Wise and good-natured men do not shut their ears, nor harden their
hearts, against the calls of humanity, and the cries of distress; but
how often are their generous natures imposed upon by the artifices of
the base and worthless! These fail not to lay their plans with deep
cunning, to work themselves into the good graces of the benevolent, and
having accomplished their ends, the return they often make is abusive
language, or the most open acts of violence. One of the evil and
lamentable consequences arising out of this, is, that worth in distress
suffers by it: for distrust and suspicion take hold of the minds of
good men, and the hand of charity is thus benumbed. This Fable may
also serve to caution us never to let any thing we value go out of our
possession without good security. The man who means to act prudently,
ought never to put himself in the power of others, or to run any risk
of involving his own family in ruin.
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