This Fiction may be matched with a Thousand common Cases, where Parties
are divided with Factions from abroad, into Feuds and Animosities among
themselves. ’Tis an easie matter to form and to invent Specious Colours
and Arguments to all manner of Purposes, and to Paradox the Multitude
into what Opinion any Man pleases, that is but a Master of Art, and
Address, and in any sort of Credit with the _Mobile_; for ’tis not the
Reason of the thing in Question, but Passion and Prejudice that Governs
in the Case. What will not Ignorance and Credulity swallow, if they can
be but once prevail’d upon to believe, that it is the common Interest of
all the _Dogs_, for one part of them to enter into an Alliance with the
_Wolves_ against the other; and to draw Inferences from the Complexion of
the Ministers, to the Reason of the Government; as the _Wolfe-Colour_ of
the _Dog_ is made an Argument for a Resemblance in the _Nature_ of them:
But the very Proposition points out the ready way to Destruction: And the
dividing of the Guards, leads manifestly, First to the Worrying of one
another; and Secondly, to the utter Ruin of the whole; Only the _Dogs_
of the _Conspiracy_ are to be _Last Eaten_. The _Wolves_ Proposal was
Practicable and Natural enough, and a perfect Emblem of the Confusions
and Politicks abroad in the World. The _Wolves_ sit in Council, and
so does the _Cabal_; and the Subject Matter of Both their Debates is
_Division_. The one sends out their Spies and their Agents, to Tamper
and Seduce the _Dogs_ from their Faith and Duty: The other have _their
Instruments_ at work too, in their Clubs and Pulpits, and to stagger the
People in their Allegiance. The _Dogs_ are to be _Debauch’d_; that is to
say, the _Guards_ are to be _corrupted_: The _Wolfe Colour’d Currs_ to be
dealt with in the First Place; that is to say, those Courtiers, Officers,
Soldiers, and others that have somewhat of Agreement in Principle and
Persuasion with the Common Enemy. Nay, and the very same Argument is put
in their Mouths too, _We are all of a Colour_: And what’s the Issue of
all this at last, but the same Fate to the People where these Liberties
are taken, that attended the Dogs and the Sheep here in the Fable?