I Won't rail at Parables, because I'm writing one my self; and how silly soever 'tis like to be, it can't be worse than other things which have extremely pleas'd some sorts of People. This I'm sure of, that with Fables, or without 'em, when the World is weary of quarrelling, 'twill be quiet in its own defence. Whether this be the lucky time, or no, I can't tell, but am resolv'd rather to venture a Broken Head o' both Sides, to make my Country-men Friends, than either bett on either Side for the sake of a little nasty Profit, or stand still, and laugh at both, while they knock out one ano­ther's Brains, and save their Enemies the labour.

'Tis no News to those who have consulted the new Virtuoso-Maps, that there lie several little Worlds, or, if you please, Airy Islands, between this World, and that in the Moon, where the Birds, you must know, us'd to call in and bait, when tired with their Flight thither at the end of our Winter.

'Twas in one of these little Worlds, fix'd in a very temperate Region, some where or other between the two Tropicks, that the Eagles kept their Royal Court, in an old white Rock, by the side of a curious River, where their Races had been setled, and ruled the rest of the Birds for several Ages, who never dar'd miss calling in there, and doing 'em Homage, in their pas­sage to or from the Airy Regions.

Once upon a time then (to observe the vene­rable form of our Great Grandmothers) it so fell out, that the then regnant Eagle, thinking it be­low him to match with any of his Subjects, sent [Page 2]to the Vulture's Court for a Mate; which Op­portunity the Family of the Vultures most readi­ly embrac'd, hoping thereby in time to get a Claw in the Eagle's Dominions, or at least pre­serve his own, which he had formerly usurp'd from the Predecessors of the Eagle; and ac­cordingly sent one of the subt'lest of all his Fa­mily, who, in time, wrought so much on the Affections of her Royal Mate, that nothing was transacted in the Council of the Birds, without her Privity and Direction Vast Flocks of Vultures flew daily over, who, being encourag'd by so great a Patroness, seduced not a few of the Sub­jects of the Eagle; and arriv'd to such Insolence in a neighbouring World, under his Dominion, which, from the multitude of Hawks there, was first call'd Jernia, and since Hibernia, that, at a Signal given, they massacr'd all the Birds who were loyal to the Eagle, making no difference between blackbirds and Magpyes, but wrung off their Necks, and tore 'em to pieces, firing their Nests, and breaking all their Eggs, in the most barbarous manner that ever was heard of, pre­tending the Eagle's Authority for their so doing. And this indeed, whatever else may be alledg'd, was the main Cause of those dreadful Wars, which not long after arose in this little World, to the destruction of many thousands of its fea­ther'd Inhabitants; the Magpyes and Blackbirds, with all the rest, siding with that Party which their Inclinations or Interest led 'em most to fa­vour, while the Gaulless Dove, who truly lov'd his Country, and was Friend to all Sides, sate alone in his Louver, and deplot'd the common Calamity. Nor did the dreadful Confusion these Dissentions produc'd, end in any thing less than the Destruction of the Eagle, banishing all his Progeny, and setting up a Commonwealth of the Birds, instead of the ancient Monarchy by which they had been so long govern'd, and which seem'd much more agreeable to the Ge­nius of the Airy Inhabitants, who generally be­liev'd that Jupiter himself had set the Eagles over 'em, tho, at the bottom, they had been only chosen Kings by general Consent, and for the Good of the Whole. But the Birds had not been long in this Condition, before a cunning old Stork, who had been formerly a General of the Blackbirds, against the Magpyes and the Ea­gle, being grown too strong, as well as too cun­ning for the rest of the silly Birds, and having none to oppose him, usurp'd the Throne of the murther'd Eagle, enjoying all the Power which he had before, without the invidious Name; and with his dreadful Bill, and sharp Claws, frighting the Parliament of the Birds from their most steady Resolves, and tearing all their Char­ters to pieces, huffing all the Worlds about him, as well as his own, and making the very Vultures tremble. For, to give the Devil his due, 'twas a Bird both of Policy and Valour; and had the Eagles themselves, after their Restoration, in some things, follow'd his Steps, their Govern­ment had been, in all probability, much more firm and happy. Yet, after all, 'twas disco­ver'd by the rest of the Birds, that the Stork's pretences of Love to his Country were confuted, by his palpable Endeavours to raise himself and his Family, upon their Ruins; setting up a more absolute Tyranny than ever was practis'd by the Race of the Eagles. On this the Birds began to consult against him; his Government every Day grew weak and tottering, which, together with the suddain Death of one of his young ones, so struck to his Heart, (for the Stork is a very af­fectionate Bird,) that, in the highth of all his Glory, he on the suddain dropp'd off his Perch, and died; the Blackbirds generally affirming he was poison'd, and the Magpyes telling the World the Devil fetch'd him away in a Whirl-wind; whereas in truth, he e'en fairly dy'd for want of Breath, as well as all other Birds. After his De­parture, the Birds soon fell into a terrible Con­fusion, which oblig'd 'em at last to re-call the banish'd Eagles, and re-instate him in the Throne of his Ancestors.

But not to meddle with Affairs during his Reign, any more than he himself did, who was indeed more earnestly employed to find out the finest Birds in his Territory, Peacocks, Pheasants, Birds of Paradice, &c. than either the Magpies or Blackbirds, at his sudden and expected Death, the unnatural Ostrich, contrary to the sense of two or three Parliaments of Birds, ascended the Throne: But long he had not enjoyed the So­vereignty, before he publickly sided with the Vultures, and brought in whole Flights of them, the Kites, the Owls, and other ravenous Birds, to the utter destruction both of Magpies and Blackbirds, tho to the latter of these he preten­ded the greatest kindness; while the good-natur'd Dove was concern'd for the main, and feared the common Ruin.

And here it may be worth the while to en­quire into the occasion of the difference between the Magpies and the Blackbirds—and 'was a wise one if you knew all—no better nor worse than on account of their Colours; the Blackbirds [Page 3]thought the Magpies too fine and gaudy, and would for that reason have pulled out all their white Feathers, as marks of the Beast, rather than the true Livery of the Birds: 'The Magpies on 'tother side urg'd truly enough, that many other of the Feather'd Nation wore the same Colour; that 'twas ancient and innocent; and thus far perhaps they were in the right; but not staying here, they push'd the business further to be even with the Blackbirds, chattering most unmercifully against their Black Coats and short Tails, as unde­cent and unmannerly; whereas the poor Crea­tures could not change their Colour, nor spread their Tails any further or larger than Nature had made 'em, tho 'thad been to save their Necks, while the Doves could hardly keep the Peace be­tween 'em. And this had by the Artifice of the Vulture, as well as their own Folly, raised many a Fewd between 'em, tho otherwise in their own Natures both of 'em very peaceable Birds.

We won't relate what either Party did in their Turns to bertay their Liberties to the Ostrich, our of Folly, Interest or Revenge; suffie it, that all of 'em soon found out the Cheat; and finding the Design of the Ostrich was only to make em a Prey to the Rooks, Owls, Hawks, Vultures, and the other unlucky Birds which composed his Court, where none besides now appeared; they sent o­ver their unanimous Petition to a Foreign Eagle who had long roosted in a neighbouring World, to come and assist 'em in their extremity. This Eagle was of the true Royal Cast; and tho his Father dy'd before he was born, and could not himself try his Legitimacy, as the use of that Bird is, by flying up with him against the Sun, yet of his own accord he enured himself to that exer­cise, and took a strange pleasure in it. Besides, tho he were yet young, and his Pounces hardly grown, he had more than once met the Vulture, whose Territories lay in the same Continent with his own, and held him so stiffly to the Combat in de­fence of the Sea-Pies, among whom he lived, that he had very seldom any reason to boast of his Conquests over him. But he was born for other Worlds as well as his own, and after the repeated Addresses of the Ostrich's Subjects, came over to relieve 'em, which he did with such Success, that as you have bin told in the former Parables, away scamper'd all the Rooks, Hawks, Owls and Vultures, which made up his Court, and prey'd upon the ai­ry Nations; and being gone without so much as striking a stroke, the Nation of the Birds being in a perfect Anarchy, and all things in Confusion, the Birds being now again reduced to their state Nature, chose the young Eagle their Deliverer for their Sovereign, who with his Royal Mate was advanced to the Throne, with the repeated Carols and Acclamations of that and all the Neighbouring Worlds.

Nor had the Vultures, to whom the Ostrich had fled for Succor, any other way now lest to destroy the happy Estate of the Birds, and pre­serve their own ill gotten Conquests, but by re­viving the old Quarrel between the Blackbirds and the Magpies, to obstruct the Designs of the Eagle, and betray 'em all to the common Ene­my. To this end he not only employed Emissa­ries in the Eagle's Country, who conspired to dethrone him, and bring in the Vultures, on pre­tence of the Ostrich's Title; but by all means possible endeavoured the exasperating the two powerful Parties of the Magpies and Blackbirds one against another, in which he made a greater Progress than could have been imagined. The Blackbirds complained of the sharpness of the Magpies Claws, and that they kept the Steeples to themselves, refusing to ad­mit them thither for shelter. The Magpies an­swered, that 'twas their own Fault, and that they rather chose Hedges and Field Conventicles, having a mortal Enmity to all the Steeple-Houses in the World, adding besides, and ne­ver ceasing to whisper it in the Eagle's Ear, that the Blackbirds were with all their Hearts for a Commonwealth of Birds, and would never be at rest till Monarchy was agen turned out of Doors, or at least reduced to what they please.

Things being in this miserable condition, and all the Birds more ready to engage their Friends, than oppose the common Enemy: The Dove who was all along for Unity and Moderation, fain would have salv'd all the Accusations writ by the different Parties, one against another; as a great Emperor once did in the other World, burnt 'em all before their faces. But since that was impracticable, he petition'd the Eagle for a general Meeting or Convocation of the Magpies, in order to accommodate Diffe­rences between them and the Blackbirds their old Enemies. This he obtain'd, but to little or no purpose; for tho the Magpies had formerly promised, when in the Clutches of the Ostrich and panting for Life, if the Blackbirds wou'd stand by 'em, to come to any Terms with 'em, they could reasonably desire, when once de­livered from the common Calamity, they now forgot they had said one word of the Matter; and o'tother side, tho' the Blackbird then seem'd [Page 4]very well disposed to Peace and Unity (as all sorts of Creatures are Friends, when united by mutual Danger) 'twas now absolutely gon out of their minds, that they ever desired any such thing. And both sides, instead of agreeing in Charity and common Offices of Love, fell a­new on each other with Beaks and Claws as furiously as ever; Scandals and Lies flying a­bout of all sides; the Blackbirds accused all the Magpies, for being Friends to the Ostrich's Go­vernment (because some of them were really so) and the Magpyes accusing them, for being for no Government at all, because, perhaps some of them were of that Humor. In the mean time, none can express, what Ravage is daily made between the different Factions; how ma­ny Eyes struck out, and Feathers pull'd, and Down flying all round the Airy Regions. The Dove still persists in his fruitless Endeavours to reconcile 'em, tells 'em in vain the danger of an approaching Enemy, who would take 'em at a great, disadvantage thus unprepared; as­sures 'em, they are on both sides extreamly mistaken, and that many are true Friends to the State of the Birds and the Interest of the Eagle, whom either Party abused as inclined to the Storks or Ostrich; and tells 'em the truth of the Business is, That Profit is at the Root of all, and that the feathered People will never be at quiet, till little particular narrow Interests submit to the common good; while all the Requital she meets wth, is never to expect Preferment; whoever is uppermost, to be jostled about between the two contending Parties, to whom she may coo her Heart out, before she bring 'em an Inch nearer one a­nother, than they were almost an hundred years ago, and to be called a Trimmer or Bat for all her Labour. In the mean time while she bears her Misfortunes as equally as she can, and impatiently expects the return of the Ryoal Eagle, whose Affairs have lately call'd him into the World of the Scapies, and who, if Heaven prosper his just Cause against the Vulture, will, she doubts not, when he has more Time and Leasure, teach both Parties better Manners.