His wings their whitening plumes display, I view'd the change with sweet surprise, And oh! I panted for the skies; Thank'd Heav'n, that e'er I drew my breath, And triumph'd in the thoughts of Death. PREFACE. THE following Fables were written at intervals, when I found myself in humour, and disengaged from matters of great moment. As they are the writings of an idle hour, so they are intended for the reading of those, whose only business is amusement. My hopes of profit, or applause, are not immoderate; nor have I printed through necessity, or request of friends. I have leave from her Royal Highness to address her, and I claim the Fair for my readers. My fears are lighter than my expectations; I wrote to please myself, and I publish to please others; and this so universally, that I have not wished for correctness to rob the critic of his censure, or my friend of his laugh. My intimates are few, and I am not solicitous to increase them. I have learnt that where the writer An would please, the man should be unknown. author is the reverse of all other objects, and magnifies by distance, but diminishes by approach. His prifor vate attachments must give place to public favour; no man can forgive his friend the ill-natured attempt of being thought wiser than himself. To avoid therefore the misfortunes that may attend me from my accidental success, I think it necessary to inform those who know me, that I have been assisted in the following papers by the author of Gustavus Vasa. Let the crime of pleasing be his, whose talents as a writer, and whose virtue as a man, have rendered him a living affront to the whole circle of his acquaintance. |