Je devais par la royaut\u00e9
\nAvoir commenc\u00e9 mon ouvrage.
\n\u00c0 la voir d\u2019un certain c\u00f4t\u00e9,
\nMesser Gaster en est l\u2019image ;
\nS\u2019il a quelque besoin, tout le corps s\u2019en ressent,
\nDe travailler pour lui les membres se lassant.
\nChacun d\u2019eux r\u00e9solut de vivre en gentilhomme,
\nSans rien faire, all\u00e9guant l\u2019exemple de Gaster.
\n\u00ab Il faudrait, disaient-ils, sans nous qu\u2019il v\u00e9c\u00fbt d\u2019air.
\nNous suons, nous peinons, comme b\u00eates de somme ;
\nEt pour qui ? pour lui seul ; nous n\u2019en profitons pas,
\nNotre soin n\u2019aboutit qu\u2019\u00e0 fournir ses repas.
\nCh\u00f4mons, c\u2019est un m\u00e9tier qu\u2019il veut nous faire apprendre. \u00bb
\nAinsi dit, ainsi fait. Les mains cessent de prendre,
\nLes bras d\u2019agir, les jambes de marcher.
\nTous dirent \u00e0 Gaster qu\u2019il en all\u00e2t chercher.
\nCe leur fut une erreur dont ils se repentirent.
\nBient\u00f4t les pauvres gens tomb\u00e8rent en langueur ;
\nIl ne se forma plus de nouveau sang au c\u0153ur ;
\nChaque membre en souffrit, les forces se perdirent.
\nPar ce moyen, les mutins virent
\nQue celui qu\u2019ils croyaient oisif et paresseux,
\n\u00c0 l\u2019int\u00e9r\u00eat commun contribuait plus qu\u2019eux.
\nCeci peut s\u2019appliquer \u00e0 la grandeur royale.
\nElle re\u00e7oit et donne, et la chose est \u00e9gale.
\nTout travaille pour elle, et r\u00e9ciproquement
\nTout tire d\u2019elle l\u2019aliment.
\nElle fait subsister l\u2019artisan de ses peines,
\nEnrichit le marchand, gage le magistrat,
\nMaintient le laboureur, donne paie au soldat,
\nDistribue en cent lieux ses gr\u00e2ces souveraines,
\nEntretient seule tout l\u2019\u00c9tat.
\nM\u00e9n\u00e9nius le sut bien dire.
\nLa commune s\u2019allait s\u00e9parer du s\u00e9nat.
\nLes m\u00e9contents disaient qu\u2019il avait tout l\u2019empire,
\nLe pouvoir, les tr\u00e9sors, l\u2019honneur, la dignit\u00e9 ;
\nAu lieu que tout le mal \u00e9tait de leur c\u00f4t\u00e9,
\nLes tributs, les imp\u00f4ts, les fatigues de guerre.
\nLe peuple hors des murs \u00e9tait d\u00e9j\u00e0 post\u00e9,
\nLa plupart s\u2019en allaient chercher une autre terre,
\nQuand M\u00e9n\u00e9nius leur fit voir
\nQu\u2019ils \u00e9taient aux membres semblables,
\nEt par cet apologue, insigne entre les fables,
\nLes ramena dans leur devoir.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"annee":[152],"poems-book":[142],"poemes-theme":[],"poete":[151],"class_list":["post-819","poemes","type-poemes","status-publish","hentry","annee-152","poems-book-fables","poete-jean-de-la-fontaine"],"yoast_head":"\n