_A pretie tale drawne out of the Larke of Æsope._
Æsope of Phrygia is not vnworthely demed a wise man. For so much as he
admonisheth and perswadeth those thinges that be profitable, not
seuerely or imperiously as Philosophers doe, but by pretye and pleasaunt
fables he indueth the mindes of men with holsome and prouident
instructions. As by this fable of the birdes neste, he pretily and aptly
doth premonish that hope and confidence of thinges attempted by man,
ought to be fixed and trusted in none other but in him selfe. A litle
birde (saith he) called the Larke, builded her neste in a Wheate field,
and when the Wheate was ready to be ripped, her yonge began to fledge.
Therefore flyinge abroade to seeke meate for them, shee warned them that
if there fortuned anye newes to be done or spoken in her absence, they
should giue diligent heede thereunto, and to tell her when she
retourned. Within a while after, the Owner of the corne called a yong
man, his sonne, vnto him, (saying) “Doest thou see this Wheate now ripe
and ready to be cut, lacking nothing but helpe to reape the same? Gette
thee therefore to morowe in the morninge (so soone as the daye doth
breake) vnto my frendes and neighbours, and praye them to come and helpe
me in with this Corne:” and so departed. When the damme retourned, the
yonge Larkes in trembling and fearefull wise, peping and chirping about
their mother, prayed her to make hast to seeke some other place: for the
owner of the Wheat had sent for his frends, to be there the next day by
times to haue it in. Their damme bad them to be of good cheere: “If the
owner (quoth she) do referre it to his frendes, I am sure the Wheate
shal not be cutte downe to morowe, and therefore wee shall not neede to
feare.” The next day the damme flew abrode again for foode, and the
owner waited at the houre appointed for his frendes. The Sunne was vp,
whose beames shone hot, and nothing was done: his frendes came not. Then
he said againe to his sonne: “Me thincke sonne (quoth he) our neighbours
be slepers and tarrie long. Goe, call I pray thee, our kinsfolke and
cosins, that they maye helpe vs to morowe betimes.” Which saying the
yong Larkes ones againe afraid, tolde their damme when she returned: the
damme still perswaded them to be of good cheere and not to feare: “For
kinsfolke in these dayes, be so slacke to do good deedes (quoth she) and
to helpe their owne stocke and kinred, that they bee loothe to take
paines, specially at so short and sodaine warning: neuerthelesse, faire
byrdes, (quoth shee) harken what shalbe said againe and tell mee.” The
next morning the old Larke went forth againe for food and forage, and
the kinsfolke and cosins came not, according to the owners request. At
length the owner saide to his sonne: “Adieu my frendes and kinsemen: to
morow in the morning, bring hither two Sickles, the one for mee, and the
other for thy selfe, and wee with our owne hands, wil cut downe this
Wheate.” The mother Larke, hearing her yong ones tel this tale at her
retourne: “Ye marie my babes (quoth shee) now it is time to be gone: for
the thing whereof the owner hath spoken so long, shal now be done in
deede, sith he purposeth to do the same himselfe, and trusteth to none
other.” Whereuppon the Larke toke vp her yong ones, and went to inhabite
in some other place. And the corne accordinglye, was cutte downe by the
owner. This fable Æsope reporteth, premonishing men to beware of lighte
hope, and vaine truste, to be reposed in frends and kinsfolke. And the
same Q. Ennius in his Satyres, very elegantlye in trim verses hath
described the two laste, whereof worthie to be had in harte and memorie,
I haue thought good to remember.
_Alwayes fixe fast in breast,
in prompt and ready wise:
This prouerbe olde and true,
a sentence of the wise:
The thing do not expect,
by frends for to atchieue:
Which thou thyselfe canst doe,
thy selfe for to relieue._