footed Dun had kept her legs,
46 And you, good woman, sav'd your eggs.
Source edition
Gay, John, 1685-1732. FABLES. By Mr. GAY. London: Printed for J. Tonson and J. Watts, MDCCXXVII., 1727, pp. 124-126. [14],173,[1]p.: ill.; 4°. (ESTC T13818)
Editorial principles
Typography, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation have been cautiously modernized. The source of the text is given and all significant editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. This ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.
Other works by John Gay
- [FABLE ] INTRODUCTION TO THE FABLES. The Shepherd and the Philosopher. ()
- FABLE [01] I. The Lyon, the Tyger, and the Traveller. ()
- FABLE [02] II. The Spaniel and the Cameleon. ()
- FABLE [03] III. The Mother, the Nurse, and the Fairy. ()
- FABLE [04] IV. The Eagle, and the Assembly of Animals. ()
- FABLE [05] V. The Wild Boar and the Ram. ()
- FABLE [06] VI. The Miser and Plutus. ()
- FABLE [07] VII. The Lyon, the Fox, and the Geese. ()
- FABLE [08] VIII. The Lady and the Wasp. ()
- FABLE [09] IX. The Bull and the Mastiff. ()
- FABLE [10] X. The Elephant and the Bookseller. ()
- FABLE [11] XI. The Peacock, the Turkey, and Goose. ()
- FABLE [12] XII. Cupid, Hymen, and Plutus. ()
- FABLE [13] XIII. The tame Stag. ()
- FABLE [14] XIV. The Monkey who had seen the World. ()
- FABLE [15] XV. The Philosopher and the Pheasants. ()
- FABLE [16] XVI. The Pin and the Needle. ()
- FABLE [17] XVII. The Shepherd's Dog and the Wolf. ()
- FABLE [18] XVIII. The Painter who pleased No body and Every body. ()
- FABLE [19] XIX. The Lyon and the Cub. ()
- FABLE [20] XX. The Old Hen and the Cock. ()
- FABLE [21] XXI. The Rat-catcher and Cats. ()
- FABLE [22] XXII. The Goat without a beard. ()
- FABLE [23] XXIII. The Old Woman and her Cats. ()
- FABLE [24] XXIV. The Butterfly and the Snail. ()
- FABLE [25] XXV. The Scold and the Parrot. ()
- FABLE [26] XXVI. The Cur and the Mastiff. ()
- FABLE [27] XXVII. The Sick Man and the Angel. ()
- FABLE [28] XXVIII. The Persian, the Sun and the Cloud. ()
- FABLE [29] XXIX. The Fox at the point of death. ()
- FABLE [30] XXX. The Setting-dog and the Partridge. ()
- FABLE [31] XXXI. The Universal Apparition. ()
- FABLE [32] XXXII. The two Owls and the Sparrow. ()
- FABLE [33] XXXIII. The Courtier and Proteus. ()
- FABLE [34] XXXIV. The Mastiffs. ()
- FABLE [35] XXXV. The Barley-mow and the Dung-hill. ()
- FABLE [36] XXXVI. Pythagoras and the Countryman. ()
- FABLE [38] XXXVIII. The Turkey and the Ant. ()
- FABLE [39] XXXIX. The Father and Jupiter. ()
- FABLE [40] XL. The two Monkeys. ()
- FABLE [41] XLI. The Owl and the Farmer. ()
- FABLE [42] XLII. The Jugglers. ()
- FABLE [43] XLIII. The Council of Horses. ()
- FABLE [44] XLIV. The Hound and the Huntsman. ()
- FABLE [45] XLV. The Poet and the Rose. ()
- FABLE [46] XLVI. The Cur, the Horse, and the Shepherd's Dog. ()
- FABLE [47] XLVII. The Court of Death. ()
- FABLE [48] XLVIII. The Gardener and the Hog. ()
- FABLE [49] XLIX. The Man and the Flea. ()
- FABLE [50] L. The Hare and many Friends. ()