The Fable of the Cannibal Moraliz'd

One of the most tedious and most rewarding things about graduate school is Primary Research. That means pouring over rare books on microfilm. That's what I spent an entire day doing today. I found an 1801 article probably by Charles Brockden Brown reviewing his own book Wieland, as well as his critique of a sermon given by William Brown over the evils of the whims of French enlightenment thinking, a tabloid from 1718, and a literary periodical from 1756 with review of an article about venereal disease where the writers say, "We may without ceremony venture to pronounce this performance a nauseous composition of most wretched trash, wrapt in the vilest language imaginable."

Also of note was something I found with no use to me but to entertain, which I thought I would share with my reader. It is entitled "The Fable of the Cannibal Moraliz'd" and was printed in the magazine Memoirs for the Curious in 1701. I'm giving it to you in its entirety with emphasis and spelling intact, exceot where I have substituted the modern "s" where the text had "f."

THE fable is this. A certain English ship, passing by the
coast of Madagascar, toward the end of last summer; some of the Ships
Crew, taht were sent on Shoar to take in Fresh Water, make Report of a man of a
Prodigious Size, and all over hairy like to a Satyr, which they saw upon the
Land coming to Drink. THe Name of the Vessal must be called the Tempest, and the master of it is Mr. Goodman: But as for the
Man-Monster, because no Name could fit him, he must be Content to pass without
one. However to distinguish him, the Crew do call him the CANNIBAL; for
Reasons that are pretty Obvious. They say, he Lives by Blood.: and that
his greatest Delicacy to Feed , is Human Flesh. Now, there was no
Attempting to Seize on Him by main Strength; his Force being almost as
Prodigious, as was his Bulk; which was so great, that Goliah was hardly
Worthy to be his Squire: Wherefore, Circumventing him by a Stratagem, they left
him a Strong and Sweet Spanish Potion to swallow, by which means, both his Head
and Heels turn'd Giddy. And thus was he Bound, by the Direction of Mr. Goodman, and by his Crew, led in Chains Triumphantly. So he that
appear'd before as a Mighty walking Oak, is himself now tied to the Mast of a
Ship: And is a spectacle as much of Horrour, as he was before of
Admiration. So for the Fable: being Believ'd by many Thousands, about the
end of this last Month for a Reality.

The MORAL

Success often makes men Drunk. And Policy, is to be Preferr'd before all the Strength in the
World, be it never to Prodigious.