[Page 130]
[Illustration]
FABLE [39] XXXIX.
The Father and Jupiter.
1 The Man to Jove his suit preferr'd;
2 He begg'd a wife; his prayer was heard.
3 Jove wonder'd at his bold addressing.
4 For how precarious is the blessing!
5 A wife he takes. And now for heirs
6 Again he worries heav'n with prayers.
[Page 131]7 Jove nods assent. Two hopeful boys
8 And a fine girl reward his joys.
9 Now more solicitous he grew,
10 And set their future lives in view;
11 He saw that all respect and duty
12 Were paid to wealth, to power, and beauty.
13 Once more, he cries, accept my prayer,
14 Make my lov'd progeny thy care:
15 Let my first hope, my fav'rite boy,
16 All fortune's richest gifts enjoy.
17 My next with strong ambition fire,
18 May favour teach him to aspire,
19 'Till he the step of power ascend,
20 And courtiers to their idol bend.
21 With ev'ry grace, with ev'ry charm
22 My daughter's perfect features arm.
23 If Heav'n approve, a father's blest.
24 Jove smiles, and grants his full request.
25 The first, a miser at the heart,
26 Studious of ev'ry griping art,
[Page 132]27 Heaps hoards on hoards with anxious pain,
28 And all his life devotes to gain.
29 He feels no joy, his cares encrease,
30 He neither wakes nor sleeps in peace,
31 In fancy'd want, (a wretch compleat)
32 He starves, and yet he dares not eat.
33 The next to sudden honours grew,
34 The thriving art of courts he knew;
35 He reach'd the height of power and place,
36 Then fell, the victim of disgrace.
37 Beauty with early bloom supplies
38 His daughter's cheek, and points her eyes:
39 The vain coquette each suit disdains,
40 And glories in her lovers pains.
41 With age she fades, each lover flies,
42 Contemn'd, forlorn, she pines and dies.
43 When Jove the father's grief survey'd,
44 And heard him Heav'n and Fate upbraid,
45 Thus spoke the God. By outward show
46 Men judge of happiness and woe:
[Page 133]47 Shall ignorance of good and ill
48 Dare to direct th' eternal will?
49 Seek virtue; and of that possest,
50 To Providence resign the rest.
Source edition
Gay, John, 1685-1732. FABLES. By Mr. GAY. London: Printed for J. Tonson and J. Watts, MDCCXXVII., 1727, pp. 130-133. [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 [37] XXXVII. The Farmer's Wife and the Raven. ()
- FABLE [38] XXXVIII. The Turkey and the Ant. ()
- 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. ()