Aesop's Fables: Sir Roger L'Estrange (1692)
89. A CUNNING-WOMAN (Perry 56)
A certain Dame that pass'd in the World under the Name of a cunning Woman,
took upon her to avert Divine Judgments, and to foretel strange Things
to come. She play'd the counterfeit Witch so long, till, in the Conclusion,
she was taken up, arraign'd, try'd, convicted, condemn'd to die, and at
last executed for a Witch indeed. D'ye hear, good Woman, (says one to
her, as she was upon the Way to her Execution) are the Gods so much easier
than the Judges, that you should be able to make them do any Thing for
ye, and yet could not prevail with the Bench for the saving of your own
Life?
THE MORAL OF THE THREE FABLES ABOVE. There needs be more than Impudence
and Ignorance, on the one side, and a superstitious Credulity on the other,
to the setting up of a Fortune-teller.
 L'Estrange originally published his version of the fables in 1692. There is a
very nice illustrated edition in the Children's Classics series by Knopf: Sir
Roger L'Estrange. Aesop
- Fables which is available at amazon.com.
|
