Self Love is the Root of All the Vanities that are struck at in These Two
Fables, and it is so Natural an Infirmity, that it makes us Partial even
to Those that come of us, as well as our selves: And then it is so Nicely
Divided, betwixt Piety, Pride, and Weakness, that in Many Cases ’tis a
hard Matter to Distinguish the One from the Other. ’Tis a Frailty for a
Man to Think Better of his Children then they Deserve: But then there is
an Impulse of Tenderness, and of Duty, that goes along with it, and there
must be some sort of an Esteem in the Case too, for the setting of That
In-bred Affection at Work. The Difficulty lies in the Moderating of the
Matter, and in getting the True _Medium_ betwixt being Wanting to our
Own Flesh and Bloud, once Remov’d, and Assuming too much to our selves.
Let the Attachment be what it will, we must not suffer our Judgments
to be either Perverted, Blinded, or Corrupted, by any Partiality of
Prepossessions whatsoever.
The Moral here before us, Extends to the Fruits and Productions of the
Brain, as well as of the Body; and to Deformities in the Matter, as
well of Understanding, as of Shape. We are Taught here Principally, Two
Things; First, how Ridiculous it is for a Man to Dote upon _Fops_ and
_Buffons_, though never so much the Issue of his Own Head and Loins; And
yet Secondly, How Prone we are to Indulge our Own Errors, Follies, and
Miscarriages, in Thought, Word, and Deed. The World has Abundance of
these _Apes_ and _Owls_ in’t: So that Whoever does but look about him,
will find so many Living Illustrations of This Emblem, that more Words
upon the Subject would be needless.