of this appreciation. We have no pretensions whatever to the critical faculty; the following remarks are to be taken as made

en before him-a well-thumbed Lucian. But the Hebrew vowel-points were perplexing, and the boy found better amusement in putting shrewd questions on what struck him as impossibilities or inconsistencies in the Old-Testament narrative they were reading. The old gentleman was infinitely amused, had fits of mingled coughing and laughter, but made little attempt at solving his pupil's diffic

work. He may give us the assistance, or he may not, of labelling a character Lucian or Lycinus; we can detect him, volentes volentem, under the thin disguise of Menippus or Tychiades or Cyniscus as well. And the essence of him as he reveals himself is the questioning spirit. He has no respect for authority. Burke describes the majority of mankind, who do not form their own opinions, as 'those whom Providence has doomed to live on trust'; Lucian entirely refuses to live on trust; he 'wants to know.' It was the wish of Arthur Clennam, w

and to forget that those who were capable of being convinced by exposition of this sort would mostly be those who were already convinced without; still, so far as Lucian had any effect on the religious position, it must have been in discrediting paganism and increasing the readiness to accept the new faith beginning to make its way. Which being so, it was ungrateful of the Christian church to turn and rend him. It did so, partly in error. Lucian had referred in the Life of Peregrine to the Christians, in words which might seem irreverent to Christians at a time when they were no longer an obscure sect; he had described and ridiculed in The Liar certain 'Syrian' miracles which have a remarkable likeness to the casting out of spirits by Christ and the apostles; and worse still, the Philopatris passed under his name. This dialogue, unlike what Lucian had written in the Peregrine and The Liar, is a deliberate attack on Christianity. It is clear to us now that it was wr

very indirect way of putting questions. It is done much more directly i

oned

Foreknowledge,

e will, forekno

nd, in wanderi

ions can hardly be put more directly, or more neatly, than in t

was an ironist. We have called him a self-revealer; but you never quite know where to have an ironical self-revealer. Goethe has the useful phrase, 'direct irony'; a certain German writer 'makes too free a use of direct irony, praising the blameworthy and blaming the praiseworthy-a rhetorical device which should be very sparingly employed. In the long run it disgusts the sensible and misleads the dull, pleasing only the great intermediate class to whom it offers the satisfaction of being able to think themselves more shrewd than other people, without expending much thought of their own' (Wahrheit und Dichtung, book vii). Fielding gives us in Jonathan Wild a sustained piece of 'direct irony'; you have only to reverse everything said, and you get the author's meaning. Lucian's irony is not of that sort; you cannot tell when you are to reverse him, only that

ple and precept in favour of doing one's thinking for oneself; and it may be doubted also whether any other intellectual lesson is more necessary. He is nullius addictus iurare in verba magistri, if ever man was; he is individualist to the core. No religion or philosophy, he seems to say, will save you; the thing is to think for yourself, and be a man of sense. 'It was but small consolation,' says Menippus, 'to reflect that I was in numerous and wise and eminently sensible company, if I was a fool still, all astray in my quest for truth.' Vox populi is no vox dei for him; he is quite proof against majorities; Athanasi

corning Croesus. Menippus and his kind, in the shades, do their lashing of dead horses with a disagreeable gusto, which tempts us to raise a society for the prevention of cruelty to the Damned. A voyage through Lucian in search of pathos will yield as little result as one in search of interest in nature. There is a touch of it here and there (which has probably evaporated in translation) in the Hermotimus, the Demonax, and the De

f his works that indicates any real comprehension of any philosophic system. The external characteristics of the philosophers, the absurd stories current about them, and the popular misrepresentations of their doctrines-it is in these that philosophy consists for him. That he had read some of them there is no doubt; but one has an uneasy suspicion that he read Plato because he liked his humour and his style, and did not trouble himself about anything further. Gibbon speaks of 'the philosophic maze of the writings of Plato, of which the dramatic is perhaps more interesting than the argumentative part.' That is quite a legitimate opinion, provided you do not undertake to judge philosophy in the light of it. The apparently serious rejection of geometrical truth in the Hermotimus may fairly suggest that Lucian was as unphilosophic as he was unmathematical. Twice, and perhaps twice only, d

alsehood, bluster, clamour, pushing,' for the quiet life of a literary man (especially as we should probably never have heard his name had he done otherwise). Not that the life was so quiet as it might have been. He could not keep his satire impersonal enough to avoid incurring enmities. He boasts in the Peregrine of the unfeeling way in which he commented on that enthusiast to his followers, and we may believe his assurance that his writings brought general dislike and danger upon him. His moralizing (of which we are happy to say there is a great deal) is based on Tiresias's pronouncement. Moralizing has a bad name; but than good moralizing there is, when one has reached a certain age perhaps, no better reading. Some of us like it even in our novels, feel more at home with Fielding and Thackeray for it, and regretfully confess ourselves unequal to the artistic aloofness of a Flaubert. Well, Lucian's moralizings are, for those who like such things, of the right quality; they are never dull, and the touch is extremely light. We

n. The apparent exceptions are not real ones. If he is interested in the gods, it is as the creatures of human folly that he takes them to be. If he writes a toy essay with much parade of close observation on the fly, it is to show how amusing human ingenuity can be on an unlikely subject. But it is worth notice that 'the first of the moderns,' though he shows himself in many descriptions of pictures quite awake to the beauty manufactured by man, has in

ctive fancy, that Menippus provided him with some ideas, how far developed on the same lines we cannot now tell, that Menander's comedies and Herodas's mimes contributed to the absolute naturalness of his conversation. If any, or almost any, of these had never existed, Lucian would have been more or less differe

Greek of his own time, but in that of five or six centuries before, and he does it, if not with absolute correctness, yet with the easy mastery that we expect only from one in a million of those who write in their mother tongue, and takes his place as an immortal classic. The miracle may be repeated; an E

Greek of me,' we should wish heartily that he had never been a rhetorician. It is the practice of talking on unreal cases, doubtless habitual with him up to forty, that must be responsible for the self- satisfied fluency, the too great length, and the perverse ingenuity, that som

rds relating to certain subjects. One would be reluctant to believe that Lucian condescended to use his enemy's manual; but it is hard to think that he had not one of his own, of which he made much too good use. The conviction is constantly for

ugh it is hard to forgive Alexander's bathe in the Cydnus with which The Hall opens); but when they are read continuously, the repeated appearances of the tragic actor disrob

incapable at the moment of doing herself justice, employs her opponent, The Academy, to plead for as well as against her. There are a good many pieces in which Lucian follows the same method. In The Hall the legal form is actually kept; in the Peregrine speeches are delivered by an admirer and a scorner of the hero; in The Rhetorician's Vade mecum half the piece is an imaginary statement of the writer's enemy; in the Apology for 'The dependent Scholar' there is a long imaginary objection set up to be afterwards disposed of; the Saturnalian Letters are the cases of rich and poor put from opposite sides. None of these are dialogues; but they are all less perfect devices to secure the same object, the putting of the two views that the man of deta

fect of sameness. Lucian, on the contrary, so rings the changes by permutations and combinations of them that each dialogue is approached with a delightful uncertainty of what form it may take. As to number of persons, it is a long step from the Menippus to the crowded dramatis personae of The Fisher or the Zeus Tragoedus, in the latter of which there are two independent sets, one overhearing and commenting upon the other. It is not much less, though of another kind, from The Parasite, where the interlocutor is merely a man of straw, to the Hermotimus, where he has life enough to give us ever fresh hopes of a change in fortune, or to the Anacharsis, wher

peror's mistress, putting an audience into good temper with him and itself, unveiling an imposture, destroying a religion or a reputation, drawing a character. The last is perhaps the most disputable of the catalogue. How many of his personages are realities to us when we have read, and not mere labels for certain modes of thought or conduct? Well, characterization is not the first, but only the second thing with him; what is said matters rather more than who says it; he is more desirous that the argument should advance than that the person should reveal hims

RKS OF

VI

R OF AUT

ery exacting in toil, time, and money: a life only for fortune's favourites; whereas our resources were quite narrow, and urgently called for relief. If I were to take up som

an excellent statuary, and said to him: 'With you here, it would be a sin to prefer any other craft; take the lad, regard him as your charge, teach him to handle, match, and grave your marble; he will do well enough; you know he has the ability.' This he had inferred from certain tricks I used to play with wax. When I got

images for myself and my favourites. The usual first experience of beginners followed: my uncle gave me a chisel, and told me to give a gentle touch to a plaque lying on the bench: 'Well begun is half done,' said he, not very originally. In my

ut his brutality, and added that it was all envy: he was afraid of my being a better sculptor than he. My mother was very angry, a

have now to hear, gentlemen, is not so contemptible, b

mber wrapt a

l night

all these years, I have still the figures of its persons in my e

l the time they were exchanging loud protests: 'He is mine, and I mean to keep him;' 'Not yours at all, and it is no use your saying he is.' One of them seemed to be a working woman, masculine looking, with untidy hair, horny hands, and dress kilted up;

h your uncles practised it, and it brought them credit. If you will turn a deaf ear to this person's foolish cajolery, and come and live with me, I promise you wholesome food and

Gods. If you should come to be counted among them, you will surely have fame enough for yourself through all the world, you will make your father the envy of all fathers, and bring your country to all men's notice.' This and more said Statuary, s

e, poorly and illiberally paid, mean-spirited, of no account outside your doors; your influence will never help a friend, silence an enemy, nor impress your countrymen; you will be just a worker, one of the masses, cowering before the distinguished, truckling to the eloquent, living the life of a hare, a prey to your better

I will adorn with many fair adornments, with self-mastery and justice and reverence and mildness, with consideration and understanding and fortitude, with love of what is beautiful, and yearning for what is great; these things it is that are the true

ent, respected by the high-born and the affluent, clothed as I am clothed' (and here she pointed to her own bright raiment), 'held worthy of place and precedence; and if you lea

n become immortal; and I will make it truth in you; for though you depart from life yourself, you shall keep touch with the learned and hold communion with the best. Consider the mighty Demosthenes, whose son he was, and whither I exalted him; consider Aeschines; ho

to gird on a filthy apron and assume a servile guise; then will you handle crowbars and graving tools, mallets and chisels; you will be bowed over your work, with eyes and thoughts bent earthwards, abject as abject can be, with never

more when I thought upon the stick, and all the blows my yesterday's apprenticeship had brought me. For a time the deserted one was wroth, with clenched fists and g

learn what fair sights another choice would have cost you.' We mounted, she took the reins and drove, and I was carried aloft and beheld towns and nations and peoples from the East to the West; and methought

ous raiment. And finding my father where he stood waiting, she showed him my raiment, and the guise in which I came, and said a word to him upon the lot which th

him, that he babbles such puerilities? memorable things indeed, a child in bed, and a very ancient, worn-out dream! what stale frigid stuff! does he take us for interpreters of dreams?' Sir, I do not. When Xenophon related that vision of his which you all know, o

d to enter the wrong path, to the ruin of a nature not all ignoble. Such an one will be strengthened by my tale, I am well assured; in me he will find an apt example; let him only compare the boy of those days, w

ARY PRO

find my ingenuity? in what consists the great subtlety, the Prometheanism, of my writings? enough for me if you have not found them sheer earth, all unworthy of Caucasian clay-pits. How much better a claim to kinship with Prometheus have you gentlemen who win fame in the courts, engaged in real contests; your works have true life and breath, ay, and the warmth of fire. That is Promethean indeed, though with the difference, it may be, that you do not work in clay; your creations are oftenest of gold; we on th

etheus-Cleon p

, and perhaps to the use of fire in baking the ware. If that is all your 'Prometheus' means, you have aimed your shaft well enough, and flavour

Athene assisted by putting breath into the clay and bringing the models to life.' So says my some one, giving your remark its politest possible turn. Perhaps he has hit the true meaning; not that I can rest content, however, with the mere credit of innovation, and the absence of any original to which my work can be referred; if it is not good as well as ori

wn the house. The audience, however, was terrified by the camel and almost stampeded; still, it was decked all over with gold, had purple housings and a richly jewelled bridle, the spoil of Darius' or Cambyses' treasury, if not of Cyrus' own. As for the man, a few laughed at him, but most shrank as from a mon

ious and well-proportioned; it is possible that the resultant of two beauties may be bizarre. The readiest instance to hand is the centaur: not a lovely creature, you will admit, but a savage, if the paintings of its drunken bouts and murders go for anything. Well, but on the other han

te when she saw good; nay, she would mount her anapaests, as likely as not, and pelt the friends of Dialogue with nicknames- doctrinaires, airy metaphysicians, and the like. The thing she loved of all else was to chaff them and drench them in holiday impertinence, exhibit them treading on air and arguing with the clouds, or measuring the jump of

nes wrapped in fat, comic laughter in philosophic solemnity? As for stealing-for Prometheus is the thief's patron too- I defy you there; that is the one fault you cannot find with me: from whom should I have stolen? if any

GR

o Nigrinu

literary skill, I should indeed have been an arrant 'owl-fancier in Athens.' As however my object is merely to communicate to you my present sentiments, and the profound impression produced upon me by your eloquence, I may fairly plead Not Guilty, even to t

GR

IAL

n. A

e us a glance; he stands aloof, and will hold no further communion with us. Altogether a sup

the work o

f For

urney, you see in me a happy man; 'th

What, in th

Eve

ur elation? I decline to rejoice with you in this abrid

had exchanged servitude for freedom; poverty for

t I am not quite clea

me to see an oculist-my ey

I have been hoping that yo

of the Pindaric 'Charmers,' of the Homeric lotus, are things to be forgotten, after his truly divine eloquence. Led on by his theme, he spoke the praises of philosophy, and of the freedom which philosophy confers; and expressed his contempt for the vulgar error which sets a value upon wealth and renown and dominion and power, upon gold and purple, and all that dazzles the eyes of the world,-and once attracted my own! I listened with rapt attention, and with a swelling heart. At the time, I knew not what had come over me; my feelings were indescribable. My dearest idols, riches and renown, lay shattered; one moment I was ready to shed bitter tears over the disillusionment, the next, I could have laughed for scorn of these very things, and was exulting in my escape from the murky atmosphere

o hear what Nigrinus actually said, if that may be. It is only right that you

embers some word, some act of hers, dwells on it, and beguiles hours of sickness with her feigned presence. Sometimes he thinks he is face to face with her; words, heard long since, come again from her lips; he rejoices; his soul cleaves to the memory of the past, and has no time for present vexations. It is so with me. Philosophy is far away, but I have heard a philosopher's wor

art he left

tart again; I am waiting to hear what Nigrinus said. Y

, the comedies fare no better) murdered by bad acting, and the culprits finally hissed off the s

ort of thing; an

it would vex me indeed, that my subject should be involved in my downfall; I cannot have it discredited for my shortcomings. Remember, then: whatever the imperfections in my speech, the author is not to be called to account; he sits far aloof from the stage, and knows nothing of what is going forward. The

to be desired that your client were here to plead his own cause; as it is, you are reduced to such a meagre and inadequate statement of the case, as memory will supply.' Am I right? Well then, spare yourself t

again I should be like a bad actor, taking the part of Agamemnon, or Creon, or Heracles' self; he is arrayed in cloth of gold, and looks very formidable, and his mouth opens tremendously wide; and what comes out of it? A little, shrill, womanish pipe of a voice that would

r have done with his

e and gold and gorgeous raiment, expecting that every eye would be turned upon him in envy of his lot; instead of which, they heartily pitied the poor worm, and proceeded to take his education in hand. Not an ill-natured word, not an attempt at direct interference: it was a free city; he was at liberty to live in it as he thought fit. But when he made a public nuisance of himself in the baths or gymnasiums, crowding in with his attendants, and taking up all the room, someone would whisper, in a sly aside, as if the words were not meant to reach his ears: 'He is a

ed and brought before the Steward for making his appearance in coloured clothes. The onlookers felt for him, and took his part; and when the herald declared that he had violated the law

urple raiment and dominion, who, living his life among flatterers and slaves, knows not the sweets of freedom, the blessings of candour, the beauty of truth; he who has given up his soul to Pleasure, and will serve no other mistress, whose heart is set on gluttony and wine and women, on whose tongue are deceit and hypocrisy; he again whose ears must be tickled with lascivious songs, and the voluptuous notes of flute and lyre;-let all such (he cried) dwell here in Rome; the life will suit them.

ntinued, 'on returning from my first voyage to Greece, I stopped short a little wa

the light of day- the joyous fre

-hunters and murderers? And what wilt thou do here? thou canst not endure these things, neith

ne of slaughter,

. It is no easy thing, to withstand so many temptations, so many allurements and distractions of sight and sound. There is no help for it: like Odysseus, we must sail past them all; and there must be no binding of hands, no stopping of our ears with wax; that would be but sorry courage: our ears must hear, our hands must be free,-and our contempt must be genuine. Well may that man conceive an admiration of philosophy, who is a spectator of so much folly; well may he despise the gifts of Fortune, who vi

lutation being performed by a servant.] they favour us with a glance, and that must be happiness enough. By the more ambitious spirits, an obeisance is expected; this is not performed at a distance, after the Persian fashion-you go right up, and make a profound bow, testifying with the angle of your body to t

's insolence. What can they expect him to think, after their commendations of his wealth, their panegyrics on money, their early attendance at his doors, their servile salutations? If by common consent they would abstain, were it only for a few days, from this voluntary servitude, the tables must surely be turned, and the rich come to the doors of the paupers, imploring them not to leave such blessedness as theirs without a witness, their fine houses and elegant furniture lying idle for want of some one to use them. Not wealth, but the envy that waits on wealth, is the object of their desire. The truth is, gold and ivory and noble mansions are of little avail to their owner, if there is no one to admire them. If we would break the power of the rich, and bring down their pretensions, we must raise up within their borders a stronghold of Indifference. As it is, their vanity is fostered by the court that is paid to them. In ordinary men, who have no pretence to education, this conduct,

nciple himself. He is not content with giving his services gratis to all comers, but lends a helping hand to all who are in difficulties, and shows an absolute disregard for riches. So far is he from grasping at other men's goods, that he could anticipate without concern the deterioration of his own property. He possessed an estate at no great distance from the city,

lly-shallying, when virtue is the goal for which we start. On the other hand, there are philosophers whose idea of inculcating virtue in their youthful disciples is to subject them to various tests of physical endurance; whose favourite prescription is the strait waistcoat, varied with flagellations, or the enlightened process of scarification. Of these Nigrinus evidently had no opinion. According to him, our first care should be to inure the soul to pain and hardship; he who aspired

s, the race-course, the statues of charioteers, the nomenclature of horses, the horse-talk in every side-street. The rage

ith flowers;-sapient end to a life of sapience! 'Of their doings in this world,' said he, 'you may form some idea from their injunctions with reference to the next. These are they who will pay a long price for an entree; whose floors are sprinkled with wine and saffron and spices; who in midwinter smother themselves in roses, ay, for roses are scarce, and out of season, and altogether desirable; but let a thing come in its due course, and oh, 'tis vile, 'tis contemptible. These are they whose drink is of costly essences.' He had no mercy on them here. 'Very bunglers in sensuality, who know not her laws, and confound her ordinances, flinging do

r inches of palate apiece-'tis the utmost we can allow any man-and I will prove to you that they have four inches of gratification for their trouble. Thus: there is no satisfaction to be got out of the costliest viands before consumption; and after it a full stomach i

es have to walk on ahead of their masters, and call out to them to 'look to their feet,' whenever there is a hole or a lump in their way; it has come to this, that men must be reminded that they are walking. 'It is too much,' he cried; 'these men can get through their dinner with the help of their own teeth and fingers; they can hear with their ow

arget of some soft material. As life goes on, many archers take aim thereat; and every man's quiver is full of subtle and varied arguments, but not every man shoots aright. Some draw the bow too tight, and let fly with undue violence. These hit the true direction, but their shafts do not lodge in the mark; their impetus carries them right through the soul, and they pass on their way, leaving only a gaping wound behind them. Others make the contrary mistake: their bows are too slack, and their shafts never reach their destination; as often as not their force is spent at half distance, and they drop to earth. Or if they reach the mark, they do but graze its surface; there can be no deep wound, where the archer lacks strength. But a good marksman

shalt bring (to

Cybele, and by those strains are recalled to their frenzy,-so too not every man who hears the words of the philosop

range emotion, and now that you have ceased, I feel oppressed, nay, in your own language, 'sore stricken.' This need not surprise you. A person who has been bitten by a mad dog not only goes ma

you confess to

ill think upon some medicine

take a hint f

hat i

hair of the d

THE COURT

f Phalerum. Seventh P

for assault with ro

the words in-pp-are wr

i

ave reason to know. His covetousness and folly, however, have now so puffed him up, that he is no longer content with my habitual concessions, but insists on more; I accordingly find myself compelled to get the matter settled by you who know both si

at of others, with no objection on your part (whose concurrence is an indispensable condition of all writing), I fail to see how combinations are to have their ancient constitutional rights secured to them. But my fir

kephalargia, kishlis or kishris: Gamma would not have had to defend its rights over gyaphalla, constantly almost at blows with Kappa in the debatable land, and per contra it would itself have dropped its campaign against Lambda (if indeed

phabet; they also had an eye to our individual qualities and faculties. You, Vowels of the jury, constitute the first Estate, because you can be uttered independently; the semi-vowels, requiring support before t

te, Alpha and Upsilon, he would be a mere nonentity-he it is that has dared to outdo all injuries that I have ever known, expelling me from the nouns and verbs of my

ably corrupt passage Section 7 fin.-Section 8 init. I accept Dindorf's rearrangement as follows: mechr men gar oligois epecheirei, tettarakonta legein axioun, eti de taemeron kai ta homoia epispomenon, sunaetheian thmaen idia tauti legein, kai oiston aen moi to akousma kai ou panu ti edaknomaen ep autois. 8. hupote d ek touton arxamenon etolmaese kattiteron eipein kai kattuma kai pittan, eita aperuthria

kai oiston aen moi to akousma kai ou panu ti edaknomaen ep autois. 8. _hupote d ek touton arxamenon etolmaese kattiteron eipein kai kattuma kai pittan, eita aperuthriasan kai basilitgan onomazein, aposteroun me ton suggegenaemenun moi kai suntethrammenun grammatun, ou metrius ipi toutois aganaktu.

letter I am myself, your own knowledge is witness enough. When Zeta stole my smaragdos, and robbed me of all Smyrna, I never took proceedings against him; Xi might break all sunthhkai, and appeal to Thucydides (who ought to know) as xympath

ous victims to be put in the box. Now, Vowels of the jury, mark the evidence of Delta:-'He robbed me of endelecheia, which he claimed, quite illegally, as entelecheia.' Mark Theta beating his breast and plucking out hi

.) But I return from that digression, to plead the cause of mankind and its wrongs. The prisoner's designs include the constraint, racking, and mutilation of their utterance. A man sees a beautiful thing, and wishes to describe it as kalon, but in comes Tau, and forces the man to say talon he must have precedence everywhere, of course. Another man has something to say

that tyrants took for a model, his shape that they imitated, when they set up the erections on which men are crucified. Stayros the vile engine is called, and it derives its vile name from him. Now, with all

HE MISA

overty. Gnathonides. Philiades

cially when they are in difficulties with their scansion; then it is that a string of your names saves the situation and fills up the metrical gaps), O Zeus, where is now your resplendent lightning, where your deep-toned thunder, where the glowing, white- hot, direful bol

a little soot-grime is the worst that need be apprehended from a touch of it. No wonder if Salmoneus challenged you to a thundering-match; he was reasonable enough when he backed his artificial heat against so cool

hunder rattling, the lightning engaged in a perpetual skirmish. Earth was shaken like a sieve, buried in snow, bombarded with hail. It rained cats and dogs (if you will pardon my familiarity), and every shower was a waterspout.

onus, and depose you. I will not rehearse all the robberies of your temple-those are trifles; but they have laid hands on your person at Olympia, my lord High-Thunderer, and you had not the energy to wake the dogs or call in the neighbours; surely they might have come to the rescue and caught the fellows before they had finished packing up the swag. But th

profusion has brought me to beggary, they do not so much as know me; I cannot get a glance from the men who once cringed and worshipped and hung upon my nod. If I meet one of them in the street, he passes me by as he might pass the tombstone of one long dead;

e exempt from contemplating unmerited prosperity; no sight that so offends the eye as that. And now, Son of Cronus and Rhea, may I ask you to shake off that deep sound sleep of yours-why, Epimenides's was a mere nap to i

squalid fellow in a smock-frock; he is bending over a spade or something; but he has a tongue in h

many is the time he has feasted us on unexceptionable victims; the rich parv

the popular? What has brought him to this pass? There he is in fil

em for friends and good comrades, showing a fine appetite just to please him. So they gnawed his bones perfectly clean, sucked out with great precision any marrow there might be in them, and went off, leaving him as dry as a tree whose roots have been severed; and now they do not know him or vouchsafe him a nod-no such foo

din of perjury, assault, and burglary; I am so frightened of the temple-robbers-they swarm now, you cannot keep them out, nor take a nap with any safety; and, with one thing and another, it is an age since I had a look at Attica. I have hardly been there since philosophy and argument came into fashion; indeed

atitude they showed him, I will attend to them before long; they shall have their deserts as soon as I have got the thunderbolt in order again. Its two best spikes are broken and blunted; my zeal outran my discretion the other day when I took that shot at Anaxagoras the sophist; the Gods non-existent, indeed!

pleading with juries or deities. Here is Timon developing from pauper to millionaire, just because his prayer was loud and free enoug

us, I am not

good Plutus; have I

ive coal in his hand. What, go there again, to be transferred to toadies and flatterers and harlots? No, no, Zeus; send me to people who will appreciate the gift, take care of me, value and cherish me. Let these gulls

n sweet will, instead of keeping you in jealous seclusion. Yesterday it was another story: you were imprisoned by rich men under bolts and locks and seals, and never allowed a glimpse of sunlight. That was the burden of your complaint-you were stifled in deep darkness. We saw you pale and careworn, your

that satisfied them was not to enjoy you themselves, but to prevent others' enjoying you-true dogs in the manger. Yes, and then how absurd it was that they should scrape and hoard, and end by being jealous of their own selves! Ah, if they could but see that rascally slave

o keep me shut up in the obscurity of strong-boxes, intent on making me heavy and fat and unwieldy, never touching me themselves, and never letting me see the light, lest some one else should catch sight of me, I always

n were to take a fair young wife, and then absolutely decline all jealous precautions, to the point of letting her wander where she would by day or night, keeping company with any one who had a mind to her-or put

virginity; let him say all the while that he is in love with her, and let his pallid hue, his wasting flesh and his sunken eyes confirm the statement;-is he a madman, or is he not? he should be raising a family and enjoying matrimony; but he lets this fai

mouthed as Tantalus, getting no further than gaping at the gold; and the other finding its food swept away from its

ith apprehensions of the inflow's gaining on the waste and flooding him! I shall be supplying a cask of the Danaids; no matter how fast I pour

frock and spade again in the dregs of the cask. Now go along, both of you, and make the man rich. And, Hermes, on your way back, re

imping? My good man, I did not kn

urney's end; my destined host is sometimes an old man before I reach him. As a parting guest, on the other hand, you may see me wing my way swifter tha

ves with, and to-day have developed into lavish men of fortune; they drive their pair of high-steppers, whereas a donkey would have been b

not unconnected, you see. When I am to flit from one house to another, they lay me on parchment, seal me up carefully, make a parcel of me and take me round. The dead man lies in some dark corner, shrouded from the

er with all sorts of unnatural pleasures beyond the years which might excuse such service, and now the fine fellow is richly rewarded. But whoever it is, he snatches me up, parchment included, and is off with me in a flash; he used to be called Pyrrhia

ble-insults his new equals, and whips his old fellows to see what that side of the transaction feels like. He ends by finding a mistress, or taking to the turf, or being cajoled by parasites; these have only to swear he is han

can a blind man like you find the way? Zeus sends you to peopl

passed Aristides by, and gone to Hipponicus, Callias, and any numb

hat do you do wh

me one; the first comer takes me off home with him,

you do not enrich deserving pe

extinct this long time, that a Lynceus would have his work cut out spying for its dubious remains. So you see, as the good are few, and

them, how do you find escape s

on which brings me quickness of

y men; if they miss you, life is not worth living. Why, I have known not a few so sick for love of you that they have scaled some sky-pointing crag, and thence hurled themselves to unplumbed ocean depths [Footnote: See Apology for 'Th

they see me in my true shape

ess they are all a

y see me, I put on a charming mask, all gilt and jewels, and dress myself up. They take the mask for my face, fall in love with its beauty, and are dying to possess it.

one tries to take it off, they would sooner part with their heads than with it; and it is not likely they do not know

Nam

inacy, Insolence, Deceit, and a goodly company more. These possess his soul; he begins to admire mean things, pursues what he should ab

ough one's fingers somehow, like an eel or a snake. Poverty is so different-sticky, clinging, all over hooks; any one who comes

ess? What

o bring Thesaurus, and w

I leave him on earth, with strict orders to stay in

into Attica; hold on to my clo

ind, I am as likely as not to be snapped up by Hyperbolus or

! Good gracious, I see Poverty and Toil in attendance, Endurance, Wisdom, Courage, a

home, Hermes. We shall never produce any im

ht otherwise; s

s, whither away, yo

s sent us to

and made a good worthy man of him. Do you take me for such a contemptible helpless creature that you can rob me of my little all? have I perfected him in virt

is Zeu

had a good help meet in me, and a true teacher; with me he was healthy in body and vigorous in spirit; he lived th

go, Plutus; le

d labourer? You shall have something to take with you, confound you al

this is Plutus; Zeus has sent us in answer to your prayers. So

very one, man or God; and as for this blind fellow, whoever he

f this! the man is melancholy-mad, I believe

hold out your hands, take your luck, and be a rich man again. Have Athens

y spade is riches enough for me; for the rest, I

ar sir-so

stubborn a

men have treated you; but with the Gods so th

bliged to you and Zeus for your thoughtf

Why,

a moment's notice. Then the excellent Poverty gave me a drilling in manly labour, conversed with me in all frankness and sincerity, rewarded my exertions with a sufficiency, and taught me to despise superfluities; all hopes of a li

ffences, I get bread enough and to spare out of my spade. Go your ways, then, Herme

-ripe. Don't make a passionate child of yourself, but a

argue with me, Timon? or

y lawyer's 'opening the case.' I can put up

flatterers abused you, I am not responsible for that. It is I who should rather complain; you prostituted me vilely to scoundrels, whose laudations and cajolery of you were only samples of their designs upon me. As to your saying that I wound up by betraying you, you have things topsy-turvy again; I may complain; you

raid to live with him now. Just go on digging, Timon; and you,

reflect what troubles you are bringing on my luckless head; I have had a blissful life o

sake, if only that the flatterers may burst the

nd fetch Thesaurus to you; or rather, dig hard. Here, Gold! Thesaurus I say! answer Timon's summon

O God of Wonders! O mystic priests! O lucky Hermes! whence this flood of gold? Sure, 'tis all a dr

airest gift t

ght, or

ine all else li

ight Zeus take the shape of gold; where is the maid that would not

y up this desert corner, and build a tiny castle for my treasure, big enough for me to live in all alone, and, when I am dead, to lie in. And be the rule and law of my remaining days to shun all men, be blind to all men, sco

f my desert are the line they may not cross. Cousin and kinsman, neighbour and countryman-these are dead useless names, wherein fools may find a meaning. Let Timon keep his wealth to himself, scorn all men, and live in solitary luxury, quit of flattery and vu

e flames, let me help-with pitch and oil. If another be swept past me by a winter torrent, and stretch out his hands for aid, then let mine press him down head under, that he never rise again.

he gold somehow or other. Now, shall I get on top of this knoll, keep up a galling fire of stones from my point of vantage, and get rid of them that way? Or shall I make an exception to my law by parleying with them for once? contempt might hit harder than stones. Yes, I think that is better;

be abandoned by Providence. How are you, Timon? as go

, still teaching vultures

here do you dine? I have brought a new song wit

rch, then, and a very touchi

t me find a witness! ... Oh, my God, my God! ... I'll

it much longer, or you'l

ttle gold ointment to heal the w

you won't g

shall repent this. Alas, so

dy else would applaud, he lauded me to the skies, and swore no dying swan could be more tuneful; his reward was one of my farms, and a 500 p

st ourselves upon him. Greeting, lord Timon; pray let me warn you against these abominable flatterers; they are your humble servants during meal-times, and else about as useful as carrion crows. Perfidy is the order of the day; everywhere ingratitude and vileness. I was just bringing

But come near, will you

ess brute has broken my head,

im; he had been fined that amount and imprisoned in default, and I took pity on him. Well, the other day he was distributing-officer of the festival money [Footnote: Every citizen had the ri

have proposed in your honour. 'WHEREAS Timon son of Echecratides of Collytus who adds to high position and character a sagacity unmatched in Greece is a consistent and indefatiga

ver so much as a s

ave a good deal of that sort in-'and Whereas he fought with distinctio

y name was not on the muster-rolls, bec

ions of the High Court and the Borough Councils individually and collectively THAT a golden statue of the said Timon be placed on the Acropolis alongside of Athene with a thunderbolt in the hand and a seven-rayed aureole on the head Further that golden garlands be conferred on him and proclaimed t

ad designed also to pre

med Timon

ght you were a b

next year; my child-which is

l feel like marrying, my man

ult free men, and you are neither a free man nor a citizen yourself. You shall soon be

ropolis has not been set on fir

gold by breaking

oken into, either; you

glary yet; meantime, you are i

e is another f

! oh! m

could cut two companies of Spartans to pieces without my armour, and not be able to give a sin

e swoops like a hawk on dainty dishes, elbows his neighbour aside, fouls his beard with trickling sauce, laps like a dog, with his nose in his plate, as if he expected to find Virtue there, and runs his finger all round the bowl, not to lose a drop of the gravy. Let him monopolize pastry or joint, he will still criticize the carving-that is all the satisfaction his ravenous greed brings him-; when the wine is in, singing and dancing are delights not fierce enough; he must brawl and rave. He has plenty to say in his cups-he is then at his best in that kind-upon temperance and decorum; he is full of these when his potatio

bles on the beach. What brought me was concern for you; I would not have you ruined by this same pestilent wealth, this temptation for plunderers; many is the man it has sunk in helpless misery. Take my advice, and fling it bodily into the sea; a good man, to whom the wealth of philosophy is revealed, has no need of the other. It does not matter about deep water, my good sir; wade in up to your waist when the tide is near flood, and let no one see you but me. Or if that is not satisfactory, here is another plan even better. Get it all o

f a mere scripful, pray take a whole headf

uality, legality! protec

an? is the measure short? here is a pi

; they shall howl soon. I had better get up on the rock; my poor tired spade wants a litt

row, Timon;

will be bloodless, howe

EUS ON

phaestus.

our companion. We have now to select a suitable crag, free from snow, on which

's assistance; nor at the top, where he would be invisible from the earth. What do you say to a m

othold but a mere ledge, with scarcely room for the tips of one's toes; altogether a swee

s! Hermes! I suffer injustice

a couple of us? Come, your right hand! clamp it down, Hephaestus, and in with the nails; bring down the hammer with a will. Now the left;

and Mother Earth! Behold th

, and put Zeus off with bones 'wrapped up in shining fat'; I remember the passage in Hesiod; those are his very words. Then you made these human beings; creatures of unparalleled wickedness, the women es

by the way, I should like, if you can spare the time, to answer to these charges, and satisfy you of the injustice of my sentence. You can employ your

er. We have to wait in any case till the eagle comes to look after that liver of yours; and the time

ive; leave no stone unturned to establish the righteousness o

party in this case. My furnace has bee

conduct the case of larceny, and Hermes can handle the man-making, and the mis

y line; my forge takes up most of my time. But Herme

; he ought to have a fellow-feeling for me there. However, with this further responsibility on your

created the race of men, with absolutely no justification for so doing; how you stole fire and conveyed it to these same men. You seem not to realize, my friend, that, all-things considered, Zeus has dealt very handsomely by you. Now, if you deny the charges, I shall be compelled to establish yo

behind in the dregs of the bowl. I have no patience with your long memories; this nursing of grievances, this raking up of last night's squabbles, is unworthy of a king, let alone a king of Gods. Once take away from our feasts the little elegancies of quip and crank and wile, and what is left? Muzziness; repletion; silence;-cheerful accompaniments these to the wine-bowl! For my part, I never supposed that Zeus would give the matter a thought the next morning; much less that he would make such a stir about it, and think himself so mightily injured; my little manoeuvre with the meat was merely a playful experiment, to see which he would choose. It might have been worse. Instead of giving him the inferior half, I might have defrauded him of the whole. And what if I had? Would that have been a case for putting heaven and earth in commotion, for deep de

antages and improvements which have resulted to them from the peopling of the earth. The question as to the harm done by my innovation is best answered by an appeal to the past, to those days when the race of heaven-born Gods stood alone, and earth was a hideous shapeless mass, a tangle of rude vegetation. The Gods had no altars then, nor temples (for who should raise them?), no images of wood or stone, such as now abound in every corner of the earth, and are honoured with all observance. It was to me that the idea occurred-a

er mingl

on! The Gods, it seems, are Gods no longer, now that there are mortal creatures on the earth. To judge at least by Zeus's indignation, one would suppose that the G

erts. But for the positive benefits I have conferred, use the evidence of your eyes. The earth, no longer barren and untilled, is decked with cities and farm

resence fills t

s their

they are at the service of every God of you. Nay more: temples of Zeus, and Apollo, and Hera, temples of Hermes, are everywhere to be se

r mankind, the glories of the universe must have been without a witness; and there was little satisfaction to be derived from a wealth which was doomed to excite no envy in others. We should have lacked a standard for comparison; and should n

rate, a shepherd ought to object to the possession of a flock, because he has to look after it. Besides, a certain show of occupation is rather gratifying than otherwise; the responsibility is not unwelcome,-it helps to pass the time. What should we do, if we had not mankind to think of? There would be nothing to live for; we should sit about d

I knew? Was I to make them brute beasts without understanding? Had they been other than they are, how should they have paid you due honour and sacrifice? When the hecatombs are getting ready, y

: you cannot bear that men should have a share of this necessary, though you have suffered no harm thereby. For shame! Gods should be beneficent, 'givers of good'; they should be above all envy. Had I taken away fire altogether, and left not a spark behind, it would have been no great loss. You have no use for it. You are never cold; you need no artificial light; nor is ambrosia improved by boiling. To man, on th

g clouds

not forbid the Sun to shine on mankind. He too is of fire, and fire of a purer and divi

my defence, it is for you two to refute me.

thin earshot, or you would have had a round dozen of hungry vultures to reckon with, for certain; in clearing your own charac

ow the day is not far off when one of your blood shall come from Thebes, and sh

to see you free again, and feasting in our

all be with you again. I have the where

d? Come, tell

the secret is best kept. Ran

re comes the eagle.-Bear a brave heart, Prometheus; and all speed to

ES OF T

theus

e, Zeus; I have

zen vultures, not just pecking at your liver, but scratching out your eyes. You made these abominable human creatures to vex us, you stole our fire,

to the Caucasus all these years, feeding your bird

t a tithe of

o release me for nothing. I offer

romethe

e Caucasus another time; and there are ch

the nature of your

t errand right, will that convi

course

und on a little

r. And the sequel

e as Nereus's daughter conceives by you, your

ose my kingdom,

I say only, that uni

! and for this Hephaes

s.

pose it was rather too bad of me; but t

? You bad old man! Just because you have no beard, and no

harm has the old man ever done yo

e you to thank for it. You never by any chance make the women in love with me; no one is ever smitten with my charms, that I have noticed. No, there must be magic in

are but mortals; the sight o

Branchus and Hyacin

f yours quiet, and leave the thunderbolt at home; make yourself as smart as you can; curl your hair and tie it up with a bit of ribbon, get a purple cloak

l win no hearts

don't fall in love. No

only I don't like all this fuss. Now mind; i

I

. He

know Inachus's b

o. Io, y

is not a girl n

work! how did

ht of a new punishment for the poor thing. She has put a cowherd in charge, who is al

, what am

the sea to Egypt, and convert her into Isis. She shall be henceforth an

a.

is your opinion o

t of man; and the best of company. Indeed, if he

thy! He is a vill

he been after? I mu

though I scarce know how

tell me all about it. I know what 'wretch' means, on

ld insist on having it, and would stop drinking to kiss it, and lift it up to his eyes; and then he would look at me again. And then of course I knew. For a long time I didn't like to say anything to you; I thought his mad fit wo

: we make too much of these mortals, admitting them to our table like this. When they drink of our nectar, and behold the beauties of Heaven (so different from those of Ear

u follow him whither he chooses, and assume every shape at his command; you are his chattel, his toy. I know how it

on is this. It would never do to punish him, or to exclude him from our table; that would n

What are you

as he lies awake (which of course he will do, being in love), let us take it and lay i

The presump

arm can it do to you, if Ixio

e cloud; he will be working his wick

cloud is not Hera, and Hera is not the c

l boast to every one of how he has enjoyed the embraces of Hera, the wife of Zeus! Why, he may tel

g round on a wheel for all eternity. That will keep him busy! And serve him right;

I

stus.

a pretty little thing, with a smile for everyb

? well, in mischief, Iap

harm can it do

as surprised to find his sword gone out of the scabba

as hardly found his legs yet;

ut, Hephaestus, if he g

He has

your tools saf

Of cou

se you to

where are

find them among

would swear he had practise

els somehow, and had him on his back in a twinkling; before the applause was over, he had taken the opportunity of a congratulatory hug from Aphrodite to steal h

s some spirit in h

some music, moreov

can you

yed a sweet tuneful thing that made an old harper like me quite envious. Even at night, Maia was saying, he does not stay in Heaven; he goes down poking his nose into Hades

gave him tha

way of paym

t go and get them; you may b

phaestu

for me, and here I am; with such an edge to

Hephaestus. Just split m

, perhaps?-Seriously, no

aste my resentment; it will not be the first time. Come, a good lusty strok

ay be serious: the axe is sharp, a

fear nothing. I kn

mater; in armour, too! You have been carrying a regular barracks on your shoulders all this time. So active too! See, she is dancing a war-dance, with shield and spear in full swing. She is like one inspired; a

to remain a maid for ever. Not tha

can leave the rest to me. I'

it so easy. But I am su

dite.

ia, you stop it to gaze at Endymion sleeping hunter-fashion in the op

hat son of yours; it is h

love with him too, and so robbed me of half my darling. I have told him many a time that if he would not behave himself I would break his artillery for him, and clip his wings; and before now I have smacked

st slipping from his grasp, the right arm bent upwards, making a bright frame to the face, and he breathing softly in helpless slumber. Then I come no

I

dite.

our own mother, you know you are safe there. But Rhea! how could you dare to set her on thinking of that young fellow in Phrygia, an old lady like her, the mother of so many Gods? Why, you have made her quite mad: she harnesses those lions of hers, and drives about all over Ida with the Corybantes, who are as mad as herself, shrieking high and low for Attis; and there they are, slashing their arms with swords, rushing about o

put my hand into their mouths, they only lick it, and let me take it out again. Besides, how is Rhea going to have time to attend to me? She is too busy with Attis. And I see no harm

the last word! But you wi

I

clefius.

ling; you might as well be men; such behaviour is ve

t fellow to have a p

se I am; I a

racked your skull, for your unholy doings, and now you ha

you seem to have forgotten that yo

iled, cleansing the earth, conquering monsters, and chastising men of violence. Whereas you are a root-grubbe

Lydia, masquerading in a purple shawl and being slippered by an Omphale, never killed my wife and children in a fit of the spleen. Her. If you don't stop being rude, I shall soon show you that immortality is not much good. I will take you up and pitch y

I

es.

so sad,

, Hermes

, are you still brooding

y beloved; the Laconia

nth? he is

De

Who could have the he

the work of

must have

d; it was

nd how did

ing to say to him)-Zephyr came blustering down from Taygetus, and dashed the quoit upon the child's head; blood flowed from the wound in streams, and in one moment all was over. My first thought was of revenge; I lodged an arrow in Zephyr, an

ou had set your heart upon a mortal

es.

ksmith like him should marry two such q

h his company; they see him running with sweat, bent over the forge,

r locks grow, and play your harp, and be proud of your looks; I am a healthy

o detested me that being turned to a tree was more attractive than I; and him I kil

, I and Aphrodite-b

d for. But perhaps you can tell me how it is that

en. Besides, Aphrodite cares most about Ares; he is her real

think Hepha

martial young fellow it is; so he holds his tongue. He talk

, I would not mind be

V

a.

, madam, on the children with

nnot all be the proud

-butchering strangers and eating them! Apollo, too, who pretends to be so clever, with his bow and his lyre and his medicine and his prophecies; those oracle-shops that he has opened at Delphi, and Clarus, and Dindyma, are a cheat; he takes good care to be on the safe side by giving ambiguous answers that no one can understand, and makes money out of it, for there are pl

how you hate the sight of them. You cannot bear to hear my girl co

as was shamefully used on that occasion; 'twas a judicial murder.-As for your charming daughter, when Actaeon once caught sight of her charms, she

and share his throne; you may insult whom you please. But there will be tears prese

V

a.

ing up his hair in a ribbon, indeed! and spending most of his time among mad women, himself as much a

ing captive after a brief resistance. And he never stopped dancing all the time, never relinquished the thyrsus and the ivy; always drunk (as you say) and always inspired! If any scoffer presumes to make light of his ceremonial, he does not go unpunished; he is bound with vine-twigs; or his own moth

r yourself how drunken men stagger about and misbehave themselves; one would think the liquor had made them mad

rink too much of it. Taken in moderation, it engenders cheerfulness and benevolence. Dionysus is not likely to treat any of his guests as Icarius was

I

dite.

Rhea, Apollo, nay, your own mother; how is it you make an exception for Athene? aga

a man, only worse. When I go against her with my arrow on the string, a

s was more terrible still; but

led out, 'I swear by my father, I will run you through with my spear, or take you by the foot and drop you into Tartarus, or tear you in pieces with my own hands'- and more such dreadfu

ay, though you do not mind Zeus's thunderbolt a bit. But why do you let the

are so grand, always studying and composing;

e they are grand. And why do y

h her; she is always over the hills and far away

here,

hem up, or else shoots them; she can think of nothing else. Her

ld, you have hit

X

GEMENT

Hera. Athene.

most beautiful. And the prize shall be this apple.'-Now, you three, there is no time to be lost: away with you to your judge. I will have nothing to do with the matter: I love you all exactly alike, and I only wish you could all three win. If I were to give the prize to one of you, the

e our judge; I should not be afraid to show myself. What f

,-though your admirer Ares should be appoi

will be coy; 'tis a delicate subject. But there, she nods consent. Now, off with you; and mind, the beaten o

don't be nervous. I know Paris well: he is a charming young man; a great galla

nothing better than a just judge.-Has

exactly

at do y

ort of girl-a native of those parts-but sadly countrified! I

st wanted

t is not fair. No whi

thing about you. She only asked

usiness is

he meant nothing by the ques

ll, and

. Wh

litary glory? has he ambitio

oung man, so it is to be presumed that distinct

ay nothing when you whisper with her. Aphr

ering a plain question.- Meanwhile, we have left the stars far behind us, and are almost over Phrygia. There

is he? I d

ra: not on the top, but down the side

I don't se

rocks,- where I am pointing, look-and the man running dow

him now; i

it is time to alight and walk. He might be frigh

on ahead, Aphrodite, and show us the way. You know the country, of

s are thrown aw

d him with his lovely burden. This is the very rock, if I remember; yes, Ganymede was piping to his sheep, when down swooped the eagle behind him, and tenderly, oh, so tenderly, caught him up in those talons, and with the turban in

ho come thus far afield? And these dames? They are

ous? Compose yourself; there is nothing the matter. Zeus appoints you the judge of their beauty. 'Because you are handsome, and wis

r beast; or I can judge betwixt heifer and heifer;-'tis my trade. But here, where all are beautiful alike, I know not how a man may leave looking at one, to look upon another. Where my eyes fall, there they fasten,-for there is beauty: I move them, and what do I find? more loveliness! I am fixed again,

he same time-Zeus's orders!

mes, that the losers must not be angry w

ite understood.

But first let me ask,-am I just to look at them as

tue of your office. You have only to gi

best? Then I w

s. Now, Mr. Umpire.-I

t myself to your inspection. You shall see that I have more to boa

te, will you

she will bewitch you. For that matter, she has no right to come thus tricked

t about the girdle

tead of trying to intimidate the judge with that waving plume. I suppose you are af

here is m

here is m

Now

n's true queen! And oh, how sweet, how enthralling is Aphrodite's smile! 'Tis too much, too much of happiness.-But perhaps it w

that wil

, you and Athene;

ext to consider, how you would like the present which I offer you. P

Withdraw. I shall judge as I

fairest, I will make you a great warrior and conqueror,

Phrygia, and my father's dominion is uncontested. But never mind; I am not going to take your present, bu

ve these rocks and crags, and live in a town; you will lose all your beauty in this desert. What have you to do with mountains? What satisfaction can your beauty give to a lot of cows? You ought to have been married long ago; not to any of these dowdy women hereabouts, but to some Greek girl; an Argive,

I should like to hea

, the beautiful woman, you know, whom

what is

y think, she is so much admired, that there was a war because Theseus ran away with her; and she was a mere child then. And when she grew up, the very

en she is mar

are a simpleton: I un

like to unders

hen you get to Sparta, Helen will see you; and for the rest-her

that she will forsake her husband to cro

il her in all his might, and compel her to love you: Desire will encompass you about, and make you desirable and

th Helen already. I see her before me-I sail for Greece I am in Sparta-I a

r award. The union must be graced with my victorious presence: your marriage-feast shall be my

er the award you wil

hall I

ut promise

hat she shall follow you, and make Troy her home; a

ove, and Desire,

and Passion an

he apple: i

X

. He

to pull me down; it would be waste labour; you would never move me. On the other hand, if I chose to haul up, I should have you all dangling in mid air, with earth and sea into the bargain and so on; you heard? W

is not safe to talk like that; we

when Posidon and Hera and Athene rebelled and made a plot for his capture and imprisonment, he was frightened out of his wits; well, there were only three of them, and if Thetis had not taken pity o

things are too risky for yo

X

es.

the most miserab

ay such thi

really is too bad, that when every one else is in bed, I should have to go off to Pluto with the Shades, and play the usher in Rhadamanthus's court. It is not enough that I must be busy all day in the wrestling-ground and the Assembly and the schools of rhetoric, the dead must have their share in me too. Leda's sons take turn and turn about betwixt Heaven and Hades-I have to be in both every day. And why should the sons of Alemena and Semele, paltry women, why

like a good boy. Run along now to Argos and Boeotia; don't l

X

. He

nd scorched it in one place, and in another killed everything with frost by withdrawing the heat too far; there is not a single thing he has not turned upsi

ngry with me; my boy pressed me so; how

ou that the horses are spirited, and want a tight hand! oh no! why, give them their heads a moment, and they are out of control; just what ha

old the reins, and keep the spirited beasts under control; and I told him how dangerous it was, if he did not keep the track. But, poor boy, when he found himself in charge of all that fire, and looking down into yawning space, he was frightened, and no wonder; and the ho

I will show you how much hotter the thunderbolt is than your fire. Let his sisters bury him by the Eridanus, where he was upset. They shall weep amber tears and be changed by

X

lo.

h of those two is Castor, and whic

or yesterday, an

tell? They ar

hat Amycus, the Bebrycian, gave him, when he was on that expedition with Jas

the star on top, each his javelin and his white horse. I am always calling Pollux Castor, and Castor Poll

one of the sons of Leda must die, and the other be immortal;

hat they wanted to do. Then again: all the other gods practise some useful profession, either here or on earth; for instance, I am a prophet, Asclepius is a doctor, you are

n, and ride the waves; and if they see a ship in

t humane

S OF THE

. Gal

ea, this Sicilian shepherd w

ic, Doris; he is Posi

reature, with only one eye (there is nothing uglier than to have

ugly in a man; and his eye looks very well in the middle

ures about him one would think it

where the long strip of beach comes between the mountain and the sea; he was feeding his sheep, and spied us from above; yes, but he never so much as glanced at the rest of you; I was

that because it reminded him of cheese and milk; he thinks everything pretty that is like them. If you want to know any more than that about your looks, s

sort; there is not a shepherd or a sailor or a boatman to

n the strings without any tuning-pegs! then came the performance, all harsh and out of tune; he shouted something himself, and the lyre played something else, and the love ditty sent us into fits of laughter. Why, Echo, chatterbox that she is, wo

r own; no doubt he is much handsom

ugh, he might be one of his own goats!-he eats raw meat, they say, and feeds on travel

ps. P

r has been doing to me! He made me drunk, and s

as dared

t: but when he had got safely out of

om Troy. But how did he come to do such a

y were trying to hide themselves. I saw they were robbers, so I caught a few of them, and ate them of course, and then that scoundrel of a Noman, or Odysseus, whichever it is, gave me something to drink, with a drug in it; it tasted and smelt very good, but it was villanously heady st

ld have jumped up in the middle of it. Well, and how did O

down in the doorway, and felt about for him with my hands. I just let

r the sheep? But you should have

an'; and then they thought I was mad, and went off home again. The villain! that name of his was just a trick! And

not be able to cure blindness, but he shall know that I

I

on. A

not put an end to your labours by dispersing; you hold together through the sea, keep your current fresh, and hurry along in all your origina

love affair; and many is the tim

n, nymph,

ng; she is

in? and where

nder-in Sicily. He

d bubbles up in perfect purity; the water as brigh

, Posidon, and no mistak

ve run smooth! But pray where did you m

are detaining me, with th

beloved, rise from the sea, mingl

aus.

pass the tree; and the lion is not wholly beyond the bounds of belief. But the idea of your being abl

let it; bec

hink there must be some deception; you play tricks with o

these things? If that is not enough for you, if you think it is a fraud, an optical illusion, I will turn into fire again, and you can touch me

t would

such a thing as a polypus, nor ob

their proceedings, I shall

himself to it, changing his colour to match that of the rock. By this means he hopes to escape the obs

But yours is quite an

ce would satisfy you, if you

an extraordinary business; fire a

pe.

yesterday at the Thessalian banquet,

me to keep the sea quiet for the occasion.

there was written on it, FOR THE FAIR. It rolled along as if it knew what it was about, till it came in front of Hera, Aphrodite, and Athene. Hermes picked it up and read out the inscription; of course we Nereids kept quiet; what should we do in such company? But they all made for it, each insis

d the Godde

o-day, I believe; we shall

he umpire is not a blind man, no one

Posidon.

rl coming to Lerna for water every day;

, a lady? or a m

asked about that and her family. Danaus understands discipline; he is bringing them up to

all that way by herse

w, is a thirsty place; she i

s most exciting. We

er time now; I reckon she wi

time getting it ready, and putting the horses to. Just

is a rac

Here we are at Lerna. I'll lie in ambush hereabout

ere sh

the dawn of loveliness.

You are a kidnapper. I know who sent you-

Amymone; it

villain! would you drag me into the sea?

you; it shall spring up in this very place, near the waves; I will strike the rock with my trident.

I

ind. We

eifer that Hermes is convoying across the

daughter of the river Inachus. Hera made her what she

ll in love, now

not to stir up the sea till she has swum across; she is to be

heife

e the patroness of sailors and our mistress, and

rd ourselves as he

s and landed. Do you see? she does not go on four legs now; Hermes

loven hoofs; instead, a lovely maid. But what is the matter

meddle; he knows hi

I

on. D

cliff, and you picked the boy up and conveyed him to the Isthmus, one of you swims from Methymna to Taenarum with this musician

d us doing a good turn to a man, Posi

y such a transformation scene; he might have been content with adding y

de no secret of the gold and silver he had with him; and when they were in mid Aegean, the sailors rose against him. As I was swimming alongside, I heard all that went on. 'Since your minds are made up,' says Arion, 'at least let me get my mantle on, and sing my own dirge; and then I will throw

a patron of the arts. This

hitrite and

llespont after her. And as for her body, you Nereids sh

which bears her name. We are so sorry for her;

hersonese. It will be no small consolation to her that Ino will have the same fate before long. She will be chased by Athamas from the top of Cithaeron down the r

a wicked crea

not want to dis

oor child fall off the ram; her

sitting on that queer mount, looking down on yawning space, terrified, overpowered by the he

other Nephele should

Fate is a great deal

. Po

rifting about under water; you are to bring it to the surface, Zeus says, and fix it well

e got it up, and anchored it,

lie in there; h

in Heaven? Or is Earth too

h not to give shelter to Leto in her travail. This islan

eceive my brother's twin children, fairest of the Gods.-Tritons, you will have to convey Leto across. Let all be calm.-As to that serpent who is frightening her out

nthus.

ee how horribly I have been t

is, Xanthus? wh

I am burned to cinder

e him use his

tches, I poured down to see if I could make a flood and frighten him off them. But Hephaestus happened to be about, and he must have collected every particle of fire he had in Etna or anywhere

for one, and the fire for the other, according to your story. Well, and serve you right

mpassion on the Phrygians

to take compassion on Achill

I

s. T

rying,

le baby with her; and he gave the chest to some sailors, and told them, as soon as they were f

why? What was it al

hat Zeus turned himself into gold, and came showering down through the roof, and she caught the gold in her lap,-and it was Zeus all the time. And then her father found

hat did sh

or the child's life, and cried, and held him up for his grandfather to see; and there was the sweet

e cry, too. And

carried them safely so

chest into those fishermen's nets, look; and then of

e shall not die; nor th

I

ianassa. Do

inst the daughter of Cepheus has got killed hi

just using his daughter as a bait, and had

y?-they were both thrown into the sea by the boy's grandf

pose he is a fine hands

e who killed

was not the way to

g had sent him on this expedition agains

lf? he must have had some one to help h

got to where the Gorgons were living, he caught them n

re a forbidden sight. Whoever looks at th

omeda, fettered to a jutting rock, her hair hanging loose about her shoulders; ye Gods, what loveliness was there exposed to view! And first pity of her hard fate prompted him to ask the cause of her doom: but Fate had decreed the maiden's deliverance, and presently Love stole upon him, and he resolved to save her. The hideous monster now drew near, and would have swallowed her: but the youth, hovering above, smote him with the drawn scimetar i

s no fault of hers, if her mother ha

her; and we should have had our re

an queen's tongue runs away with her? She is sufficiently puni

nd. Sou

s, since the day I first blew. You were not there,

g spectacle; such another cha

e the Indian coasts a little airing too.

know Agenor

s father?

that I am going

s has been in love with her this

love, then, and g

s. He gambolled on the shore with them, bellowing most musically, till Europa took heart of grace and mounted him. No sooner had she done it than, with her on his back, Zeus made off at a run for the

yr, in every sense-Zeus swimmi

t followed was

es, on their lips the nuptial song; up floated Nereids-few but were prodigal of naked charms-and clapped their hands, and kept pace on dolphin steeds; the Triton company, with every sea-creature that frights not the eye, tripped it around

d, the bull was no more; 'twas Zeus that took Europa's hand and led her to the D

ay and that, and rous

and I was looking at griffins,

ES OF T

nes.

uncertainty in it; the question will always intrude-who can be quite sure about the hereafter? Here, you can have your laugh out in security, like me; it is the best of sport to see millionaires, governors, despots, now mean and insignificant; you can only tell them by their lamentations, and the spiritless despondency which is the legacy of better days. Tell him this, and mention that he had better stuff his wallet with plenty of lupines, and any un-con

ogenes. But give me some

and ventilation, and is patched all colours of the rainbow; al

cannot mist

another message to th

I don't m

etaphysics, tricking each other with horn and crocodile puzzles [Footnote:

against their wisdom, they will

them from me to

well; re

ols, why hoard gold? why all these pains over interest sums and the adding of hundr

ll have their

rm them that auburn locks, eyes bright or black, rosy cheeks, are as little in fashion here as tense muscles o

andsome and strong; y

ss. Tell them to dry their tears and cease their cries; explain to them that here one man is as good as another, and they will find those wh

a alone; that is going too far; yo

if you care about it; but te

us, Midas, and Sard

ger in our neighbourhood; either you must transfer

does he do to you

nd luxury and treasure, but he must be laughing at us, and calling us rude names; 'slaves' and

s, what's t

ng lived the abominable lives they did, they keep on talking about it now they are

They have had terrible l

ng to lend your countenanc

: but I won't hav

misunderstanding; I am going on just the same. Wherever you a

resum

down before you, when you trampled on men's liberty, and forgot there was such

God! My tre

My

little c

whining, and I'll chime in with a string

I

mphilochus.

have been honoured with temples and taken for p

they are fools enough to hav

d not been charlatans in your lifetime, and pretended to

me, I am a Hero, and do give oracles to any one who comes down to me. It i

rawl through a narrow passage into a cave, before I could tell that you are a dead man, with nothing but kna

half God, a

) nor God, is both at once? Well, at pre

es oracles

me; the one thing I know for certain

es.

settling up accounts? It will pr

s save trouble to get

, to your order

is a lot

is what I had to pay. On

d four; put

a needle, for mendin

own w

; and cord for the brace

ere worth

I have forgotten anythin

ue presently, and then the passengers will come shoaling in

to do but sit down, and pray for the wo

very little business doing just no

state they used to come down in,-all blood and wounds generally. Nowadays, a man is poisoned by his slave or his wife; or gets dropsy from ove

ey is in gr

lame me if I am somew

o. H

Eucrates the millionaire-no childre

ives at Si

e; I should like it to be more still, if possible; and bring me down h

seem so strang

nable thing about it is that they vary these prayers with every public attention; when he is ill, every one knows what they are after, and yet they vow offer

fe too, on hope gruel; he always looks more dead than alive, but he is tougher than a

while they in the middle of their hopes find themselves here with their dre

ll fetch you them one after a

hange from an old man to a bloomin

ion.

ould die at the age of thirty, and that

urry for his neighbours to die; whereas you always had some

tting any enjoyment out of his money; he o

no longer derive pleasure from his money is to

air of slaves on each side to hold him up, drivelling and rheumy-eyed, having no joy of life, a living tomb, the derision of his juniors,-and young men are to die in the prime of their strength and beauty. 'Tis contrary to nature. At a

r prayers for the death of your aged friend, the greater is the general exultation when you precede him. It has become quite a profession lately, this amorous devotion to old men and women,-childless, of course; children destroy the illusion. By the way though, some of the beloved objects see through your dirty mot

cken barely out of the shell: I considered that he might step into his coffin at any moment, and heaped gift upon gift, for fear of being outdone in generosity by my rivals; I passed anxiou

r wealth,- and your joke at the youngsters' expense; man

uld be a satisfaction if Char

anthus,-every one of them will be here befor

it should be. Ho

I

tus. Cal

for me, I was free of Dinias's table, and there died of a

ement of surprise about my fate. I s

children, to whom you g

a juvenile to him; so I found a short cut to my property. I bought a potion, and agreed with the butler that next time his master called for

appened? this

t by some blunder he handed me the poisoned cup, and Ptoeodorus the plain; and behold, before he had done drinking, there was

humorous exit. And how

moment; then he saw, I suppose, and laug

n for other people, you see; the high road w

I

n. Da

verb fulfilled! The fa

s the matt

d. I have passed over all whom I should have liked t

ow was

and my attentions had been well received by him. I thought it would be a good idea to let

; and He

y,-the roof came down about my ears; and now Hermola

nto the bargain. The pit t

the truth of the m

s. Pol

Polystratus; you must be some

inety-

ou had of it, these thirty years?

hough you may find

uld have any joy of your life-ol

still plenty of handsome boys and dainty women; perfumes were sw

o be sure; you were ver

came in streams. From dawn my doors were thronged with visitors,

have seized the cr

y that I inspired a nu

what, you, an old man with ha

ch as you see me, old, bald, blear-eyed, rheumy, they delighted to

n he rowed Aphrodite across from Chios; your God granted

ou see me, and I was th

I give

ew the violent passion for old men who

beauty, old fellow; it was the

t of my lovers; they idolized me, almost. Often I would be coy a

u dispose of your

d treated me to more attentions than ever; meanwhile I had another genui

y this one? one of you

a handsome young Phryg

.

bout t

can guess

is time he has the best of society at his beck. So he inherited; and now he is one of the aristocracy; his smooth chin

of Greece, if he likes, so long as he kee

rmes. Vari

lurch, and she will capsize without more ado. And here are all you passengers, each with his luggage. If you co

are we to make

is, there will be no room to spare. And in future, Hermes, mind you admit no one till he has cleared himself of e

Well, Number O

and staff; overboard with them. I

l have the seat of honour, up by the pilot, where you

the irresistible, whose kiss

blushing cheeks, the skin entire. That's right. Now we're in better trim;-yo

mpichus, tyr

l this splendour do

u have a tyrant co

uch to expect. But with a shade we

then: away g

, and pride; we shall

et me keep my d

no; off t

is all, as you s

g more yet: cruelty, f

e then: I

d who may you be

asias th

is the time I have see

ell, I have peel

ce? Come, off with it; we should go to the bottom if you put o

t it this time; I am as lig

't have that funeral pomp here, nor those ancestral glories either; down with your rank and reputation, and any votes of t

ust, I must; ther

our? What does this mea

conqueror; a valiant war

hom have we here? whose is this knitted Drow, this flowing beard? 'Tis some reve

quack not the bargain. Have him out of that cloak;

tricate conceptions; humbug and gammon and wishy-washy hair-splittings without end; and hullo! why here's avarice, and self-indulgence, and impudence! luxury, effeminacy and peevishness

ign them all, since

y look what a ponderous bush of a thing!

the bear

who shal

off with the carpenter's axe; t

a saw, Hermes? It wo

chopped!-Why, you look more like a

tle off th

forehead, for reasons best known to himself.-Worm! what

the biggest thumper

What'

y is the good turn

behind you, and your plain-speaking, and your indifference, and you

ard; light and handy.-You rhetorician there, with your verbosities and your barba

Away t

all sail; and, pilot, look to your helm. Good luck to our voyage!-What are you all whin

had thought that t

t is not the caus

at is i

t with his cloak over his head, going the round of the brothels; never spend his mor

are you conte

of my own accord.-By the way, I surely heard a

nfant children fare no better,-the boys are giving them handsome pelting. Then again you hear the applause that greets the orator Diophantus, as he pronounces the funeral oration

ournful howl of dogs, and the beating of crows'

Away with you all to the judgement-seat; it is straight

ave got to face the judge, sooner or later; and by all accounts his sentences are no joke

s. Di

lling in money, with a cousin called Aristeas, nearly as rich. He

d the spectators are getting tired of it, the former proposes a change in tactics. "Let us hoist-try you with me or I with you." T

was the p

wn prior decease. So it stood in black and white, and they vied with each other in showing that deference which the relation demands. All the prophets, astrologers, and Chaldean dream-in

id it end? I am

o relations who had never had a presentiment of it. They had been crossing from Sicyon to Cir

a view to inheriting his staff-though it was an extremely serviceable one, which he had cut himself from a wild olive; and I do not

The real necessities you inherited from Antisthenes, and I from you; and in

ou allu

pendence, truth,

did inherit all this from Antisthenes

roperty; no one paid us the attentions of an expect

rse. Put wisdom, frankness, or truth into them, and it would have dropped out; the bottom of the bag would have let them through, like th

re; while they will arrive with no more than one p

I

Hannibal. M

m precedence of you.

Pardo

n let Min

are yo

he Carthaginian: I am Ale

guished pair! And what

l: and I maintain that neither Hannibal nor (I might almost add) any

ach have your say in

other, and was found worthy of the supreme command. I conquered the Celtiberians, subdued Western Gaul, crossed the Alps, overran the valley of the Po, sacked town after town, made myself master of the plains, approached the bulwarks of the capital, and in one day slew such a host, that their finger-rings were measured by bushels, and the rivers were bridged by their bodies. And this I d

his own table, or handing them over to the executioner. I in my command respected the freedom of my country, delayed not to obey her summons, when the enemy with their huge armament invaded Libya, laid aside the privileges of my office, and submitted to my sentence without a murmur. Yet I was a barbarian all unskilled in Greek culture; I could not recite Homer, nor had I enjoyed the advantages of Aristotle's instruction;

yan.-Well, Alexander,

ithin my reach, before I commenced my march for Issus, where Darius was waiting for me at the head of his myriads. You know the sequel: yourselves can best say what was the number of the dead whom on one day I dispatched hither. The ferryman tells me that his boat would not hold them; most of them had to come across on rafts of their own construction. In these enterprises, I was ever at the head of my troops, ever courted danger. To say nothing of Tyre and Arbela, I penetrated into India, and carried my empire to the shores of Ocean; I captured elephants; I conquered Porus; I crossed the Tanais, and worsted the Scythians-no mean enemies-in a tremendous cavalry engagement. I heaped benefits upon my friends: I made my enemies taste my resentment. If men took me for a god, I cannot blame them; the vastness of my undertakings m

, Minos, l

u, friend? and whe

, who destroyed Carthage, and gaine

nd what hav

, and driven him to ignominious flight. What impudence is this, to contend w

: Alexander comes first, and you next; and I think we mu

I

es. Al

xander, you dead l

there anything extraordi

e said you were his son; y

I had been Ammon's, I

visited her, and was seen in her bed; we were given to understand that that was

however, I know now that my mother's an

ough; your divinity brought a good many people to their

o leave any directions about it, beyond just givin

their elected patron, generalissimo against the barbarian; one of the twelve Gods according to some; tem

s is pledged, as soon as he can get a moment's respite from present distur

n awkward customer. But there is one thing I wish you would tell me: how do you like thinking over all the earthly bliss you left to come here -your guards and armour-bearers and lieutenant-governors, your heaps of gold and adoring peoples, Babylon and Bactria, your huge e

re; how he would toady and compliment me, to be sure! now it was my beauty-that too is included under The Good; now it was my deeds and my money; for money too he called a Good-he meant that he was not going to be a

Lethe-water-good, deep, repeated draughts; that will relieve your distress over the Aristotelian Goods. Quick; here are Clitus, Callisthenes,

I

p. Al

son this time, Alexander; you would

myntas, were my father. I only accepted the statemen

r yourself to be foo

ians. When they thought they had a God to deal with, they ga

Phocians, Athenians; Arcadian hoplites, Thessalian cavalry, javelin-men from Elis, peltasts of Mantinea; Thracians, Illyrians, Paeonians; to subdue these was something. But for gold-laced womanish Medes and Persians and

ot gained by dissension or treachery; I broke no oath, no promise, nor ever purchased victory at the expense of hon

your conquered Medes; abandoned the Macedonian cloak in favour of the candies, assumed the upright tiara, and exacted oriental prostrations from Macedonian freemen! This is delicious. As to your brilliant matches, and your beloved Hephaes

irit, father, when I was the first to leap down within

ing, could only excite the ridicule of the spectators: Ammon stood convicted of quackery, his oracle of falsehood, his priests of flattery. The son of Zeus in a swoon, requiring medical assistance! who could help laughing at the sight? And now that you have died, can you doubt that many a jest is being cracked on th

Heracles and Dionysus; and, for that matter, I took

You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Alexander; when will you learn

chus.

a servant on earth to some poor hind 'of scanty livelihood possessed,' than king of all the dead. Such sentiments might have been very well in the mouth of a poor-spirited cowardly Phrygian, dishonourably in love with

folk up there make what verses of it they will. 'Tis dead level among the dead, Antilochus; strength and beauty are no more; we welter all in the same gloom, one no better than another; th

how many of us are with you here; Odysseus comes ere long; how else? Is there not comfort in the common fate? 'tis something not to suffer alone.

the past life irks me-and each of you too, if I mistake not. An

speech is unavailing. Be silent, bear, endure-that is our

V

es. He

the giant frame; 'tis Heracles complete. Yet how should this be?-a son of Zeus, and mortal? I say, Mig

l. Heracles is with

e-ankled Hebe

his p

can one half of any one be a G

still lives. 'Tis I, h

off upon Pluto, instead of coming himself.

mewhat as th

that he let a counterfeit Heracles pass under

made very l

ll! Why, we may find it's the other way round, that you a

gibes; else thou shalt presently le

ubstance I adjure you-did you serve him in your present capacity in the upper world? Perhaps you were one individual during your lives, the se

shalt know.-All that was Amphitryon in Heracles, is dead; I am that

eracles the son of Zeus, and Heracles the son of Am

so. We twain we

leses packed into one. I suppose you must have been l

the soul? What then should hinder the soul from being in Heaven,

ll very well if you were a body; but you see you are a phantom

. T

hantom: and lastly the body, which by this time has returned to dust

quibbler! An

u, is not 'among th' immortal Gods,' but here among dead men; where he enjo

V

us. Ta

bout, Tantalus? standing at t

ippus, I thi

ough to bend down to it, or

. And if I do scoop it up and get it to my mouth, the outside of my lips is hardly

you have no body-the part of you that was liable to hunger and thirst is bu

punishment-soul thirs

hy do you mind it? are you afraid of dying, for want of drink? I do

this is part of the sentence: I must lo

; some neat hellebore is what you want; you are suffering from a con

ink hellebore as anythi

r do that; it is impossible, you see; just as well we have not all

V

pus.

auties, Hermes? Show me

right, and you will see Hyacinth, Narcissus, Nireus,

, and bare skulls; most

seem to think so lightly, have

en; I shall never be able

s skull

riors from every part of Greece; Greeks and b

saw the living Helen; or yo

suffer grievou

e for suc

d what can we call them but unlovely things? Yet in the hour

realize what it was for which they labo

hoose your spot, where you will, and

I

esilaus. Men

, what do you mean by assa

that I died, leaving my house h

us, for taking you all to Tr

true; he sh

off his host's wife with him. He deserves throttling, if you like, and not from you o

re, you-you Paris! you sha

not a lover too, and a subject of your deity? against love you know (with the best wi

. Oh, would that I had Love

t that for your death he refers to yourself, Protesilaus. You forgot all about your bride, fell in love with fame, an

he blame does not rest with me, but with Fat

hen why blame our

Aeacus. Va

Aeacus, show me all

e the principal things. Cerberus here you know already, and the ferryman

; and I have seen the King and the Furies. But show m

ear him, Idomeneus; next comes Odysseus; th

wn upon the earth, shapeless, undistinguishable; mere meaningless d

s; beyond him Sardanapalus, and beyond

er of Hellesponts, our designer of Athos-canals?-Croesus too! a sad spectacle

s skull, poor dea

t myself with spitting

like to see t

d like it o

t comes P

rbus, alias Apollo,

d-day,

o golden th

there is anything to ea

iend; you don

my quarters. I find that down here our paren

rest of the sages, seven in all, as you see. Me. The only resigned and cheerful countenances ye

He was half-roasted whe

pered friend, what induced

in a fit of

slippers and all; and serve you right. All that ingenuity was thr

talking nonsense with

ke to see him, if h

They are all bald; that is a di

snub-no

in: they are

u want me,

y man I am

goes it i

essing philosophy; and to judge from their dres

ve seen m

ippus arrive, reeking with scent; and Plato,

o they think ab

a most remarkable man, omniscient in fact. And all the

elf: but they would have

ho are yo

Phaedrus; the

your old trade; still

e better occupied?

quarters by Croesus and Sardanapalus. I exp

e one may escape. You shall see

detain you. I h

X

us. Ce

I adjure you by the Styx, tell me how Socrates behaved during the descent.

e fact too. Then he passed into the opening and saw the gloom; I at the same time gave him a touch of the hemlock, and a pull by t

theorists, was he? His

welcome the universal fate, by way of impressing the bystanders. All that sort are the same, I

you think of

so was Diogenes before you. You two came in without any compulsion or pushin

X

Menippus

fare, y

aron, if it gives

you across: gi

, if I have

poor that he has

e; I don't k

by Pluto, I'l

ack your skull

o come all that

pay for me: he

me I shall have of it, if

going to l

it, for all I care. If I have not go

w you ought

ot it. What would you have? I o

tinction of being the only pas

and I baled; and I didn't cry, which is m

nor there. I must have m

better take me b

ashing from Aeacus for

, don't

hat you have got

e some?-and a

ade on the crossing, too! laughing and jeering at all the re

assenger! Independence, every inch of h

till I ca

'll wait-till yo

X

s. Pluto.

and thou, daughter of Dem

you want?

of the Achaean host, the first that died at Troy.

ove that all these dead men l

mber that day I sailed away-ah me, to be slain by Hector as my foot touched land! My lord,

iss your dose

but this preva

ll come to you one day; it is so si

eferred; thou too, O Pluto, hast

u to come to life for a day

r to come with me, and

ot be; it ne

at ye gave Orpheus his Eurydice; and Heracles had inte

dmit you, when she cannot tell you from another man? I know well enough; she will

n as Protesilaus reaches the light, to touch him with his wand,

ake him up and turn him into a bridegroom.

X

es. Ma

rian? How are you bett

her, I was comely, and of noble stature, and a mighty warrior. Finally, a vast tomb lies over me in Halicarnassus, of such dimensions, of such exquisite beauty as no other shade can boa

beauty-heavy to

is as

d, and bare of flesh; our teeth are equally in evidence; each of us has lost his eyes, and each is snub-nosed. Then as to the tomb and the costly marbles, I dare say such a fine erection gives the Halicarnassians so

nothing? Mausolus and Dio

g. While Mausolus boasts of the tomb raised to him by Artemisia, his wife and sister, Diogenes knows not whether he has a tomb or no-the question never having occurred to him;

X

hersites.

ward the palm of beauty. Menippus

ou? I must know tha

us and T

hich? I cannot

gave you when he called you the handsomest of men; he might peak my head and thin my hai

I, the son of Ag

l that came 'ne

much like other people's; and the only difference between your two skulls is that yours

I was, when I saile

oking at what you are; what

handsomer h

ny one else either. Hades is a democra

lerable arrangement

X

pus.

ere a god, Chiron, and that

ed. I am dead, as you see, a

u, to be in love with Death? H

ll tell you. There was no further sa

easure merely to li

ays the same; sun, light, food, spring, summer, autumn, winter, one thing following another in unending sequence,-I

how have you got on since

as to whether one is in light or darkness, that makes no difference at all. T

u may be caught in the sn

should

he monotony here may do the same. You will have to look about for

t is to be do

I suppose, like a sensible fello

X

Antisthe

u to a stroll? we might go to the entrance and have a l

oring to be let go, some resisting; when Hermes collars them, they will

ile, let me give you my ex

s; I dare say you saw s

the Eleutherae district were all devastated by the wars, and yet he must take only two servants with him-with five bowls and four cups of solid gold in his baggage, too. Arsaces was an old man of rather imposing aspect; he expressed his feelings in true barbaric fashion, was exceedingly angry at being expected to walk, and kept calling for his horse. In point of fact it

t possibly be do

d finally ran Arsaces through groin and buttock. You see what happened; it was the horse's doing rather than the man's. However, Arsaces did not at all appreciate equality, and wanted to come down on horseback. As for Oroetes, he was so tender-footed that he could not stand, far less walk. Th

, ran on to the ferry, and secured a comfortable seat for the passage. Then as we cros

ed into the manner of their deaths, though I knew very well. When Damis exclaimed upon his son, 'You only have your deserts,' I remarked,-'an old man of ninety living in luxury yourself with your million of money, and fobbing off your eighteen-year son with a few pence! As for you, sir Acarnanian'-he was groaning and cursing Myrtium-, 'why put the blame on Love? it belongs to yourself; you were never afraid of an enemy

klings. Why, the hoary seniors are all lamentation too; strange! has madam Life given them a love-potion? I must interrogate this most reverend senior of them

r. No

vincial gov

No, no

y, and do not like leaving y

miserable livelihood out of my line and rod, was excessive

ou still wi

ght, and dread is death; wo

d wonder no more at youth, when age is still in love with life; one would have thought it should court death as the cure for its p

VI

us. Ti

lling Phineus from Lynceus nowadays. However, I know that you were a seer, and that you enjoy the unique distinction of having b

e mastery of men; and there is no fighting for them, no manning of wall

r hard lot-on the intolerable pangs they endure in travail? And by the way-Medea's w

mean by that que

should like to know, if

n: but I did not ha

t have had. That's a

Cert

vanished, and you developed a beard, and became

estion tend? One would t

y? Am I to take it in, like a nincompoop, with

when you hear of women being turned into birds or tree

about it. But to return, friend, to your own case: were you a prophet even

dispute among the Gods, and was blinded by Hera for my pa

ias. But there, 'tis your trade. Yo

X

mnon.

l, why put the blame on Odysseus? Why would you not vouchsafe him a look or a word, when he came to c

madness lies at the door of

nopposed, and carry it ove

undoubted superiors, refused to compete, recognizing my claim. It was the son of Laertes, he that I had rescued scores of

tead of delivering the inheritance to the next of kin, b

lt was in claiming

ing honour-that sweetest bait for which each one of us advent

of Achilles, in which Odysseus states that 'The judges were the sons of the Trojans, and Pallas Athene.']? I know, but about the Gods w

X

. Sos

he Chimera; and lay out the tyrant alongside of Tityus, there to have his liver torn by the vultures. And you hone

nos. See if there is not

e you not been convicted of v

onsider whether my

ould have your deserts? If

y questions; I will

rief; I have other c

ere they in my own choice,

reed, o

d for honest men or rogues, were the

rescribes the conduct o

he cannot resist, an executioner, for instance, at the bidding of a judge,

sk whether the sword is guilty, which is but the t

Again: a slave, sent by his master, brings me gold or silver; to wh

the bringer is b

idding, and reward these, who do but minister to another's beneficence. For it will

no common pirate, but a philosopher in your way; so much you have gained by your questions. Let him go, Hermes; he shall n

NI

ANTIC EX

us. Ph

, my hearth and home! How sweet

m. What has he been getting himself up like that for? sailor's cap, lyre, and lion-skin? However

e, and those dark gates Where Ha

s died, all on the quiet, and c

a living gue

d you to take this q

me on-too bold,

tell me in plain prose what this get-up means; what did you want with th

ealms I needs must go, To co

y string verses instead of talki

d Homer's company; I suppose I am full to the throat with verse, and the numbers com

tortion, perjury, forty

atest lower-world legislation; the recent decrees against

e lower world has been mak

blish them, nor reveal secrets; the result might b

ecrets between friends! you know I am no blab

ust venture it. It was resolved, then, that these rich who rol

ur object in going, who showed you the way, and the whole story of what you saw and heard down the

de the Gods in their descriptions, adulterous Gods, rapacious Gods, violent, litigious, usurping, incestuous Gods-, well, I found it all quite proper, and indeed was intensely interested in it. But as I came to man's estate, I observed that the laws flatly contradicted the poets, forbidding adultery

hing but seek pleasure and ensue it; according to him, Happiness was pleasure. Another recommended the exact contrary-toil and moil, bring the body under, be filthy and squalid, disgusting and abusive-concluding always with the tags from Hesiod about Virtue, or something about indefatigable pursuit of the ideal. Another bade me despise money, and reckon the acquisition of it as a thing indifferent; he too had his contrary, who declared wealth a good in itself. I will spare you their metaphysics; I was s

ached contempt of wealth would hold on to it like grim death, dispute about interest, teach for pay, and sacrifice everything to the main chance, while the deprecia

e Magi, Zoroaster's disciples and successors; I had been told that by incantations and other rites they could open the gates of Hades, take down any one they chose in safety, and bring him up again. I thought the best thing would be to secure the services of one of these, visit Tiresias the Boeotian, and learn from that wise seer what

be invoking spirits. This charm completed, he spat thrice upon my face, and I went home, not letting my eyes meet those of any one we passed. Our food was nuts and acorns, our drink milk and hydromel and water from the Choaspes, and we slept out of doors on the grass. When he thought me sufficiently prepa

ve me the cap, lion's skin, and lyre which you see, telling me if I wer

no reason either for the get

n alive to Hades before us, I might easily elude Aeacus's guard by borrowing their appearance, a

k; he had provided a boat, victims, hydromel, and all necess

rt, with wellin

pot; there we landed, Mithrobarzanes leading the way, and proceeded to dig a pit, slay our sheep, and sprinkle their blood round the edge. Meanwhile the Mage, wit

might, and dr

mes, outlandish, unintell

urst open by the incantation, the barking of Cerberus

dark abyss the

ched my lyre, and the first note sufficed to lull him. Reaching the lake, we nearly missed our passage for that time, the ferry-boat being already full; there was incessant lamentation, and all the passengers had wounds upon them; mangled leg

with the Poenae, Avengers, and Erinyes standing at the sides. From another direction was being brought a long row of persons chained together; I heard that they were adulterers, procurers, publicans, sycophants, informers, and all the filth that pollutes the stream of life. Separate from them came

tion that the sun projects certain

should

me to us our conduct on earth; their constant attendance and absolute

realize the mortality of themselves and their fortunes. Stripped of all that made them glorious, of wealth and birth and power, there they stood naked and downcast, reconstructing their worldly blessedness in their minds like a dream that is gone; the spectacle was meat and drink to me; any that I knew by sight I would come quietly up to, and remind him of his st

eeds, and damning evidence was produced by his shadow; he was on the point of being chained to the Chimera, when Aristippus of

rich and beggars, and all repenting their sins. A few of them, the lately dead, we recognized. These would turn away and shrink from observation; or if they met our eyes, it would be with a slavish cringing glance-how different from the arrogance and contempt that had marke

long last their embalming drugs. But to know one from another was no easy task; all are so like when the bones are bared; yet with pains and long scrutiny we could make them out. They lay pell-mell in undistinguished heaps, with none of their earthly beauties left. With all those anatomies piled togethe

rts and appear as slave and captive; Maeandrius, starting as slave, would take over Polycrates's despotism, and be allowed to keep his new clothes for a little while. And when the procession is done, every one disrobes, gives up his character with his body, and appears, as he originally was, just like his neighbour. Some, when Chance comes round collecting the properties, are silly enough to sulk and protest, as though they were being robbed of their own instead of only returning loans. You know the kind of thing on the stage-tragic actors shifting as the play requires

leaves monuments, statues, inscriptions behind him on eart

pon him. No, friend, when Aeacus gives a man his allowance of space-and it never exceeds a foot's breadth-, he must be content to pack himself into its limits. You might have laughed still more if you had beheld the kings and governors of earth begging in Hades, selling salt fish for a living, it might be, or

dinary almost incredible. But what of

ffy and swollen from the poison. Good Diogenes pitches close to Sardanapalus, Midas, and other specimens of magnificence. The sound of their lamentations and better-day memories keeps him in lau

that decree which you told me h

of general interest. So, when I saw every one flocking to it, I mingled with the shades and constituted myself a member. Various measures were decided upon, and last came this que

CR

earth to inhabit asses, until they have passed in that shape a quarter-million of years, generation after generation, bearing burdens under the tender mercies of the poor; after which they shall be permitted to die. Mover of this decree-Cranion son of Skeletion of the deme Necysia in

doctors differ; but I may not enlighten you; Rhadamanthus forbids.' 'Ah, say not so, father,' I exclaimed; 'speak out, and leave me not to wander through life in a blindness worse than yours.' So he drew me apart to a considerable distance, and whispered in my ear:-'The life of the ordinary man is the b

ught the lawn

was especially thick, he pointed to a dim and distant ray of light-a mere pencil admitted through a chink. 'There,' he said, 'is the shrine of Trophonius, from which the Boeotian inquirers start; go up t

AR

es.

ave your ferry to come up here? You ar

one of them has made the passage dry-eyed. So I got leave from Pluto to take a day off, like that Thessalian lad [Footnote: See Protesilaus in Notes.], you know; and her

any loitering on my part, and he may hand me over to you Powers of Darkness for good and all; or treat me as he did Hephaestus t

e deck, you great strong lubber, snoring away, or chatting the whole trip through with any communicative shade you can find; and the old man plies both oars at once. Come, stand by me, like a true son of Zeus as you are, and show me all the ins and outs, there's a dear lad. I w

as to going over everything thoroughly, it is out of the question; it would take us years. Meanwhile, I should have the hue-and-cry out after me, you would be neglecting your ghostly work, Pluto would lose the shades

for me. I know nothing of the m

be saved any further trouble; you would then have a good bird's-eye view of everything. But it would be sacrilege for one so c

know not what to make of it; you are for taking in sail, or slackening the sheet, or letting her go before the wind, and then I tell you not to trouble your hea

Parnassus higher? Olympus, perhaps, is higher than either of them. Olympus! stay, that remin

I'll bear a hand, to t

ations, and plant it on the top of Olympus, and then Pelion on the top of all; they thought that would serve as a ladder for getting into heaven. The two boys were rightly punished for their pres

two be able to li

; I should hope we are as

ver have thought we coul

lines, and the mountains are in place;-we have only to walk up. I wonder you make such a marvel of this. You know Atlas, of course? He holds up the entire h

But you and the poets be

wise men to lie?-Come, let us get to work on

a f

leafy

as yet. On the East, it is all I can do to make out Ionia and Lydia; on the West is nothing but Italy and Sicily; on the North, nothing to be seen bey

e width; or down we shall come, ladder and all, and pay our footing

ong. Now trundle Parnassus up. There; I'll go up ag

Hermes. This is an er

another. Here is my hand; hang on, and keep clear of the slippery bits. There, now you are up. Let

it, and mountains, and rivers bigger than Cocytus and Pyriphle

? Those a

been shifting about Parnassus (Castalia and all complete), and Oet

How

men that I am after; I want to see what they do, and hear what they say. That is what I was laughing about

what migh

with you.' And before the words were out of his mouth, down came a tile-started somehow from the roof-and he was a d

best; Homer has a charm for this too. Now, the moment I say the lines, th

Sa

e

re thine eyes

clearly know b

the eyes a

nt is information. I have some questions to ask. Will you have them couched in

now anything of Homer? A

ut Posidon, which boded no good to us mariners,-how Posidon gathered the clouds, and stirred the depths with his trident, as with a ladle, and roused the whirlwind, and a good deal more (enough to raise a storm of itself),-when suddenly there came a black s

o, stout and s

mankind by hea

just picked up a bull, and is carrying it along t

his fall from Death, that most invincible of antagonists, who will have him on his back before he knows what is happening. We shall hear a sad tale then, no doubt, of the crowns and the applau

think of death? H

ith him before long; he will come aboard with no stren

on haugh

to judge b

f the Medes. He has lately conquered Assyria, and reduced Babylon; and now it looks as if

ereabouts

ardis. And there, look, is Croesus himself, reclining on a golden couch, and

es, l

e, my heaps of bullion, and all my riches. Tell me t

ll Solon sa

n; he will not

m I know, the happiest, I think, were Cleobi

a waggon, and drew their mother to the temple, an

first on the list.

ho lived a righteous life,

re do I com

I must see you end your days first. Death is th

the proper place for the decision of these questions.-But who are these m

, to pay for an oracle, which oracle will presently b

w stuff, with just a tinge of red in it. I hav

uff there is so much tal

s about it, unless it is an adva

ts and robberies, the perjuries and murders; for this men will endur

ferent from copper. I know copper, of cours

ound only in small quantities, and the miners have to go to a considerable depth for

namoured of an object of this sallo

for it. See, he is making merry with Croesus and his outlandish

se bars be any use to

is nothing at Delphi

wanting to complete his ha

ndoub

n Heaven, if they have to send all t

ld to be had in such

any iron fo

Not

lacking in the mo

e? Iron more val

k you a few questions, and I

We

nd protege, which

rotector,

is some talk of it-shall you supply your men with gol

Oh,

st have, or your gold would

lasph

But it is clear, on your own admiss

me do? Recall the gold, an

into other hands than his. It will be snapped up by the Phocians, or the Boeotians, or the

aving a stab at my w

r! He will remember Solon presently, when the time comes for Cyrus to conduct him in chains to the pyre. I heard Clotho, the other day, reading over the various dooms. Among othe

.

d do you see his son, the boy there? That is Cambyses. He will succeed to his father's throne; and, af

elieve that before long one of them will be a captive, and the other have his head in a bottle of blood?-But who is that in the purple robe, Hermes

his lot: yet that slave who now stands at his side will betray him to the satrap Oroetes, and he will

they are men. And let them be exalted in the meantime; the higher they mount, the heavier will be the fall. I shall have a merry t

hem, Charon;-on their ships and on the field of battle; crowding t

of bee-hives. Every man keeps a sting for his neighbour's service; and a few, like wasps, make s

nd the Hope fly overhead. The Fear swoops on its prey from above; sometimes it is content with startling a man out of his wits, sometimes it frightens him in real earnest. The Hope hovers almost within reach, and just when a man thinks he is going to catch it, off it flies, and

d. They are mostly entangled, one with

That is what the entangling means. But you see what thin threads they all have to depend on. Now here is one drawn high up into the air; presently his thread will snap, when the weight b

absurd i

f sojourn on the earth they will wake from the dream of life, and leave all behind them,-they would live more sensibly, and not mind dying so much. As it is, they get it into their heads that what they possess they possess for good and all; the consequence is, that when Death's officer calls for them, and claps on a fever or a consumption, they take it amiss; the parting is so wholly unexpected. Yonder is a man building his house, urging the workmen to use all dispatch. How would he take the news, that he was just to see the roof on and all complete, when he would have to take his departure, and leave all the enjoyment to his heir

re; to say nothing of the tyranny of Sorrow, Disease, and Passion, with whom there is confessedly no respect of persons. And if the king's lot is a hard one, we may make a pretty shrewd guess at that of the commoner. Come now, I will give you a similitude for the life of man. Have you ever stood at the foot of a waterfall, and marked the bubbles rising to the surface and gathering into foam? Some are quite sma

ind to leaves. Your simi

cry out to them at the top of my voice, to abstain from their vain endeavours, and live with the prospect of Death before their eyes? 'Fools' (I might say), 'why so much in earnest? Rest from your toils. You will not live for ever. Nothing of the pomp of this world will endure; nor can any man

d men's ears up so effectually, that no drill would ever open them. How then should they hear you? You might shout till your lungs gave way. Ignorance is as potent here as

, we might ca

m the rest of mankind, and scoff at all that goes on; nothing is as they would have it. Nay, they are evid

boys! There are not many

serve. And now

Show me the receptacles into which they put the c

l, do you see those mounds, and columns, and pyramids, outside

of the mounds they have piled up faggots, and dug trenches. Look: there is a splendid banquet laid out, and t

ay. But the idea is, that the shades come up, and get as close as they can, a

they are safely underground! That would be too much of a good thing! You would have your work cut out for you and no mistake, if you had not only to bring them down, but a

unburied, bot

e the beggar

by fair-haire

ered roam the

ugh the field

ust show you Achilles's tomb. There it is on the Trojan shore, at

about in Hades; Nineveh, Babylon, Mycenae, Cleonae, and Troy itself. I shipped numbers across

l. Before long it will be as hard to find as Nineveh. As to Mycenae and Cleonae, I am ashamed to show them to you, let alone Troy. You will throttle Homer, for certain, when you get back, for puffing them

d streets,' and your 'strong-walled Cleonae'!-By the way, what is that

The general who lies there half-dead, writing an insc

were they f

d of battle, neit

ponnesus, he will get but a bare foot of ground from Aeacus! As to yonder plain, one natio

again. After which, I must be off on my errand, and you back to your ferr

etuated in my records. Thanks to you, my outing has been a succ

ACRI

their neglect? Thus the afflictions of the Calydonians, that long tale of misery and violence, ending with the death of Meleager-all is attributed to the resentment of Artemis, at Oeneus's neglect in not inviting her to a feast. She must have taken the disappointment very much to heart. I fancy I see her, poor Goddess, left all alone in Heaven, after the rest have set out for Calydon, brooding darkly over the fine spread at which she will not be present. Those Ethiopians, too; privileged, thrice-happy mortals! Zeus, one supposes, is not unmindful of the handsome

itude is one of remonstrance, almost, 'Good Apollo,' he cries, 'here have I been garlanding your temple, where never garland hung before, and burning unlimited thigh- pieces of bulls and goats upon your altars: yet when I suffer wrong,

r debtor for no less a sum than five-and-twenty shillings Trojan, and odd pence. These, and yet holier mysteries than these, are the high themes of our poets. They tell of Hephaestus and of Prometheus; of Cronus and Rhea, and well-nigh all the family of Zeus. And as they never commence their poems without bespeaking the assistance of the Muses, we must conclude that it is under that divine inspiration that they sing, how Cronus unmanned his father Uranus, and was king in his room; and how, like Argive Thyestes, he swallowed his own children; and how thereafter Rhea saved Zeus by the fraud of the stone, and the child was exposed in Crete, and suckled by a goat, as Telephus was by a hind, and Cyrus t

when he was flung from the battlements. But Hephaestus is nothing to Prometheus. Who knows not the sorrows of that officious philanthropist? How he too fell a victim to the wrath of Zeus, and was carried into Scythia, and nailed up on Caucasus, with an eagle to keep him company and make daily havoc of his liver? However, there was a reckoning settled, at any rate. But Rhea, now! We cannot, I think, pass over her co

d take a peep up. You are now actually in Heaven. Observe the increase of light; here is a purer Sun, and brighter stars; daylight is everywhere, and the floor is of gold. We arrive first at the abode of the Seasons; they are the fortresses of Heaven. Then we

the thro

adapt our languag

ll th

arch every corner of the earth; is there nowhere

ying cloud

If they are dining at home, nectar and ambrosia is the bill of fare. In ancient days, mortals have eaten and drunk at their table. Such were Ixion and Tanta

as any native of that island will show you. It was a mistake of ours to suppose that Zeus was dispensing the thunder and the rain and the rest of it;-he has been lying snugly underground in Crete all this time. As it would never have done to leave the Gods without a hearth and home, temples were now erected, and the services of Phidias, Polyclitus, and Praxiteles were called in to create images in their likeness. Chance glimpses of their originals (but where obtained I know not) enabled these artists to do justice to the bear

is only frankincense or a honey cake; nay, a poor man may conciliate the God by merely kissing his hand. But it is with the priests that we are concerned. They first make sure that the victim is without blemish, and worthy of the sacrificial knife; then th

d heart, sprinkling the altar with blood,-in short, omitting no detail of his holy office. Finally, he kindles fire, and sets the victim bodily thereon, sheep or goat, unfleeced, unflayed. A godly steam, and

their glory, fit denizens of Heaven, you must go to Egypt. There you will find that Zeus has sprouted ram's horns, ou

know the truth

umentary evidence, dating from thousands of years back, stored up in their temples. Their sacrifices differ from others only in this respect, that they go into mourning for the victim, slaying him first, and beating their breasts for grief afterwards, and (in some parts) burying him as soon as he is killed. When their great god Apis dies, off comes every

e thrown away; a Heraclitus would best meet the case, or a Democritus; fo

OF

ious founders or principal exponents, is but loosely kept up. Not only do most of the creeds bear the names of

. Several De

rub up first, though; we must have them looking their best, to attract bidders. Hermes, you can declare the sale-room open, and a welcome to a

ming in. No time to lose; we

ll, let

re we to pu

ith the long hair. He see

thagoreanism, an

Go a

this handsome article? What gentleman says Superhumanity?

looks all right.

geometry, astronomy, jugglery

I ask him s

away, and

here do yo

Sa

did you get y

he sophist

uy you, what wi

g. I will

D. Rem

l have to cleanse yo

cleansing process complete.

rse of silent contemplation. Not a

s's son! But I have a tongue in my head; I have no amb

study music

ecipe! The way to be

u will lear

can do th

t me h

ne, two, t

you call it) is ten. Four the perfect

nt Four!-higher and holier myst

Air, Fire, and Water; their acti

Fire and Air a

shape and form You will also find that G

You sur

o learn that you yourself are

me one else, not the I

inhabited another body, and borne another name.

and take one shape after another? But e

I eat none. All els

y no beans? Do

pect; take a green one and peel it, and you will see what I mean. Again, boil one and expose it to moonli

what you are like. Bless me, here is a creed with a golden thigh! He is no

orty p

is mine for

gentleman's n

um, or one of the Greek towns in those parts. But he is not th

lcome to him. Now

rubby Pontian? [Footnote

es, he

along, walk round the room. Lot No. 2. A most s

uctioneer, are you goi

at was

e you up for kidnapping. This m

n be sold as not. He fee

dirty fellow? He is a pitiable sight. One mi

d your house, and you will find him better th

s he come from? and

est tell you

I go near him, or take a snap at me, for all I know. See how

afraid. He i

good fellow, wher

. Second D. Wha

hat I am a citi

. And yo

Her

o lion's-skin? You h

n a state of warfare, and my enemy is Pleasure; but unli

t do I understand to be your stron

he treatment of the passions. In short

and if I buy you, how s

elly as best you can. Have you money? Take my advice and throw it into the sea. With wife and children and country you will not concern yourself; there will be no more of that nonsense. You will exchange your present home for a sepulchre, a ru

se, a lobster, that I should

our cue from Hippoly

d D.

l admire your spirit. You will talk the Cynic jargon with the true Cynic snarl, scowling as you walk, and walking as one should who scowls; an epitome of brutality. Away with modesty, good-nature, and forbearance. Wipe the blush from your cheek for ever. Your hunting-ground will be the crowded city. You will live alone in its midst, hold

le creed! Monstr

n. I offer you a short cut to Glory. You may be the merest clown-cobbler, fishmonger, carpenter, money-changer; yet there is

a sailor or a gardener of you at a pinch; that is, if yo

d good riddance to the brawling foul-mout

yrenaic, the crowne

calls for a long purse. Look at him. A sweet thing in creeds. A cree

t you know. If you are a prac

ons, sir. He is drunk, and cannot answer

e? How he smells of scent! And how he slips and staggers about! Wel

gastronomy, and a connoisseur in voluptuousness generally. He was educated at Athens, and has served royalty in Sicily [Footnote: See Aristippus in Notes.], where

thier purchasers. My purse is n

t seems likely to

take the pair from Abdera and Ephesus; the cree

4. A superlative pair. The smartes

m does nothing but laugh, and the other might be at a

and your affairs ar

laugh at us? Our

seriously. All is vanity. Mere inte

hat laughing, you rascal.-And you, my poor fellow, wha

he present, I think not of it; but the future!- the future is all bitterness. Conflagration and destruction of the world. I weep to think that nothing abi

And what

plays at draughts a

D. An

Are mort

D. An

Immort

llow? Nuts to crack? You are

affairs do no

be fool enough to bi

hat bids and him that bids n

elancholy mad before long. Neither

No on

Next

nian there? O

By all

good sensible creed t

e see. What ar

ach the a

in for me! I want a tut

ach is of, the spirit, not of the flesh. Under

of love, and never meddle with anything but the spir

and Plane-tree

es! What strang

ubis made much of in Egypt? Is there not a Dog-s

mistake. Now what is

ilding; I make my own laws, and ha

d like to hear som

ll. No woman shall be restricted to one hu

the laws of adultery

y were! and a world of

do you do with t

e reward of merit, of no

ity!-And now, what are the ma

see, the earth and all that is upon it, the sea, the

And where

hey anywhere, they w

o signs of these

nd. I see the counterparts of all things; an invisi

ynx-eyed creed is worth a bid. Let

ive hu

u. Only I must settle

What

Dion; of

nism? He is a disciple of the laughing creed and the drunken creed, whom we were offering ju

D. Wha

ight p

the way, you might let me

ng with honey in it. Dried

ht. We will get in a sup

; the creed of the sorrowful coun

e look-out for him. Virtue incarnate! The very qui

w are we to u

auty, monopoly of courage, monopoly of justice. Sole

ole cook, sole tanner, sol

Presu

low, and tell me all about yourself. I dare say

e beyond our control. And what is

n't see how you

rn that of indifferentia some ar

Still I don

nsio visi. The earnest student of logic knows this and more than this. He understands

what is a predicate? what is a contingent? There

ccidentally against a stone, and gets a cut. Now the man is subject

ubtle! What else

ering, crippling, and muzzling of my antagonists. Thi

ism! I warrant hi

a case. You

ell, and wha

r, and promises to restore him to you, if you will first guess correc

ay I should get him back soonest. In Heaven's name, a

ll teach you far ot

D. For i

e 'Rightful Owner.' Better still, there i

was he? and w

knew that Orestes was her brother: yet when he stood before her she did not know (until he revealed himself) that her brot

th D.

sent to you a man in a ho

D. Of co

r father. You don't know the Man in the Hoo

get at the facts. Now tell me, what is the end of your p

is much previous toil to be undergone. You will first sharpen your eyes on minute manuscripts, amass commentaries, and g

o think when I find that you are also the creed of cent-per-cent, the creed

ch as the other is the prerogative of the true believer; who, not content, like common men, with simple interest, will also take interest upon interest. For interest, as you are probably aware, is of two kinds. There is

you take from your youthful pupils? None b

se I want it. The world is made up of diffusion and accumulation. I

way. The pupil ought to accumulate, and

me? Beware of the shaft

What harm c

and turns the brain. Nay, I have but to

e! You are no P

here. A sto

th D.

and an anim

th D.

d you are

D. I sup

you are a body. T

's name! Unstone me, and le

Back with you into flesh!

nth

s a ston

nth

w, you ar

th D.

d an anim

th D.

g animate, you c

ing to feel my limbs growing numb and solidifying

ifty p

D. Her

you sole

l these gentlemen he

ot of fellows, and will

e time. Next lot

emen, if you want Wisdom for your money, h

. What i

d, easy to get on with; and his s

. How ca

inside. So remember, if you buy him, one of h

hat has he to s

are three kinds of good: spiri

ething a man can unde

ighty

hty pounds is

. Snap him up before it is too late. Why, from him you will find out in no time how long a gnat li

acles! Nothin

neration and birth and the development of the embryo; and his distinction between man, the laughi

as useful as it is ornamenta

He is

at have

put up. Quick's the word. The attendance is dwindling

me first, though,

Noth

But how

not appear to m

re not we

do I k

And you

I am still m

n a fix! And what have y

solutely equal-not a feather-weight to choose between them; then, and not till then

except catch

And why

end, everything

umpish fellow you seem to be. And

ce. Deafnes

sight and hea

perception, and all, in short, t

orth money!-What s

Four

is. Well, fellow;

doub

t it not! You are

cult case.... I r

e along with me,

o know whether wha

tioneer. Ask my mone

But can we be su

readmill. That will convince you wi

rve your

oo late. I

we hope to see you here again to-morrow, when we shall be offe

FI

RRECTI

s. Socrates, Empedocl

ther Philosophers. Pla

Epicureans. Academic

Syllogism. Exposure.

him with pots; let the culprit feel your sticks; leave him no way out. At him,

cour wallet, s

this war; not one of u

ver is the time for tha

him reap the fruits

, tired already? 'ti

that erstwhil

ittle more about the characters you have assailed. Now, what shall we do with him? it must be rather

. Impale h

Yes, but scou

. Tear out

t first out with th

say you, E

crater; that will teach

or him, Orpheus o

hed all to piec

ave taken a pie

me; I appeal to the

hole is left you now.

lions, covena

y boon. You will perhaps pay reverence to h

churl is he;

ld, whereof wise

play at that game

ble not of g

om these our hand

hed, with Homer! Let me fly to Euri

e; the suppliant'

happen to be

il treated

slay me now for

ur author has somethi

idle

olly'

Fate'

ible, do at least tell me who you are, and what harm I have done you; it mu

ected us to the indignity of a public auction, and put up wise men-ay, and free men, which is more- for sale. We have reason to be angry; we have got a short leave of absence fro

, and you will never put me to death. You can throw away those stone

g. This day thou di

es shalt don,

dation a kindred spirit, a well-wisher, a man after your own heart, a promoter, if I may be bold to say it, of your pursuits. See to it tha

are under the delusion that you are really talking to slaves; after the

ey know the flowers, whence and whose the honey was, and the manner of my gathering; their surface feeling is for my selective art, but deeper down it is for you and your meadow, where you put forth such bright blooms and myriad dyes, if one knows but how to sort and mix and match, that one be no

nly emphasized by this adding of insult to injury; you confess that your arrows are from our quiver, and you use them against us; your one aim is to ab

ciple of your establishing-that the law of the stronger was not the law of the State, and that differences should be settled in court after due hearing of both sides? Appoint a judge, then; be you my accusers, by your own mouths or by your chosen representative; and let me defend my own case; then i

et off. I hear you are a lawyer, an advocate, an old hand at a speech. Have you an

icious, dubious character likely to sell a verdict. What say you t

prosecute, if

the least afraid; so much stronger is

you think? perhaps the I man's a

ht. We shall give occasion to the enemy to blaspheme if we stone a man without a hearing, professed lovers of justice as we are. We shall have to keep quiet about Anytus and Meletus, my accusers, and the jury

long time wandering about in search of her house, wishing to make her acquaintance. Several times I met some long-bearded people in threadbare cloaks who professed to be fresh from her presence; I took their word for it, and asked

unadorned; I could see at once that the apparent neglige of her hair was studied for effect, and the folds of her dress not so careless as they looked. One could tell that nature was a scheme of decoration with her, and artlessness an artistic device. The white lead and the rouge did not absolutely defy detection, and her talk betrayed her real vocation; she liked her lovers to appreciate her beauty, had

n the Ceramicus. I should think it is near her hour for coming back from the Academy, and taking her walk in the Poecile; she is very regula

ar as looks and walk and clothes go. Yet among t

on as she opens her

-a living dictionary of my teachings? Alive again? how is this? have things been going wrong dow

your most sacred self, and all of us who have been

or go and remonstrate? Or did I let her enjoy her holidays in the harmless old-fashioned way? I know very well that a jest spoils no real beauty, but rather improves it

him to give him his deserts. Rumours had reached us o

im without a trial or a hearing? I

l to you. If you will accept the

r, what is

you can find the truth. It cost me much

ng out Philosophy the meanest of things, when before that great audie

elf he then reviled, but some impostor

n come to light, if yo

better, to the Acropolis, where the

in the Poecile meanwhi

given j

phy? methinks their appear

is Temperance, and Justice by her side. In front is Culture; an

ot see whi

ked and unadorned, shrinking from obser

ou? there would be a fullness and completeness about that com

ou will not mind sitting through a single ca

it is superfluous for me to hea

presence will be useful to us;

ng my two favour

as many more

rer of ours is in trouble without any real reason; we shall be a

dinary ruffians; they are people who make a fine show and are hard to expose

deed; and you had better

u, as you are such im

losophy, he is employ

us and Aristotle afraid of her lyi

e is a sad plausible rog

ll be done, with madam Justice

er, yo

of Elanxicles. [Footnote: i e Free-spea

And your

rians by blood as myself; but character and culture do not vary as a man comes from Soli or Cyprus, Babylon or Stagira. How

the question w

rofession? that at

, lying, and pride; the whole loathsome tribe of

ou must have your hands

ncludes love of truth and beauty and simplicity and all that is akin to love. But the subjects for this branch of the profession are sadly few; those of the other, fo

ples, you know. Do not separate your two br

ophy. My way is just to hate a vil

e will hold the trial in the forecourt of Athene Polias.

em. Their deeds too are revealed to thee alone, in virtue of thy charge. Thou hast now thine hour of ven

the best accuser you may, make your charge, and bring your proofs. Were all to spe

are gathered in you. Take the spokesman's office and say what is fitting on our behalf. Call to memory and roll in one all that ever you said against Gorgias, Polus, Hippias, Prodicus; you have now to do with a worse

, or yourself, Chrysippus. It is no time now for beauty or literary skill; cont

eches here. Moreover, I was the worst treated

not go into that; never mind now which of us is right, but keep your indignation for Philosophy's wrongs and the names he has called her. Leave alone the principles we diffe

ed by his words-she was ever gentle and forgiving-she may be minded to acquit him; bu

ns; 'tis better so. But no delay now; your time-al

e their seats and vote with you,

no fears of the

wish to increase my m

pirit. Gentlemen, take y

himself of all the verbal skill and proficiency so acquired for a campaign of abuse against us. We are impostors and deceivers; his audiences must ridicule and scorn us for nobodies. Did I say 'nobodies'? he has made us an abomination, rather, in the eyes of the vulgar, and yourself with us, Philosophy. Your teachings are balderdash and rubbish; the noblest of your precepts to us he parodies, winning for himself applause and approval, and for us humiliation. F

n short all of us; he cannot plead holiday time, nor yet any private grievance; he might perhaps be forgiven if he had done it in self-defence; but it was he that opened hostilities. Worst of all, Philosophy, he shelters himself

Philosophy. Tame submission to insult would naturally enough be taken, not for moderation, but for insensibility and want of spirit. Who could be expected to put up with his last performance? He brought us to market like a gang of slaves, and handed us over to the auctioneer. Some,

r! well spoken, Dioge

fence. Parrhesiades, it is now your t

ized by myself, I propose now to quote; this will be the best way to show you who were the persons that I sold by auction and inveighed against as pretenders and impostors; please to concentrate your vigilance on the truth or falsehood of my descriptions. If what I say is injurious or severe, your censure will be more fairly directed at the perpetrators than at the discoverer of such iniquiti

help to those that would reach it, commending all that was fairest and best; fairest and best-but a man must keep straight on for it and never slip, must set his eyes

ir looks, read your lessons backwards, and degraded their profession. Then I was wroth; methought it was as though some soft womanish actor on the tragic stage should give us Achilles or Theseus or Heracles himself; he cannot stride nor speak out as a Hero should, but m

ing bray; however, a stranger who had often seen both brought the truth to light with a stick. But what most distressed me, Philosophy, was this: when one of these people was detected in rascality, impropriety, or immorality, every one put it down to philosophy, and to the particular philosopher whose name the del

e him, the transgression will be mine? There is something wrong there; why, at the Games, if an actor who has to present Athene or Posidon or Zeus plays his part badly, derogating from the divine dignity, the stewards have him whipped; well, the Gods are not angry with them for

ciating with its owners only on equal terms-how fair and wise and laudable they all are! But they take pay for imparting them, they are abashed in presence of the rich, their lips water at sight of coin; they are dogs for temper, hares for cowardice, apes for imitativeness, asses for lust, cats for thievery, cocks for jealousy. They are a perfect laughing-stock with their strivings after vile ends, their jos

rs for a little something more. When they want to get something, we hear a great deal, to be sure, about community of goods-how wealth is a thing indifferent-and what is gold and silver?-neither more nor less worth than pebbles on the beach. But when an old comrade and tried friend needs help and comes to them with his mod

spring to bite each other and snarl at the one which has pounced successfully. There is a story of an Egyptian king who taught some apes the sword-dance; the imitative creatures very soon picked it up, and used to perform in purple robes and masks; for some time the show was a great success, till at las

say? what is there in your lives that lends itself to such treatment? but those pretenders deserve my detestation, as they have that of heaven. Why, tell me, all of you, what have such creatures to do with you? Is there a trace in their lives of kindred and affinity? Does oil mix with water? If they grow their beards and call themsel

rther distance. Well, and our verdic

I could identify every offender, and I was fitting caps all the time-this is so-and-so, that is the other man, all over.

I could not hel

at say you

tor. Our case is just that of the Trojans, who entertained the tragic actor only to find him reciting

y need of praise; I withdraw my cha

siades; you are unanimously acquit

I must find more tragic words to

rious

's path

ew with garl

have in the other people and try them for their in

my boy, put your head out over th

the Acropolis to make their defence b

ons for keeping clear of Justice. And a good many of them are too busy with their

hem yourself, Parrhesi

h a sesame cake, to each. A long beard shall qualify for a square of compressed figs, in addition. Every applicant to have with him, of temperance, justice, and self-control, any t

lents in the

rangles best am

sclepius, a bigger crowd still over the Areopagus. Why, positively there are a few at the tomb of Talos; and see those putting ladders against the te

ck as leaves and

pany which came up at the first proclamation is swamped beyond recovery, swallowed up in these later crowds; it is hopeless to find them, because of the external resemblance

e before long; at prese

Platonis

agoreans first; ou

sh! the Porch

a question of money; P

squares; as to the money, Epicureans

none can touch the Academy at a w

Not if w

rs; that done, those whose lives are found to be in accord with our pleasure will be made happy by our award; but the impostors who are not truly of our kin we shall crush as they deserve, that they may no more make vain cl

wallet which yonder fl

ontains-beans? a boo

re is gold; some sc

essaries for the philosophic life, such his title to

enabled to discriminate between the genuine and the other sort. Find the solution, Truth; for indeed it concerns you

ll who profess philosophy; any genuine scion that he finds let him crown with olive and entertain in the Banqueting Hall; and for the rascals-ah, how many!-who are only costume philosophers, let him p

o satisfy us that they can look at light, of course; but put gold, fame, and pleasure before their eyes; when you see one remain unconscious and unattracted, there is your

a large majority ornamented with fox or ape, and very few with olive.

mean? bring them bac

the line I see there and the Piraean fisher

e them; and the rod to

, please, a few dried fi

tess.

at is all

the figs and gold, and is sitting on

iades? do you think you are going t

sidon, the fisherman's friend, and you,

no, it is not;

near the hook, open-mouthed too. He scents the go

, what teeth! Aha, my brave fish, caught snapping up trifles in the rocks, where you thought you could lurk unobserved? But now you shall hang by the gills

gorge; we want the

, do you know who it is? has th

othing

him at? threepence was th

se worthless brute. Drop him head first over the rock, and catch

e quite light-about t

t and about the wit.

ate, thin as one of his own fillets; he gapes for

What

teship would

after the go

to? what shall

him from th

Try

inbow, with gold bars across the back. Do you see, Exposure? this is the sham Aristotle. There he is;

apply to me; I

l, Aristotle;

scales, as tempting to handle as a hedgehog. We want a net for these; but we have not got one. W

he line before you let it down; else he will

bling at the figs, and others with their teeth well in the gold. That is right; one soundly hooked. Now let me see, what

Chry

must he? Chrysippus, tell me seriously, do you know

ill that you should suggest any conn

ead first like the others; if one tried to eat

you have the priestess to pay. Let us go for our usual stroll; and for all you it is time to be getting back to your place,

Come, Exposure, to our commission. Where shall we

l begin with

l enough that wherever we go there will be fe

O THE LO

. Shades. Rhadamanthus

see; and we might have made the trip three times over by this. Evening is coming on now; and never a penny taken all day! I know how it will be: Pluto will think I have been wanting to my work. It is not I that am to blame, but our fine gentleman of a supercargo. He is just like any mortal: he has taken a drink of their Lethe up th

may have had some particular occasion for his services

ll is mist and gloom and darkness, and nothing to be had but asphodel and libations and sacrificial cakes and meats. Yonder in Heaven, all's bright, with plenty of ambrosia, and no end of nectar. Small wo

of them is bound, and another enjoying the joke; and there is one with a wallet slung beside him, and a stick in his hand; a cantankerous-looking fellow; he keeps the rest moving. And ju

; I had to go after him, and had well nigh p

e? What did he wan

for remaining alive. He is some king or tyrant, as I gath

n away, and thought to prolong his lif

Well, we had actually got to the very pit's mouth, when somehow or other this double-dyed knave managed to slip off, whilst I was telling over the Shades to Aeacus, as usual, and he checking them by your sister's invoice. The consequence was, we were one short of tally. Aeacus raised his eyebrows. 'Hermes,' he said, 'everything in its right place: no larcenous work here, please. You play enough of those tricks in Heaven. We keep strict accounts here: nothing escapes us. The invoice says 1,004; there it is in

And we were beginning to

iting here, as if there had

eir names and countries as they come up, and details of their deaths; and you can stow them aw

hundred of them, includi

n my word!-These are bu

xt, Clotho?

arch. All over sixty, pass on! What's the matter with them? They don't hear me; they are deaf

d fruit, gathered in due season; thr

hese are no bett

killed. Or no; I had better look at my notes, and call you over. Eighty-four due t

Ads

or love. Also Theagenes, the philosoph

e they a

laimants to thrones,

. H

urdered by his wif

ght in fro

gelled and the crucified. And where are

them by their wounds. Am

ever, bring them too, the doctor Agathocles and all. Then there was a Cynic philosopher, who was to have

rve such a weary spell of life? You gave me pretty nearly a spindleful of it

d physician of human frailties

captive safe on board. Your judgemen

me see; w

hes, son of L

e up, Me

turn for a little while, and I will come of m

do you wan

complete my palace; I left

oh! Com

safe me this one day, that I may inform my

ble. 'Tis Fa

at money is to

no uneasiness. Your cousin Me

, whom from sheer good natu

more than forty years; in the full enjoyment o

Clotho, to hand over my

rst, surely? You only succeeded to it by murderin

it was mine

w your term of po

withdraw for a space.-Clotho, if you will let me escape, I pledge

millions are still

hat I got by the murder of Cleocritus? They

all never get him to co

all, my docks, remain unfinished. I only

. It will be an

st I can make with

. W

e tribute on Lydia; ... and erect a colossal monument to myself, ... an

le day's reprieve: you would w

ty for my expeditious return. Nay, I could pro

n have you prayed tha

time ago. Now,-I see

rtly, let me tell you. He is to be

hope you will not re

Whi

know how things will

Your wife will pass into the hands of Midas, your

as at her request that

. Then all the old statues and portraits which the city set up in your hon

o friend resen

nging courtiers who lauded your every word and deed were actuated either by hop

their libations, invoked every blessing on my head! Not one but would have

terday, and it cost you your life. It was th

bitter taste.-But

ow too much. It is high

n for desiring one more glimpse of d

Something of vast impor

ith her, as if no third person had been in the room! Having satisfied the demands of passion, he turned his attention to me. 'You little villain,' he cried, 'many's the flogging I've had from you, for no fault of mine!' And as he spoke he plucked out my hair and smote me on the face. 'Away with you,' he cried finally, spitting on m

, but come on board. The hour is at hand

esume to give his v

t liberty. He is strictly impartial, as you will presently observe, in adaptin

man,-some pauper! I have been a king

rmes, you and he must drag him up feet f

ate. Here you are, skippe

r. We'll lash

must have the

d why e

not a tyrant, with a gu

ling your hair! Wait till you get a taste of this

ve you forgotten the other day, when I had all but nailed you to the c

it is your turn to be

left out of the reckoning? Because I am

Who a

llus the

ant: see what bribes he offers us, only for a short reprie

rt of him. Nay, 'tis as if men were bound in some chain that nothing can break; and when by sheer force they are dragged away, they cry out and beg for mercy. They are bold enough for aught else, but show them this same road to Hades, and they prove to be but cowards. They turn about, and must ever be looking back at what they have left behind them, far off though it be,-like men that are sick for love. So it was with the fool yonder: as we came along, he was for running away; and now he tires you with his entreaties. As for me, I had no stake in life; lands and horses, money and goods, fame, statues,-I had none of them; I could not have been in better trim: it needed but one nod from Atropus,-I was busied about a bo

re laughing, some time ago. What was i

y, it was too much for me; such blessedness seemed more than human. And then his proud looks and stately walk and high carriage, striking admiration into all beholders! It seemed almost as if he must be handsomer than other men, and a good eighteen inches taller. But when he was dead, he made a queer figure, with all his finery gone; though I laughed more at myself than at him: there had I been wor

ich part of him, for they had the talents to count,- scraping the money together bit by bit, and all to be squandered in no time by that favourite of

nd then the ferryman

The boat is full. You wait till to-morro

efore Rhadamanthus. A plague on it, she's moving! And here I shall be left all by myself. Stay, though: why not swim across in t

u must not come across

get there first, and

st get to him, and pick him up

it now he is here? We are

u say to the ty

good id

ke the rascal's back ache. An

g; I have nothing but my wallet, look, and this stick. But if you want a hand at baling, here I am;

and I'll ask no ot

I tip th

if you have a s

, an opposition is starting: a song

-The thousands that fellow will have to squander!-Ah, my helpless children!-T

an Ah? It is quite improper that any shade

t have I to do with Ohs and

t a groan or tw

-Woe's me! Never again shall I sit empty from morn till night; never again walk up and down, of a win

will do. We a

lease. Your fare, Micyllus; eve

ou're joking, Charon; or else this is what they call a 'castle

er,-all ashore! I must fetch the horses, cows,

ssing again to see after the Chinamen, Indopatres and Heramithres. They ha

us get on;-follow me,

All complexions are alike here, no question of beauty, greater or less. Why, the cloak I thought so shabby b

I am. We might walk to

ve been admitted to the mysteries at Eleusis? That

mes a torch-bearer; a grim, fo

ks like it,

e, Tisiphone. One

ad them. Rhadamanth

ne. Hermes, you call out the

ve your father Zeus, have m

d.

ious to denounce. And if my evidence is to be worth anything,

Who ar

r worship; a stud

t; I will take you first.

on to bring against Cyniscus he

o one

my friend. Off with your clothes;

Where will y

, but he carried about the secret

am stripped. Now

Ah! what does this mean? Here is place after place that tells of the iron; all rubbed out app

number of brands. But from the day that I began to practise philosophy, little by little I

xcellent company you will find there. But we must have your

anthus; I shall not keep you long. I have be

d who ma

llus the

clean could be; not a mark anywhere.

re are you off to? This way! You there, the T

r accusation and your pr

is no conceivable iniquity which he has not perpetrated. His hapless fellow-citizens have been subjected to every form of cruelty and insult. Virgins have been seduced, boys corrupted, the feelings of his subjects outraged in every possible way. His overweening pride, his insolent bearing towards all who had to do with him, were such as no doom of yours can adequately requite. A man might with more security have fixed his gaze upon the blazing sun, than upon yonder tyrant. As for the refined cruelty of his punishments, it baffles description; and not even his familiars we

what have you

for the rest, the adulteries and corruptio

esses to these point

Witnes

Bed. They will appear in evidence, an

thes, come into court. Good,

ou know about Megapenthe

Mr. Rhadamanthus, I don't quite like to speak abo

peak is the most telling evidence

etter. I saw some very queer things, though, monstrous queer. Many is the time I have stopped taking oil on pur

ve in the way of brands. Goodness gracious, the man's a positive network! Black and blue with them! No

ave a novel idea; somethi

be obliged to you

departed spirits to take a d

. Ju

be the sol

is the id

his mind; his fingers ever busy on the ta

Place him in fetters at Tantalus's si

E