Dodsley Collection

Fable / Old Man & Death
THE OLD MAN & DEATH An old man, exhausted gathering sticks, calls for Death to take him; immediately Death appears, and the man regrets what he wished for

Robert Dodsley
ROBERT DODSLEY London bookseller, publisher and author in his own right

POET WRITING IN GARRET
A poet writing in a garret (illustration to The Poet and the Death-Watch Beetle) Date: 1761

THE FARMER AND HIS SONS
THE FARMER & HIS SONS A farmer on his deathbed tells his sons that a treasure lies hidden on his farm so that they will care for and dig the earth after his death Date: 1761

FABLE / COURT OF DEATH
Death, on his throne, surrounded by his pale courtiers': diseases Date: 1761

Agreement by Oliver Goldsmith to write for James Dodsley, 31st March 1763. 1899. Artist: Oliver Goldsmith
Agreement by Oliver Goldsmith to write for the bookseller James Dodsley, 31 March 1763 (1899). From Facsimiles of Royal, Historical

Letter from Thomas Gray concerning the edition of his poetical pieces, c1753, (1840). Artist: Thomas Gray
Facsimile of an original letter from Thomas Gray concerning the edition of his poetical pieces, c1753, (1840). Published in 1753, by Bentley

Fable / Two Springs
THE TWO SPRINGS Two springs issued from the same mountain; one rushed along in a torrent, the other was a gentle, beneficient stream

The Fox Without a Tail
THE FOX THAT LOST ITS TAIL A fox that lost its tail in a trap and mourned its loss, tried to convince his brethren that they would be better off without their tails

Fable / Mountain in Labour
THE MOUNTAIN IN LABOUR When a mountain is heard to utter prodigious groans, multitudes flock to it in expectation of wonders, but all that appears is a mouse

The Stag Seeing Himself
THE STAG DRINKING aka SEEING HIS REFLECTION IN THE WATER A stag is impressed with his antlers, & bemoans his spindly legs, but these legs are useful for running from danger

Fable / Ears of the Hare
THE HAREs EARS A lion, gored by an elk, banishes all horned animals; a hare, seeing the shadow of her ears, thinks they will be taken for horns, and flees

Fable / Trouts & Gudgeon
TWO TROUTS & THE GUDGEON A mother trout warns its young about the dangers of eating a fly whereupon a gudgeon seizes the fly and falls victim to the fishermans bait

Animals Sick of Plague
THE PLAGUE AMONG THE BEASTS The donkey, whose sin is no more than to eat grass, is sacrificed by the other animals to relieve them of the plague that scourges them

Fable / the Peacock
THE PEACOCK The peacock is honoured by Juno with a magnificent train, and parades his beauty in front of all the other birds

Fable / Wolf and Crane
THE WOLF AND THE CRANE A crane agrees it will extract a bone from a wolfs throat on promise of a reward; the wolf claims not closing its jaws on the cranes head reward enough

The Wolf & the Lamb
THE WOLF AND THE LAMB A young inexperienced lamb is tricked by a hungry wolf and eaten

The Lion, Wolf and Fox
THE SICK LION, THE FOX & THE WOLF: the animals pay the lion respects, except the fox; slandered by the wolf, the fox tells the lion his cure lies in the flaying of the wolf

Fable / the Hermit
THE HERMIT A hermit, sitting reading in his cave, receives a group of pilgrims

Fable / Oak & Willow
THE OAK & THE WILLOW The willow bends under the weight of the wind, while the oak tree resists and is uprooted

Fable / Stork & Crow
THE STORK & THE CROW A stork and a crow argue about who is most favoured by Jupiter

Fable / Minervas Olive
MINERVAs OLIVE: Minerva enquires of the other gods why the trees they favour bear no fruit; she has chosen the olive because of the usefulness of its fruit

Astronomer Looks at Sun
An astronomer looks at the sun through a telescope, while two colleagues confer at his side (illustration to Aesops Fable: The Monster in the Sun)

Fable / The Snipe Shooter
THE SNIPE SHOOTER A huntsman trying to shoot both a snipe and partridges at the same time, misses both; his faithful spaniel admonishes him

Fable / Vice & Fortune
VICE AND FORTUNE A fable of Plutarch in which Vice and Fortune argue over who has the most power to make mankind unhappy

The Snail and the Statue
THE SNAIL & THE STATUE A statue of the Medicean Venus is defaced by the slime of a snail jealous of the admiration the statue attracted Date: 1761

The Spider & Silkworm
THE SPIDER & THE SILKWORM A spider boasts she can spin much more quickly than the silkworm; the silkworm replies her labours endure & are valued unlike the spiders web

The Wolf & the Mastiff
THE WOLF AND THE MASTIFF A hungry wolf asks a dog how he stays so well-fed; the dog says obedience to his master is enough; the wolf values his freedom over easy meals

Prometheus Forms Man
Prometheus forms man of clay and against the wishes of Jupiter steals fire from heaven to animate his work

Nightingale & Bullfinch
THE NIGHTINGALE & BULLFINCH Two birds occupied cages together; the nightingale varied her tunes, the bullfinch always sang the same & wondered why it was derided

Fable / Partial Judge
THE PARTIAL JUDGE After an incident with an oxen and a bull, a farmer finds that a lawyer is keener to see justice done when its in his favour rather than against him

Fable / Two Lizards
THE TWO LIZARDS: two lizards were bemoaning their fate as lowly creatures, & wishing they d been born proud stags, when hounds tore apart the very stag they d admired

The Mimick & Countryman
THE MIMICK & THE COUNTRYMAN A man imitating the sound of a pig is judged more realistic than an actual pig concealed beneath the cloak of another man

Fable / the Sorceress
THE SORCERESS An evil sorceress casts a spell and conjures up a demon

Fable / the Spectacles
THE SPECTACLES Jupiter makes a present to mankind of pairs of spectacles; Momus is sent to deliver them

Man Eaten by Crocodile
THE TENTYRITES AND THE ICHNEUMON A huge crocodile seizes a man in its jaws on the island of Tentyra

Fable / the Mock-Bird
THE MOCK-BIRD The mock-bird is chastised by a little warbler for imitating and ridiculing their songs without adding any original strains of his own

Fable / Momus
JUPITER, NEPTUNE, MINERVA AND MOMUS: Momus found fault with everything made by the gods including man, so much so that Jupiter drove him from his office of judge

Farmer, Cranes & Stork
THE FARMER, THE CRANES & THE STORK: A stork, caught by a farmer, begs that his life be spared as he is not like the thieving cranes; he has been caught with them however

Fable / Frogs & Stork
FROGS PETITION JUPITER FOR A KING: the frogs think they should be ruled, so Jupiter sends a log; some complain, so Jupiter sends a stork which eats them all up

Fable / the Fox and Goat
THE FOX AND THE GOAT A fox and goat, feeling very thirsty, jump into a well to drink; unable to escape, the fox suggests he climb upon the goat, only to then run off

Fable / Elm and Vine
The vine needs the elm tree to support it; the elm needs the vines grapes to enhance it

Fortune & the Schoolboy
FORTUNE & THE SCHOOLBOY or Child or Traveller: A boy sleeps on the brink of a deep well; Fortune wakes him, not wanting the blame for the boys folly if he should fall

The Lion and the Gnat
THE LION AND THE GNAT A lion was dismissive of a mere gnat, but found himself tormented by the gnats numerous bites

Fable / Horse & the Stag
THE HORSE AND THE STAG A horse, who finds a stag has intruded into his domain, seeks help from a man; the man obliges, and the horse then finds he has been enslaved

Fable / Blind Man & Lame
The blind man who cannot see the delicious fruit carries the lame man who cannot walk to it, and both profit

Cormorant & the Fishes
THE CORMORANT & THE FISHES The cormorant, having told the fish he would ferry them to safety in his beak, eats them at his leisure

Fable / Maid & Milk Pail
COUNTRY MAID AND MILKPAIL The maid unwisely thinks of all she will do with the money for the milk at market, and neglects to watch what she is doing so spilling the milk

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"Dodsley: A Tale of Fables, Poets, and Agreements" In the realm of literature, there exists a fable that intertwines with the life of Robert Dodsley. This old man, known for his literary contributions and association with the iconic "Fable / Old Man & Death, " left an indelible mark on the world of words. As a poet writing in his garret, Dodsley crafted tales that captivated readers' hearts. One such tale was "The Farmer and His Sons, " which taught valuable lessons about family unity and hard work. Through his fables, Dodsley showcased wisdom beyond his years. But it wasn't just his own works that made him renowned; he also played a pivotal role in supporting other poets like Oliver Goldsmith. In an agreement dated 31st March 1763, Goldsmith committed to write for James Dodsley - a testament to their shared passion for literature. Dodsley's influence extended beyond mere agreements; even esteemed poets like Thomas Gray sought his guidance. In a letter concerning the edition of Gray's poetical pieces circa 1753, their collaboration flourished under Dodsley's watchful eye. One cannot discuss Dodsley without mentioning another fable close to his heart - "Two Springs. " This allegory reminded readers that life is fleeting but filled with opportunities for growth and renewal. It mirrored Dodsley's own journey as he navigated through various literary endeavors. Yet amidst all these tales lies another intriguing image: "The knight of the woeful countenance going to extirpate the National Assembly. " Edmund portrayed this knight embarking on a mission against societal norms - perhaps symbolizing how Dodsley challenged conventional thinking within literary circles. Determined and relentless in pursuing excellence, Robert Dodsley became synonymous with creativity itself. His legacy lives on through countless stories penned by both himself and those he nurtured.