Fable XIX. The Beasts Choosing a King

UPON the death of the lion; all the beasts ^epai^ ed in hade to his den, to comfort the lioness, his widow, who made the mountains and fbreils refound with her cries, after having paid their compliments to her, they proceeded to the eledion of a king; the crown of the defundt being placed in the middle of the aflembly. the young lion was yet too young and weak to obtain the royahy from fo many fierce animals, let me but grow up, said he, and I shall be as able to reign as the best of you, and to make myfclf feared in my turn; in the mean time, I will study the history of my father's great actions, in order one day to equal his glory, for my part, says the leopard, I expe6l to be crowned, as being liker to the lion than any of the other pretenders: and I, said the bear, do maintain that I met with injudice, when the lion was preferred before me; I am strong, couragious, and car-i}ivorous> as much as he; and I have one Angular ad-

THE BEASTS CHUSIKG A KING. 8^

Tantage, which is that of climbing trees. I leave you to judge, gentlemen, said the elephant, if any one can dispute with me the glory of being the tailed, the strongest, and the gravest of all animals. I am the noblest, and mod beautiful, said the horse: and I the moil cunning, cried the fox: and I the swiftest, laid the (lag. where (hall you find, said the ape, a more Agreeable) or more ingenious King than myself? I ihall daily divert my fubjefls; nay, I resemble man, "who is the true Kirig of all nature, the parrot (though no member) could no' longer forbear; since thou bdafleft of resembling man, squeak'd he, fo may I too; thou refembleft him only by thy ugly phiz, and by some ridiculous grins; as for me, I resemble him in voice, which is the badge of reason, and the mod beautiful ornament of man. hold thy tongue, wretched pratler, replied the ape, thou talked, but not like man; thou sayd always the same thing, without underdanding what thou sayd, the assembly laughed at these two fbrry mimics of man; and the crown was bedowed on the elephant, as having drength and wisdom, without cither the cruelty of the furious beads, or the foolifti vanity of fo many others, who want always to appear what they are not.

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