Fable III The Fox and the Crow
A Crow having taken a piece of cheese out of a cottage window, flew up into a high tree with it, in order to eat it. Which a Fox observing, came and sat underneath, and began to compliment the Crow upon the subject of her beauty. I protest, says he, I never observed it before, but your feathers are of a more delicate white than any that ever I saw in my life! Ah! what a fine shape and graceful turn of body is there! And I make no question but you have a tolerable voice. If it is but as fine as your complexion, I do not know a bird that can pretend to stand in competition with you. The Crow, tickled with this very civil language, nestled and wriggled about, and hardly knew where she was; but thinking the Fox a little dubious as to the particular of her voice, and having a mind to set him right in that matter, began to sing, and, in the same instant, let the cheese drop out of her mouth;—which the Fox presently chopt up, and then bade her remember that whatever he had said of her beauty, he had spoken nothing yet of her brains.
Morals
There is hardly any man living that may not be wrought upon more or less by flattery; for we do all of us naturally overween in our own favour. But when it comes to be applied once to a vain fool, there is no end then can be proposed to be attained by it, but may be effected.
“It is a maxim in the schools,
That Flattery’s the food of fools:”
And whoso likes such airy meat
Will soon have nothing else to eat.
Reflection
Flattery in itself is an unmanly, slavish vice; but it is much worse yet for the alliance it has to hypocrisy; for while we make other people think better of themselves than they deserve, we make them think better of us too than we deserve: For self-love and vanity on the one hand, assists the falseness and confidence on the other, while it serves to confirm weak minds in the opinion they had of themselves before, and makes them parties effectually in a conspiracy to their own ruin. The only benefit or good of Flattery is this; that by hearing what we are not, we may be instructed what we ought to be. Yet how few are there among the whole race of mankind, who may be said to be full proof against its attacks! The gross way by which it is managed by some silly practitioners, is enough to alarm the dullest apprehension, and make it to value itself upon the quickness of its insight into the little plots of this nature. But, let the ambuscade be disposed with due judgment, and it will scarce fail of seizing the most guarded heart. How many are tickled to the last degree with the pleasure of Flattery, even while they are applauded for their honest detestation of it! There is no way to baffle the force of this engine, but by every one’s examining impartially for himself the true estimate of his own qualities: If he deals sincerely in the matter, nobody can tell so well as himself what degree of esteem ought to attend any of his actions; and therefore he should be entirely easy as to the opinion men are like to have of them in the world. If they attribute more to him than is his due, they are either designing or mistaken; if they allow him less, they are envious, or, possibly, still mistaken; and, in either case, are to be despised, or disregarded. For he that flatters without designing to make advantage of it, is a fool: And whoever encourages that Flattery, which he has sense enough to see through, is a vain coxcomb.