What I have been saying will picture the condition of Leucippe's mind, who felt ready to sink under her troubles; it was while she was in this frame of mind that I dispatched Satyrus to her, in order to make overtures of flight. Anticipating him in her words, she exclaimed:—"In the name of the gods, foreign and hospitable, deliver me out of my mother's power, and take me whither you will; for if you go away and leave me here, the noose suspended by my own hands shall be my death." When I was informed of her expressions, it freed me from a world of anxiety; and in the course of two or three days, when my father was absent from home, we made preparations for our flight. Satyrus had still remaining some of the potion which he had used so successfully upon Conops. While waiting at supper he poured out a little into the last cup, which he presented to Panthea; almost immediately after drinking it, she retired to her own room, and fell fast asleep. Leucippe had now another chambermaid, with whom Satyrus was on familiar terms; having given her likewise a portion of the draught, he proceeded to a third party, the porter, who was soon lying under the influence of the same soporific potion.
Meanwhile Clinias was awaiting us at the door with a carriage which he had in readiness, and while all were yet asleep, between nine and ten at night, we cautiously left the house, Satyrus leading Leucippe by the hand: Conops, as I may remark, who used to watch our movements, being fortunately absent, having been dispatched on an errand by his mistress. On getting out, we immediately entered the carriage, six in number, Leucippe, I and Satyrus, together with Clinias and two servants. We drove off in the direction of Sidon, where we arrived about midnight, and without delay continued our journey to Berytus, in hopes of finding some vessel in the harbour; nor were we disappointed, for on going to the port we found a ship on the point of sailing: without even inquiring whither she was bound, we got our baggage on board, and embarked a little before dawn. It was then we learnt that the vessel was bound for the celebrated city of Alexandria, situated on the Nile.
The sight of the sea delighted me while as yet we were in the smooth water of the harbour; soon, however, upon the wind becoming favourable, loud tumult prevailed throughout the vessel; the sailors hurried to and fro, the master issued his commands, ropes were bent, the sail-yard was brought round before the wind, the sail was unfurled, we weighed anchor,[56]the ship began to move, the port was left behind, and the coast, as if itself in motion, seemed gradually to be retiring from us;[57]the Pæan was chanted, and many prayers were addressed to the guardian deities for a prosperous voyage. Meanwhile the wind freshened and filled the sail, and the vessel speeded on her course.
There was a young man on board, in the same cabin[58]with ourselves, when dinner time was come he politely invited us to partake of his meal. Satyrus was just then bringing out our provisions; so putting all into a common stock, we shared our dinner and our conversation. I began by saying, "Pray where do you come from, and by what name are we to address you?" "My name," he replied, "is Menelaus, and I am a native of Egypt; and now may I inquire who you are?" "I am called Clitopho, and my companion Clinias; our country is Phœnicia." "And what," he rejoined, "is the motive of your voyage?" "If you will relate your own story first, you shall then hear ours." Menelaus assented, and began as follows:—
"The cause of my leaving my home may be summed up in very few words:—envious love and ill-fated hunting. I was strongly attached to a handsome youth, who was very fond of the chase. I did everything in my power to restrain him from this pursuit, but without success. Finding I could not prevail with him, I myself accompanied him.
"One day we were out hunting, and for a time everything went on successfully so long as harmless animals were alone the objects of our sport. At length a wild boar was roused; the youth pursued the brute, who faced about, and ran furiously to attack him; still the youth kept his ground, not withstanding that I repeatedly called out:—'Wheel round your horse; the beast is too powerful for you.' The boar continuing its career, and coming up, they closed in combat. Terrified lest the beast should wound the horse, and so bring down his rider, I launched my javelin without taking sufficient aim, and the youth crossing its course, received the stroke.[59]
"Picture to yourself the feelings of my mind. If I retained life at that moment, it was like a living death; and what was most lamentable of all, the wretched youth, who still breathed, extending his arms, embraced me, and so far from hating his destroyer, he expired still grasping my homicidal hand. On account of this lamentable occurrence his parents took legal proceedings against me; nor was I unwilling to stand my trial; indeed I offered no defence, considering myself fully deserving to suffer death. The judge, out of compassion, condemned me to three years' banishment, and that period having now expired, I am on my return home."
This narrative reminded Clinias of the unhappy death of Charicles, and he shed tears, which though in appearance they flowed for another's grief, were, in reality, drawn forth by his own sorrows.[60]"Are you weeping on my account," asked Menelaus, "or has any similar disaster befallen you?" Upon this Clinias, with many sighs, detailed the circumstances of Charicles and the horse; and I likewise related my adventures. Seeing Menelaus very low spirited on account of his own thoughts, and Clinias still shedding tears at the recollection of Charicles, I endeavoured to dissipate their grief, by introducing a love topic for conversation; for Leucippe, I may observe, was not then present, but was asleep in the ship's hold. I began, therefore, with a smiling air:—"How much better off is Clinias than I am; he was no doubt longing to inveigh against women, according to his wont, and he can do so all the better now, having found one who sympathises with his tastes; but why so many should be addicted to the love of youths, for my part I cannot tell."
"There can be no doubt," said Menelaus, "which is preferable. Youths are much more open and free from affectation than women, and their beauty stimulates the senses much more powerfully."
"How so?" I asked; "it no sooner appears than it is gone. It affords no enjoyment to the lover, but is like the cup of Tantalus, while one is drinking the liquid disappears; and even the little which has been swallowed is unsatisfying. No one can leave such favourites without feeling his pleasure alloyed with pain, the draught of love still leaves him thirsty."
"You do not understand," rejoined Menelaus, "that the perfection of pleasure consists in its bringing with it no satiety; the very fact of its being of a permanent and satisfying kind takes away from its delight. What we snatch but now and then is always new, and always in full beauty. Of such things the pleasure is not liable to decay and age, and it gains in intensity what it loses by briefness of duration; for this reason, the rose is considered the most lovely among flowers, because its beauty so quickly fades. There are two species of beauty among mortals, each bestowed by its presiding goddess;[61]the one is of heaven, the other of earth; the former chafes at being linked to what is mortal, and quickly wings its flight to heaven; the latter clings to earth, and cleaves to mortal bodies. Would you have a poet's testimony of the ascent of heavenly beauty? hear what Homer sings:—
'Ganymede,Fairest of human kind, whom for that causeThe gods caught up to heav'n that he might dwellFor ever there, the cup-bearer of Jove.'[62]
But no woman, I trow, ever ascended to heaven for her beauty's sake, though Jove had abundance of intrigues with women: grief and exile were the portion of Alcmena; the chest and the sea were the receptacle of Danæ; and Semele became food for fire;[63]but—mark the difference—when Jove became enamoured of a Phrygian youth, he took him up to heaven to dwell with him, and pour out his nectar, depriving his predecessor of the office, she being, I rather think, a woman."
"In my opinion," said I, interrupting him, "female beauty has in it much more of the heavenly kind, because it does not so quickly fade; and the freer from decay, the nearer is anything to the divine nature. On the other hand, whatsoever in accordance with its mortal nature soon decays, is not of heaven, but of earth. I grant that Jove, enamoured of a Phrygian youth, raised him to the skies, but the beauty of woman brought him down from heaven; for a woman he bellowed under the form of a bull, for a woman he danced as a satyr, for a woman he transformed himself into a golden shower. Let Ganymede, therefore, be Jove's cup-bearer, if you will, provided that Juno[64]also reclines at the banquet, and has a youth to wait on her. For my part, I cannot think upon his rape without feelings of pity: a savage bird is sent down, he is seized and borne aloft (cruel and tyrannous treatment, methinks), and the unseemly spectacle is seen of a youth suspended from an eagle's talons. No ravenous bird of prey, but the element of fire, bore Semele aloft; nor should there seem anything strange and unnatural in this, since it was by the same means that Hercules went up to heaven. You amuse yourself at the expense of Danæ's chest, but why do you pass over Perseus, who shared her fate? For Alcmena it sufficed that Jove for love of her robbed the world of three whole days.[65]
"Passing, however, from the legends of mythology, I will speak of the real delights of love, though my experience in such matters has been small, compared with that of others, and confined to females who sell their charms for lucre. In the first place, how tender and yielding is a woman's body to the touch, how soft are her lips when kissed; her person is in every way fitted for the amorous embrace: he who is connected with her tastes genuine enjoyments; her kisses are impressed upon his lips as seals upon a letter, and she kisses with such studied art as imbues the kiss with double sweetness. Not content to use her lips, she brings her teeth also into play, and feeding upon her lover's mouth, makes her very kisses bite. What pleasure also is there in the sensation of pressing a woman's breast, while in the amorous crisis, so powerful is her excitement, that she is actually maddened with delight. Her kisses are not confined to the lips, but lovers' tongues even do their endeavour to kiss each other. At the conclusion of the amorous combat, she pants, overcome with the fiery delight, and her love-sick breath finding its way to her lips, encounter the lover's kiss still wandering there, and mingling with it both descend and exert their electric influence upon her heart, which leaps and beats, and were it not fast bound within, would desert its seat, and be drawn forth by the strength of kisses."[66]
"Upon my word," said Menelaus, "you seem no raw recruit, but a thorough veteran in the service of the Queen of Love, so minute are you in all your detail. Now hear what I have to say in favour of male beauty. With women their words and postures, everything, in short, is studied and artificial: and their beauty, if they possess any, is the laborious work of cosmetic appliances, of perfumes and of dyes;[67]divest them of these meretricious attractions, and they will appear like the daw stripped of its feathers, which we read of in the fable. The beauty of youths, on the other hand, requires no unguents or artificial essences to recommend it; nature has made it complete and sufficient in itself."[68]
[1]Il. xvi. 823."As when the lion and the sturdy boar,Contend in battle on the mountain topsFor some scant rivulet which both desire,Ere long the lion quelle the panting boar."Cowper's Tr.
[1]Il. xvi. 823.
"As when the lion and the sturdy boar,Contend in battle on the mountain topsFor some scant rivulet which both desire,Ere long the lion quelle the panting boar."Cowper's Tr.
[2]καμπαί, signify properly, the changes and inflections in a piece of music.
[2]καμπαί, signify properly, the changes and inflections in a piece of music.
[3]"The rose, of flow'rs th' enchanting pride;The rose is Spring's enchanting bride;The rose of every god's the joy;With roses Cytherea's boy,When, dancing, he'd some Grace ensnare,Adorns the love-nets of his hair."Anacreon. v. Addison's Tr.
[3]
"The rose, of flow'rs th' enchanting pride;The rose is Spring's enchanting bride;The rose of every god's the joy;With roses Cytherea's boy,When, dancing, he'd some Grace ensnare,Adorns the love-nets of his hair."Anacreon. v. Addison's Tr.
[4]προτρυγαίου Διονύσου.
[4]προτρυγαίου Διονύσου.
[5]The wine of most early celebrity was that which the minister of Apollo, Maron, who dwelt upon the skirts of Thracian Ismarus gave to Ulysses. It was red and honey-sweet; so precious, that it was unknown to all in the mansion save the wife of the priest and one trusty housekeeper; so strong, that a single cup was mixed with twenty of water; so fragrant, that even when thus diluted it diffused a divine and most tempting perfume.See Odyss. ix. 203.; Dict. of Greek and Roman Antiq.
[5]The wine of most early celebrity was that which the minister of Apollo, Maron, who dwelt upon the skirts of Thracian Ismarus gave to Ulysses. It was red and honey-sweet; so precious, that it was unknown to all in the mansion save the wife of the priest and one trusty housekeeper; so strong, that a single cup was mixed with twenty of water; so fragrant, that even when thus diluted it diffused a divine and most tempting perfume.
See Odyss. ix. 203.; Dict. of Greek and Roman Antiq.
[6]κύλικα φιλοτησίαν.
[6]κύλικα φιλοτησίαν.
[7].... "Ο this is from above—a streamOf nectar and ambrosia, all divine!"Od. B. ix. 355, Cowper.
[7]
.... "Ο this is from above—a streamOf nectar and ambrosia, all divine!"Od. B. ix. 355, Cowper.
[8]"He washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in theblood of grapes."—Gen. xlix. 11.
[8]"He washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in theblood of grapes."—Gen. xlix. 11.
[9]ὑάλου ὀρωρυγμένης. Herodotus, iii. 24, uses the word ύάλος, to describe the clear transparent stone, supposed to be Oriental alabaster, used by the Egyptians to enclose their mummies.
[9]ὑάλου ὀρωρυγμένης. Herodotus, iii. 24, uses the word ύάλος, to describe the clear transparent stone, supposed to be Oriental alabaster, used by the Egyptians to enclose their mummies.
[10]The translation of this passage follows Villoisin's reading. For a mention of the cup of Glaucus, see Herod. i. 25. Mr. Blakesley, in his Edition remarks, that ή Γλαύκου τέχνη, was in the time of Plato (Phædon, § 132) a proverbial one, applied to everything requiring in extraordinary amount of skill.
[10]The translation of this passage follows Villoisin's reading. For a mention of the cup of Glaucus, see Herod. i. 25. Mr. Blakesley, in his Edition remarks, that ή Γλαύκου τέχνη, was in the time of Plato (Phædon, § 132) a proverbial one, applied to everything requiring in extraordinary amount of skill.
[11]"While Venus fills the heart..... . . . . .Ceres presents a plate of vermicelli,—For love must be sustain'd like flesh and blood,—While Bacchus pours out wine or hands a jelly.—Byron.
[11]
"While Venus fills the heart..... . . . . .Ceres presents a plate of vermicelli,—For love must be sustain'd like flesh and blood,—While Bacchus pours out wine or hands a jelly.—Byron.
[12]τὸ αὐτόματον ἡμῶν.
[12]τὸ αὐτόματον ἡμῶν.
[13]"πῶς ἄν τις αὐτο φύγοι; πτερὰ ἔχει καὶ καταλήψεται."—Longus, B.i."Αll his body is a fire,And his breath a flame entire.. . . . . .He doth bear a golden bow,And a quiver hanging low.. . . . . .Wings he hath which though ye clipHe will leap from lip to lip,. . . . . .And if chance his arrow missesHe will shoot himself in kisses."—Ben Jonson.
[13]"πῶς ἄν τις αὐτο φύγοι; πτερὰ ἔχει καὶ καταλήψεται."—Longus, B.i.
"Αll his body is a fire,And his breath a flame entire.. . . . . .He doth bear a golden bow,And a quiver hanging low.. . . . . .Wings he hath which though ye clipHe will leap from lip to lip,. . . . . .And if chance his arrow missesHe will shoot himself in kisses."—Ben Jonson.
[14]The translation follows the reading in the edition by Jacobs.
[14]The translation follows the reading in the edition by Jacobs.
[15]Tasso has introduced this stratagem of a lover into his Aminta, Act ii. sc. 2, where Sylvia cures Phyllis stung by a bee, by kissing her, upon which Aminta, pretends to have been stung in order to be cured by the same agreeable remedy."Che, fingendo ch' un' ape avesse morsoIl mio labbre di sotto, incominciaiA lamentarmi di cotal maniera,Che quella medicina che la linguaNon richiedeva, il volto richiedeva."
[15]Tasso has introduced this stratagem of a lover into his Aminta, Act ii. sc. 2, where Sylvia cures Phyllis stung by a bee, by kissing her, upon which Aminta, pretends to have been stung in order to be cured by the same agreeable remedy.
"Che, fingendo ch' un' ape avesse morsoIl mio labbre di sotto, incominciaiA lamentarmi di cotal maniera,Che quella medicina che la linguaNon richiedeva, il volto richiedeva."
[16]... "fecePiù cupa, e più mortaleLa mia piaga verace,Quando le labbre suaGiunse a le labbre mie.N'a l'api d'alcun fioreColgon al dolce il mel, ch'allora io coleiDa quelle fresche rose."—Tasso.
[16]
... "fecePiù cupa, e più mortaleLa mia piaga verace,Quando le labbre suaGiunse a le labbre mie.N'a l'api d'alcun fioreColgon al dolce il mel, ch'allora io coleiDa quelle fresche rose."—Tasso.
[17]"She blushed and frown'd not, but she strove to speak,And held her tongue, her voice was grown so weak."—Byron.
[17]
"She blushed and frown'd not, but she strove to speak,And held her tongue, her voice was grown so weak."—Byron.
[18]"How delicious is the winningOf a kiss at love's beginning."—Campbell.
[18]
"How delicious is the winningOf a kiss at love's beginning."—Campbell.
[19]"Fac primus rapias illius tacta labellisPocula; quoque bibit parte puella bibe."Ovid, de Art. Am. i. 595."Drink to me only with thine eyes,And I will pledge thee with mine;Or leave a kiss but in the cupAnd I'll not look for wine."Ben Jonson (imitation of a passage in Philostratus.)
[19]
"Fac primus rapias illius tacta labellisPocula; quoque bibit parte puella bibe."Ovid, de Art. Am. i. 595.
"Drink to me only with thine eyes,And I will pledge thee with mine;Or leave a kiss but in the cupAnd I'll not look for wine."Ben Jonson (imitation of a passage in Philostratus.)
[20]The original is highly poetical:—ἐπιτήρησας oὖν ὅτε τοῦ φωτὸς τὸ πολὺ τῆς αὐγῆς ἐμαραίνετο.
[20]The original is highly poetical:—ἐπιτήρησας oὖν ὅτε τοῦ φωτὸς τὸ πολὺ τῆς αὐγῆς ἐμαραίνετο.
[21]In B. v. of the Ethiopics, Heliodorus says of the Spanish and British amethyst, that it is of a dull ruddy colour, resembling a newly budding rose; and of the amethyst of Ethiopia, that it emits a lustre like that of gold.
[21]In B. v. of the Ethiopics, Heliodorus says of the Spanish and British amethyst, that it is of a dull ruddy colour, resembling a newly budding rose; and of the amethyst of Ethiopia, that it emits a lustre like that of gold.
[22]... "blending every colour into one,Just like a black eye in a recent scuffle."—Byron.
[22]
... "blending every colour into one,Just like a black eye in a recent scuffle."—Byron.
[23]The πέπλος was an ample shawl serving for a robe; those of the most splendid hues and curious workmanship were imported from Tyre and Sidon.—See Iliad, vi. 289.
[23]The πέπλος was an ample shawl serving for a robe; those of the most splendid hues and curious workmanship were imported from Tyre and Sidon.—See Iliad, vi. 289.
[24]τὸ ἕρμαιον.
[24]τὸ ἕρμαιον.
[25]πpoτέλεια γάμων. These consisted of sacrifices and offerings made to the θεoὶ γαμήλιοι, or divinities who presided over marriage; the sacrificer was the father of the bride elect.
[25]πpoτέλεια γάμων. These consisted of sacrifices and offerings made to the θεoὶ γαμήλιοι, or divinities who presided over marriage; the sacrificer was the father of the bride elect.
[26]οἱωνῶν βασιλεὺς. Æsch. Ag. 113.
[26]οἱωνῶν βασιλεὺς. Æsch. Ag. 113.
[27]..., "ministrum fulminis alitemCui rex Deorum regnum in aves vagasPermisit."—Hor. iv. Od. iv. i.
[27]
..., "ministrum fulminis alitemCui rex Deorum regnum in aves vagasPermisit."—Hor. iv. Od. iv. i.
[28]"nunquam visæ flagrabat amore puellæ."—Juv. iv. 14.
[28]"nunquam visæ flagrabat amore puellæ."—Juv. iv. 14.
[29]Jacobs observes that this law of Byzantium is purely the invention of Tatius; one resembling it existed at Athens.
[29]Jacobs observes that this law of Byzantium is purely the invention of Tatius; one resembling it existed at Athens.
[30]Nῆσός τις πόλις ἐστί φυτώνυμον αῖμα λαχοῦσαΊσθμὸν ὁμοῦ καὶ πορθμὸν ἐπ' ἠπείροιο φέρουσα,Ένθ'Ἥφαιστος ἔχων χαίρει γλαυκώπιν 'Αθηνην.Κεῖθι θυηπολίην σε φἐρειν κέλομσι Ήρακλῆι.Tyre is called by Euripides, φοίνισσα νήσος, (Phœn. 211,) was built upon a small island, 200 furlongs from the shore. Alexander took it, after having joined the island to the continent by a mole.
[30]
Nῆσός τις πόλις ἐστί φυτώνυμον αῖμα λαχοῦσαΊσθμὸν ὁμοῦ καὶ πορθμὸν ἐπ' ἠπείροιο φέρουσα,Ένθ'Ἥφαιστος ἔχων χαίρει γλαυκώπιν 'Αθηνην.Κεῖθι θυηπολίην σε φἐρειν κέλομσι Ήρακλῆι.
Tyre is called by Euripides, φοίνισσα νήσος, (Phœn. 211,) was built upon a small island, 200 furlongs from the shore. Alexander took it, after having joined the island to the continent by a mole.
[31]Herod. B. ii. c. 44, gives an account of his visit to the temple of the Tyrian Hercules, and of the rich offerings which he saw in it.
[31]Herod. B. ii. c. 44, gives an account of his visit to the temple of the Tyrian Hercules, and of the rich offerings which he saw in it.
[32]"The fire had power in the water, forgetting his own virtue; and the water forget his own quenching nature."—Wisdom, xix. 20.
[32]"The fire had power in the water, forgetting his own virtue; and the water forget his own quenching nature."—Wisdom, xix. 20.
[33]See p. 234 of Brewster's Natural Magic, for a solution of the acoustic wonder of the vocal sounds emitted by the statue of Memnon.
[33]See p. 234 of Brewster's Natural Magic, for a solution of the acoustic wonder of the vocal sounds emitted by the statue of Memnon.
[34]Herod. iii. 102, says of the Indian soil—Ή δὲ ψάμμος ἠ αναφερομένη εστὶ χρυσῖτις.
[34]Herod. iii. 102, says of the Indian soil—
Ή δὲ ψάμμος ἠ αναφερομένη εστὶ χρυσῖτις.
[35]Herod. Β. iv. 195, gives an account of a lake in the isle Cyraunis, on the east of Africa, from which the young women obtain gold-dust by means of feathers smeared with pitch.
[35]Herod. Β. iv. 195, gives an account of a lake in the isle Cyraunis, on the east of Africa, from which the young women obtain gold-dust by means of feathers smeared with pitch.
[36]τῶν θεωρῶν.
[36]τῶν θεωρῶν.
[37].... "plurima cervix,Tam longo nullus lateri modus: omnia magna."Virg. G. iii. 52.
[37]
.... "plurima cervix,Tam longo nullus lateri modus: omnia magna."Virg. G. iii. 52.
[38]"His steeds I saw, the fairest by these eyesEver beheld and loftiest; snow itselfThey pass in whiteness."—Iliad, x. 43. 7. Cowper's Tr.
[38]
"His steeds I saw, the fairest by these eyesEver beheld and loftiest; snow itselfThey pass in whiteness."—Iliad, x. 43. 7. Cowper's Tr.
[39]πανήγυρις.
[39]πανήγυρις.
[40]τὴν θεωρίαν ἀφοσιωμένος.
[40]τὴν θεωρίαν ἀφοσιωμένος.
[41]μυσταγωγήσῃ.
[41]μυσταγωγήσῃ.
[42]See the plan of a Greek house taken from Bekker's Charikles.—Dict. of Greek and Roman Antiq. p. 494.
[42]See the plan of a Greek house taken from Bekker's Charikles.—Dict. of Greek and Roman Antiq. p. 494.
[43]This fact is asserted by Ælian, B. vi. 22, and B. xiv. 9.
[43]This fact is asserted by Ælian, B. vi. 22, and B. xiv. 9.
[44]"Oh!" sobb'd Antonia, "I could tear their eyes out."—Byron.
[44]"Oh!" sobb'd Antonia, "I could tear their eyes out."—Byron.
[45]In case the reader wishes to understand the philosophy of the gnat's trumpet, we insert the following passage from Cumberland's Trans. of the "Clouds" of Aristophanes.Disciple. "'Twas put to Socrates, if he could say, when a goathumm'd, whether the sound did issue from mouth or tail.Streps. Aye; marry, what said he?Disciple.He said your gnat doth blow his trumpet backwardsFrom a sonorous cavity within him,Which being filled with breath, and forced alongThe narrow pipe or rectum of his body,Doth vent itself in a loud hum behind."
[45]In case the reader wishes to understand the philosophy of the gnat's trumpet, we insert the following passage from Cumberland's Trans. of the "Clouds" of Aristophanes.
Disciple. "'Twas put to Socrates, if he could say, when a goathumm'd, whether the sound did issue from mouth or tail.
Streps. Aye; marry, what said he?
Disciple.He said your gnat doth blow his trumpet backwardsFrom a sonorous cavity within him,Which being filled with breath, and forced alongThe narrow pipe or rectum of his body,Doth vent itself in a loud hum behind."
[46]"Fallitur et multo custodis cura Lyæo;Illa vel Hispano lecta sit una jugo.Sunt quoque, quæ faciant altos medicamina somnos;Victaque Lethæâ lumina nocte premant."Ovid. Art. Am. iii. 645.
[46]
"Fallitur et multo custodis cura Lyæo;Illa vel Hispano lecta sit una jugo.Sunt quoque, quæ faciant altos medicamina somnos;Victaque Lethæâ lumina nocte premant."Ovid. Art. Am. iii. 645.
[47]ὡς δ' ἡ βελτίστη γαστήρ κατηνάγκασεν.
[47]ὡς δ' ἡ βελτίστη γαστήρ κατηνάγκασεν.
[48]The allusion is to Ulysses preparing to put out the eye of the Cyclops.... "the gods infusedHeroic fortitude into our hearts."—Odyss. ix. 381.
[48]The allusion is to Ulysses preparing to put out the eye of the Cyclops.
... "the gods infusedHeroic fortitude into our hearts."—Odyss. ix. 381.
[49]"'Sdeath! with apage—perchance a kingHad reconciled him to the thing;But with a stripling of a page—I felt—but cannot paint his rage."—Byron.
[49]
"'Sdeath! with apage—perchance a kingHad reconciled him to the thing;But with a stripling of a page—I felt—but cannot paint his rage."—Byron.
[50]εἴτε δαίμων, εἴτε ἥρως, εἴτε ληστής.For an instance of intercourse between demigods—ἥρωες—and mortals, see Herod. vi. 69.
[50]εἴτε δαίμων, εἴτε ἥρως, εἴτε ληστής.
For an instance of intercourse between demigods—ἥρωες—and mortals, see Herod. vi. 69.
[51]The evidence of slaves was always taken with torture, and their testimony was not otherwise received. For an animated picture of the severity sometimes practised towards slaves, male and female, by a capricious mistress, see Juv. vi. 475, 495.
[51]The evidence of slaves was always taken with torture, and their testimony was not otherwise received. For an animated picture of the severity sometimes practised towards slaves, male and female, by a capricious mistress, see Juv. vi. 475, 495.
[52]παντοδαπή τις ἧν.This passage may be illustrated by a parallel one in the beginning of B. vii.
[52]παντοδαπή τις ἧν.
This passage may be illustrated by a parallel one in the beginning of B. vii.
[53]Pliny, B. iv. 5. "Tot sinus Poloponnensem oram lancinant, tot maria allatrant."
[53]Pliny, B. iv. 5. "Tot sinus Poloponnensem oram lancinant, tot maria allatrant."
[54]"They bend their tongues like theirbowfor lies."
[54]"They bend their tongues like theirbowfor lies."
[55]"Their tongue is as anarrowshot out."—Jer. ix. 3, 8. See also S. James iii. 5-9."Strangulat inclusus dolor atque cor æstuat intusCogitur et vires multiplicare suas."—Ovid. Trist. I. 63."Give sorrow words; the grief that doth not speak,Whispers the o'er-fraught heart, and bids it break."—Macbeth.
[55]"Their tongue is as anarrowshot out."—Jer. ix. 3, 8. See also S. James iii. 5-9.
"Strangulat inclusus dolor atque cor æstuat intusCogitur et vires multiplicare suas."—Ovid. Trist. I. 63.
"Give sorrow words; the grief that doth not speak,Whispers the o'er-fraught heart, and bids it break."—Macbeth.
[56]The various operations when a vessel quitted or entered the harbour are described in two passages of Homer.—"The crewCast loose the hawsers, and embarking, filledThe benches....He, loud exhorting them, his people badeHand brisk the tackle; they obedient rear'dThe pine-tree mast, which in its socket deepThey lodg'd, then strained the cordage, and with thongsWell twisted, drew the shining sail aloft."—Odyss. ii. 419."Around within the haven deep, their sailsFurling, they stow'd them in the bark below.Then by its tackle lowering the mastInto its crutch, they briskly push'd to land,Heav'd anchors out, and moor'd the vessel fast."—Il. i. 4331
[56]The various operations when a vessel quitted or entered the harbour are described in two passages of Homer.—
"The crewCast loose the hawsers, and embarking, filledThe benches....He, loud exhorting them, his people badeHand brisk the tackle; they obedient rear'dThe pine-tree mast, which in its socket deepThey lodg'd, then strained the cordage, and with thongsWell twisted, drew the shining sail aloft."—Odyss. ii. 419.
"Around within the haven deep, their sailsFurling, they stow'd them in the bark below.Then by its tackle lowering the mastInto its crutch, they briskly push'd to land,Heav'd anchors out, and moor'd the vessel fast."—Il. i. 4331
[57]"Provehimur portu; terræque urbesque recedunt."Vir. Æn. iii. 72.
[57]
"Provehimur portu; terræque urbesque recedunt."Vir. Æn. iii. 72.
[58]παρασκηνῶν.
[58]παρασκηνῶν.
[59]Tatius appears to have had in his mind the story of the death of Atys, son of Crœsus. See Herod. B. i. 37.Compare the spirited account of the Boar-hunt and the death of Tlepolemus in the viiith book of Apuleius.
[59]Tatius appears to have had in his mind the story of the death of Atys, son of Crœsus. See Herod. B. i. 37.
Compare the spirited account of the Boar-hunt and the death of Tlepolemus in the viiith book of Apuleius.
[60]Πάτροκλον πρόφασιν, a proverb derived from a passage in the Iliad, xix. 302:—"All her fellow-captives heav'dResponsive sighs, deploring each, in showThe dead Patroclus, but, in truth, herself."
[60]Πάτροκλον πρόφασιν, a proverb derived from a passage in the Iliad, xix. 302:—
"All her fellow-captives heav'dResponsive sighs, deploring each, in showThe dead Patroclus, but, in truth, herself."
[61]Tatius alludes to Venus Urania and Venus Popularis, the one the patroness of pure, the other of impure, love.
[61]Tatius alludes to Venus Urania and Venus Popularis, the one the patroness of pure, the other of impure, love.
[62]Iliad xx. 2, 3, 4.
[62]Iliad xx. 2, 3, 4.
[63]See Anthon's Lemprière for the legends attached to their names.
[63]See Anthon's Lemprière for the legends attached to their names.
[64]Göttling proposes to read "Hebe," which suits the context better.
[64]Göttling proposes to read "Hebe," which suits the context better.
[65]According to some accounts, two; according to others, three nights were required for the formation of Hercules, son of Alcmena."Violentus illeNocte non unâ poterat creari."—Seneca Ag. 825.
[65]According to some accounts, two; according to others, three nights were required for the formation of Hercules, son of Alcmena.
"Violentus illeNocte non unâ poterat creari."—Seneca Ag. 825.
[66]"A long, long kiss, a kiss of youth and love,And beauty, all concentrating like raysInto one focus, kindled from above;Such kisses as belong to early days,Where heart, and soul, and sense, in concert move,And the blood's lava, and the pulse a blaze,Each kiss a heart-quake."—Byron.Compare Lucret. iv. 1070-1079, and 1099-1114.
[66]
"A long, long kiss, a kiss of youth and love,And beauty, all concentrating like raysInto one focus, kindled from above;Such kisses as belong to early days,Where heart, and soul, and sense, in concert move,And the blood's lava, and the pulse a blaze,Each kiss a heart-quake."—Byron.
Compare Lucret. iv. 1070-1079, and 1099-1114.
[67]"Sed quæ mutatis inducitur, atque foveturTot medicaminibus, coctæque siliginis offas,Accipit et madidæ, facies dicetur, an ulcus."—Juv. vi. 471.
[67]
"Sed quæ mutatis inducitur, atque foveturTot medicaminibus, coctæque siliginis offas,Accipit et madidæ, facies dicetur, an ulcus."—Juv. vi. 471.
[68]"Omnibus autem mulierum omnium ungentis è puerorum sudoribus afflatus odor antecellet. Jam vero etiam ante venereos congressus palæstrâ cum iis decertare, palamque, ac sine rubore amplecti licet; neque ulla est carnis teneritas quæ complexuum tactioni cedat: sed corpora sibi mutuo resistunt ac voluptate contendunt. Basia quoque muliebrem illam diligentiam minime sapiunt, nec stulto errore labris illito decipiunt. Puer quemadmodum quidem novit, suavia dat, non ab arte aliquâ, sed à natura ipsâ proficiscentia; saneque basii puerilis imago ejusmodi est, ut si quis concretum, atque in labrà commutatum nectar oscularetur. Ex quo fieri ullo modo nequit, ut aliqua basiandi tibi satietas oriatur; quinimmo quo plus haurias, hoc vehementiore siti labores, neque os indè abstrahere possis, donec præ voluptate basia ipso refugias."
[68]"Omnibus autem mulierum omnium ungentis è puerorum sudoribus afflatus odor antecellet. Jam vero etiam ante venereos congressus palæstrâ cum iis decertare, palamque, ac sine rubore amplecti licet; neque ulla est carnis teneritas quæ complexuum tactioni cedat: sed corpora sibi mutuo resistunt ac voluptate contendunt. Basia quoque muliebrem illam diligentiam minime sapiunt, nec stulto errore labris illito decipiunt. Puer quemadmodum quidem novit, suavia dat, non ab arte aliquâ, sed à natura ipsâ proficiscentia; saneque basii puerilis imago ejusmodi est, ut si quis concretum, atque in labrà commutatum nectar oscularetur. Ex quo fieri ullo modo nequit, ut aliqua basiandi tibi satietas oriatur; quinimmo quo plus haurias, hoc vehementiore siti labores, neque os indè abstrahere possis, donec præ voluptate basia ipso refugias."
On the third day of our voyage a sudden change took place in the weather; the sky, which had been clear, grew so black as quite to obscure the light of day, and a violent gale ploughing up the sea blew directly in our teeth. Upon this, the master ordered the yard to be brought round;[1]the sailors speedily obeyed, furling one-half of the sail by dint of great exertions, but were compelled by the violence of the wind to leave the other unfurled. In consequence of this manœuvre one side of the vessel began to heel, while the contrary side became proportionally elevated, so that we every moment expected to be capsized, as the gale continued to blow with undiminished fury. To prevent this, and to restore, if possible, the vessel's equilibrium, we all scrambled to the side highest out of water, but it was of no avail. We ourselves, indeed, were raised, but the position of the ship was in no way altered; after long and vain endeavours to right her, the wind suddenly shifted, almost submerging the side which had been elevated, and raising high out of the water that previously depressed. An universal shriek arose from those on board, and nothing remained but to hurry back to our former station. We repeated this several times, our movements keeping pace with the shifting of the vessel; indeed, we had scarcely succeeded in hurrying to one side, before we were obliged to hurry back in the contrary direction. Like those who run backwards and forwards in the course,[2]we continued these alternate movements during a great part of the day, momentarily expecting death, who, as it seemed, was not far off; for about noon the sun entirely disappeared, and we saw each other as if by moonlight; lightnings flashed from the clouds, the thunder rolled, filling the sky with its echoes, which were repeated from below by the strife of waters, while in the intermediate space was heard the shouts of the discordant winds,[3]so that the air seemed one mighty trumpet; the ropes breaking loose rattled against the sail and against each other till at last they were rent in pieces. We now began to be in no small fear that the vessel, from the shattered condition of her sides, would open and go to pieces; the bulwarks[4]too were flooded, being continually washed over by the waves. We however crawled under them for protection, and abandoning all hope resigned ourselves to Fortune. Tremendous billows following in quick succession tumbled one over the other, some in front, some at the sides of the ship, which as they approached was lifted high up as if upon a mountain, and when they retired was plunged down as into an abyss.[5]The most formidable were those which broke against the sides and made their way over the bulwarks, flooding all the vessel; even while approaching from a distance these were formidable enough, almost touching, as they did, the clouds; but when they neared and broke, you would have supposed that the ship must inevitably be swallowed up. We could scarcely keep our feet, so violent was the rolling of the vessel, and a confused din of sounds was heard;—the sea roared, the wind blustered, the women shrieked, the men shouted, the sailors called to one another: all was wailing and lamentation.[6]
At length the master ordered the cargo to be thrown overboard; no distinction was made between gold and silver, and the commonest articles,—all were pitched over the sides; many of the merchants with their own hands tumbling into the sea the goods on which all their hopes were centred. By these means the ship was lightened, but the storm did not in any degree abate. At length the master, wearied out and in despair, let go the tiller, abandoned the ship to the waves, and standing at the gangway ordered the boats to be got ready and the sailors to embark. Upon this a fearful scene of strife arose; the sailors in the boat were beginning to cut the rope which attached it to the ship. Seeing this, the passengers endeavoured to leap in, which the crew would not allow, threatening with their swords and axes any who should venture on the attempt. The others upon this arming themselves as best they could with shattered oars and broken benches, showed a determination to retaliate, for in a storm might, not right, must settle matters. A novel kind of sea-fight now commenced; they in the boat, fearful of being swamped by the numbers who were descending from the vessel, laid about them in good earnest with their swords and axes; which the passengers as they leaped in were not backward in returning with their poles and oars, and some scarcely touched the boat before they fell into the water; others, who had succeeded in getting in, were struggling with the sailors to maintain their ground. The laws of friendship or neighbourly regard were no longer heeded; each looked to his own preservation, careless of the safety of any other; for the effect of pressing danger is, that it dissolves even the tenderest ties. One of the passengers, a robust young fellow, succeeded at last in getting hold of the rope and dragging the boat towards the vessel; every one on board holding himself ready to leap in. A few succeeded in the endeavour, though not without receiving injuries; many in their attempt were plunged into the sea. The crew without further delay, cutting the rope with their axes, put off, and committed themselves to the mercy of the winds; those on board in the meantime having used every exertion to sink the boat. The vessel, after continuing for some time to pitch and roll upon the waves, was carried upon a sunken rock, when she struck and soon went to pieces, the mast falling over on one side and hastening her destruction. They who were at once swallowed up in the briny waves experienced a happier lot than their companions, in not having to remain with death before their eyes; for at sea the anticipation of drowning kills even before death actually arrives; the eye, bewildered by the expanse of waters, can set no limits to its fears: this it is which gives death so much more bitterness, and makes it regarded with dread proportioned to the vast nature of the sea itself.[7]
Upon the present occasion some were dashed against rocks and perished, others were pierced by pieces of broken oars, and some were seen swimming in a half-exhausted state. When the vessel was wrecked, some good genius preserved a portion of the prow, upon which I and Leucippe being seated, were carried along by the current; Menelaus, Satyrus, and some other passengers, had thrown themselves across the mast; Clinias at no great distance was swimming supported by the yard, and we could hear him calling out, "Hold on, Clitopho!" In a moment a wave washed over him; at which sad spectacle we shrieked aloud. Boiling onward in our direction, it happily passed us, and we again caught sight of the yard, and Clinias riding upon its crest. "O, mighty Neptune," exclaimed I, with a deep groan, "take pity on us, and spare the remnants of this shipwreck; our terror has caused us already to die many deaths; if it be thy will to destroy us, do not divide us in our deaths; let one wave overwhelm us; or if we are fated to become food for the monsters of the deep let one devour us;—let us have one common death, one common tomb." I had not long uttered this prayer before the violence of the wind abated and the roughness of the waves subsided, and the surface of the sea was seen covered with floating bodies. Menelaus and his companions were thrown by the waves upon a part of the coast of Egypt which was at that time the general haunt of buccaneers. Late in the evening, Leucippe and I contrived to reach Pelusium, and upon getting to land thanked the gods for our escape; nor did we omit bewailing Clinias and Satyrus, believing them to have been drowned.
In the temple of Casian[8]Jupiter, at Pelusium, there is the statue of a youth very like Apollo; his hand is stretched out and holds a pomegranate, which has a mystic meaning.[9]After praying to this deity, and asking tidings of Clinias and Satyrus (for the god is believed to be prophetic) we walked about the temple; in the treasury[10]at the rear of this edifice we saw two pictures by the artist Evanthes. The subject of one was Andromeda, of the other, Prometheus. Both were represented as bound, for which reason probably the painter had associated them together. They furnished other points of resemblance also; both had a rock for their prison house, and savage beasts for their executioners, the one being a bird of prey, the other a sea monster. The champions also who came to their rescue were both Grecians, Hercules and Perseus. The former is represented standing on the ground and aiming his arrow at the bird of Jove; the latter poised in air directs his attack against the fish. The rock is hollowed out, so as to suit the size of the maiden's body, and the rugged surface given it by the painter, plainly showed that it is intended to represent a production of nature, not the work of art; the maiden is fixed in the hollow of this rock, her lovely form giving her the appearance of a wondrously-carved statue,[11]but the chains and the sea-monster betokening a hastily-planned tomb.[12]Beauty and fear are mingled in her countenance, yet the pallor of her cheeks is not wholly untinged with colour, while the brightness of her eyes is tempered by a languor such as is seen in violets when they begin to fade; thus had the painter imparted to her the expression of comely fear.[13]Her arms, extended on either side, are chained against the rock, the wrists and fingers hanging down like the clusters from the vine; her arms are of spotless white, but approaching to a livid hue, and her fingers appear bloodless. Bound in this fashion she is awaiting death. Her attire is bridal, of white, and reaching to the feet, of a texture so fine as to resemble a spider's web, the production not of the wool of sheep, but of the down of winged insects whose webs Indian women gather from the trees and weave.[14]The monster is emerging from the sea opposite the maiden; his head alone appears above the waves, but the outline of his body is distinguishable beneath the water: the junctures of his scales, the curvature of his back, the ridge of his spines, the twisting of his tail; his immense jaws are expanded as far as his shoulders, and to the very entrance of his maw. In the intermediate space is seen Perseus descending from the sky, his body naked, with the exception of a mantle about his shoulders, winged sandals upon his feet, and a cap resembling Pluto's helmet[15]upon his head; in his left hand he grasps the Gorgon's head, holding it forth in the manner of a shield; the face is fearful to behold, and even on the painter's canvas seems to glare with its eyes, to bristle up its locks, to shake its serpents. His right hand is armed with a weapon between a straight sword and a scimitar; from the hilt to the middle it is a sword, it then partakes of both, remaining sharp so as to inflict a wound, and becoming curved in order to follow up and improve the stroke. Such was the "Andromeda."
Next to it, as I before remarked, was a painting of Prometheus bound to the rock. Hercules stands near him, armed with his bow and arrows. The vulture is feasting upon his side, in which it has inflicted a lacerating wound, and with its beak inserted in the opening, seems to be digging after the liver, of which the painter allows a portion to be visible.[16]The talons of the bird are firmly planted upon the thigh of Prometheus, who shrinks with agony, contracts his side, and draws back his leg to his own hurt, for the movement brings the eagle nearer to his liver. The other leg is stretched out straight before him, and the tension of the muscles is visible to the extreme point of the toes;[17]his whole appearance is that of acute suffering, his eyebrows are contracted, his lips drawn in, and his teeth appear; you could almost compassionate the painting, as though itself felt pain. In his misery, Hercules is come to his aid, and is preparing to transfix his tormentor; already the arrow is on the bow, which he extends with his left hand, while with his right hand he draws the string to his breast; in doing which the elbow is seen shortened from behind. The stretching of the bow, the drawing back the string, the hand touching the breast, all seemed the work of a single moment.[18]Prometheus appears divided between hope and fear; he looks partly at his wounded side, partly at Hercules; fain would he fix his eyes upon him alone; but his agony turns them back, in part, upon himself.
After remaining two days at Pelusium to recruit ourselves after our fatigues, having fortunately some money left we engaged an Egyptian vessel, and proceeded by way of the Nile to Alexandria, with the intention of making some stay there, thinking likewise that we might find in that city some of our shipwrecked friends. Upon nearing a certain town, not far from the river, we suddenly heard a loud shout; upon which the master exclaiming, "The buccaneers are upon us!" endeavoured to put about his vessel, and to sail back, when in a moment the bark was thronged with men of formidable and savage mien. They were all tall and stout; their complexion was black,—not the jet black of the Indians, but that of a mongrel Ethiopian; they had shaven heads and very small feet, and spoke a barbarous dialect.[19]As this was the narrowest part of the river, escape was impossible; so the master exclaiming, "We are all lost!" brought the vessel to. Four of the buccaneers came on board and carried off everything which they could lay hands on, not forgetting our stock of money; we were then taken on shore, bound and shut up in a hut, when the greater part of them rode away, leaving guards, who were to conduct us next day to the king, as their chief is styled, who, as we learnt from our fellow captives, was about two days' journey distant.
When night came on, and we were lying there bound and our guards were asleep, I found leisure to bewail Leucippe, reflecting how many calamities I had brought upon her. Deeply groaning in soul, and carefully suppressing any outward sound of grief, "Oh, ye gods and genii!" I said within myself, "if ye really exist and hear me, what heinous crimes have we committed, that in a few short days we should be plunged into such a depth of misery? And now, to crown all, ye have delivered us into the hands of Egyptian buccaneers, cutting us off from any chance of pity. Our voice and our entreaties might mollify the heart of a Grecian pirate; for words oftentimes beget compassion, and the tongue ministering to the necessities of the soul, subdues the angry feeling of the hearer; but in our present case, what language can we employ, what oaths of submission can we take? Had I tones more persuasive than the Syrens', these barbarian homicides would neither understand nor listen to me; I must then be content to supplicate with signs and gestures, and pantomimic[20]show; it is not so much for my own misfortunes, severe as they are, which I lament, but how shall I sufficiently bewail, how sufficiently weep for thine, Leucippe, thou who hast shown thyself so faithful in all the straits of love, so tender towards thy unhappy lover! Behold, the splendid preparation for thy marriage; a prison for thy bridal chamber, earth for thy couch, the noose and the rope for thy necklaces and bracelets, a pirate for thy bridesman,[21]a dirge for thy nuptial hymn. Ο Sea! I have thanked thee without reason; rather should I upbraid thee for thy mercy; greater in reality has been thy kindness to those whom thou hast drowned; our preservation deserves rather to be called destruction, for thou hast grudged us death except by the hands of buccaneers." In this manner did I inwardly lament, but no tears came to my relief; this is indeed peculiar to the eyes in all great misfortunes; in the season of any ordinary grief, they flow readily enough,[22]and then they not only serve as intercessors between the sufferer and the cause of his sufferings, but they also diminish the inward swelling of the heart; but in the time of excessive sorrow, tears take to flight and are traitors to the eyes; sorrow encounters them as they are springing from their fountain, arrests their progress and compels them to retrace their way; accordingly, turned from the direction of the eyes they flow back upon the soul and exasperate its inward wounds.
Turning to Leucippe, who had not spoken a word, I said, "Why are you silent, dearest? Why do you not speak to me?" "Because," she replied, "though my soul still lives, my voice is already dead." The dawn imperceptibly overtook us while we were engaged in conversation, when a horseman suddenly rode up with a profusion of long matted hair;[23]his horse was as shaggy as himself and bare-backed, without housings of any kind, as is customary with the horses of these buccaneers. He came it appeared from their captain, with orders to bring away any maiden whom he might find to be an expiatory offering on behalf of the pirates, to their god. The guards immediately seized Leucippe, who clung to me with shrieks, but while some of them struck me, others tore her away, placed her on horseback and rode away, leaving us who were still bound to follow at greater leisure. We had scarcely proceeded two furlongs from the village when we heard a loud shouting mingled with the sounds of a trumpet, and presently a body of heavy armed soldiers appeared in view, upon which the pirates, placing us in the centre, stood their ground and prepared for resistance. The soldiers were about fifty in number, some bearing long shields reaching to the feet, others having only bucklers. The buccaneers, who were far superior in numbers, began to pelt the military with clods of earth:[24]now, an Egyptian clod can do more execution than any other, for being of stony earth, it is at the same time heavy, rough, and jagged, can raise a swelling and inflict a wound. The soldiers relying upon the protection of their shields cared little for these missiles, and waiting till the buccaneers were tired with their exertions, they suddenly opened their ranks, when the light-armed darted out, each armed with a javelin and a sword, and so skilful was the aim that no one missed his mark; the heavy-armed proceeded to support them and a stubborn fight took place, in which abundance of blows and wounds were exchanged on either side. Military discipline made up for deficiency of numbers, the pirates began to give ground, which, when we observed, I and the other prisoners bursting through their ranks went over to the enemy; ignorant of our real condition the soldiers were about to kill us, when perceiving us to be naked and bound with cords, they received us into their ranks and sent us for safety to the rear; meanwhile a body of cavalry came up and extending their flanks they surrounded the buccaneers, got them into a narrow space and cut them down; the greater part were soon dispatched, some though severely wounded still resisted, the rest were taken prisoners. It was now about evening; the commander of the forces, Charmides by name, interrogated us severally, asking who we were, and how we had been captured. The others told their stories and I related my own adventures; after hearing every particular he desired us to follow him, promising to supply us with arms; it being his intention, as soon as the rest of his troops came up, to attack the chief haunt of the pirates, where it was said there were ten thousand men. Being a good rider I requested the favour of a horse, and no sooner was my wish complied with, than mounting I went through the different evolutions of a cavalry soldier, to the great delight of the commander. He insisted on having me as a guest at his own table, and after hearing my history at supper time, expressed his commiseration of my misfortunes.
The listening to others' grief often times begets sympathy in the hearers, and this sympathy leads to friendship, the soul affected by the relation of woe, passing from feelings of pity to sensations of a tenderer kind.[25]Charmides, at any rate, was so much moved, that he could not refrain from tears; more than this he could not do, as Leucippe was in the power of the pirates. I may also mention that he kindly gave me an Egyptian as my servant. The next day he prepared to advance against the buccaneers, who were seen in great force on the other side of a trench which it was his object to fill up. They had constructed a rude altar of earth, and near it lay a coffin; two men were seen conducting the maiden, whose hands were bound behind her back.
I could not distinguish who they were, because their armour concealed them, but I easily recognized Leucippe. After pouring a libation upon her head, they led her round the altar, an Egyptian priest all the while chanting a hymn as was evident from the motion of his lips and the muscles of his face;[26]when this was ended, all at a signal being given retired to a considerable distance, when one of the young men who had conducted the maiden placed her upon the ground, bound her to four wooden pegs—-just as image makers represent Marsyas bound to the tree—and then drawing a sword plunged it into her heart, and drawing the weapon downwards laid open all her belly so that the intestines immediately protruded; then they removed and laid them upon the altar, and when roasted they were cut into portions and partaken of by the pirates. The soldiers and their commander upon witnessing these proceedings cried out and averted their faces in disgust; strange to say, I continued to gaze in stupid astonishment, as if thunderstruck by the surpassing horror of the spectacle. There may really have been some truth in the legend of Niobe, and from being affected by the loss of her children, in the same way in which I was now, her motionless appearance may have given her the appearance of being turned to stone. When the horrible business was, as I supposed ended, the young men placed the body in the coffin, covering it with a lid, and after throwing down the altar, hurried back to their companions, not once looking behind them, for such had been the injunction of the priest.
By evening the trench was filled up and the soldiers after crossing it, encamped for the night and prepared their supper. Charmides seeing my distress, did all in his power to console me, but to no purpose; for about the first watch of the night, when all were asleep, I took my sword, proceeded to the spot and prepared to stab myself upon the coffin.—"Wretched Leucippe," I exclaimed, "thou most ill-fated of human kind, I lament not so much thy death, nor thy dying in a foreign land, nor that it has been a death of violence; but that such insults have been heaped upon thy misfortunes—that thou hast been made a victim to purify the most polluted of their kind—that thou hast been ripped up while yet alive, and able to gaze upon the horrid process—that thou hast had an accursed altar and coffin for thy joint grave, the former for thy bowels, the latter for thy body. Had the fire consumed thy entrails, there would be less cause to grieve; but now, most horrible, they have been made to furnish forth food to a pirate band! Ο accursed altar-torch, Ο unheard of banquet! and yet the gods looked quietly down upon such proceedings,[27]and yet the fire was not extinguished, but polluted as it was sent up its odour with acceptance to the deities! Leucippe, thou shalt now receive from me the offering which befits thee." After uttering these words, I raised the sword and was on the point of stabbing myself, when by the light of the moon I perceived two men hastily running towards me; supposing them to be buccaneers, I paused in the expectation of being put to death by them; they soon reached the spot where I was standing and both called aloud to me, and who should they prove to be, but Satyrus and Menelaus. So profound was my grief at what had taken place, that though I saw before me two of my friends unexpectedly alive and well, I neither embraced them nor felt any emotion of joy.
Seizing my hand they endeavoured to wrest the sword from me. "In the name of the gods," said I, "grudge me not a welcome death, or rather, I should say, a medicine for all my ills. Do what you please; I will no longer remain in life, now that Leucippe is gone. You may indeed deprive me of this weapon, but there will remain a sword of grief within which slowly kills and drinks my blood; do you wish that I should die by this slow and lingering death?" Upon this, interrupting me, Menelaus said, "If this be your only reason for dying, you may put up your sword; Leucippe shall soon come to life again." I looked steadfastly at him, and exclaimed, "Can you insult me in the midst of such calamities?—have some regard for hospitable Jove." Without farther delay he tapped upon the coffin several times, calling out, "Leucippe, since Clitopho is incredulous, do you bear witness to the truth of what I say;" and almost immediately a faint voice was heard proceeding from the interior. A sudden trembling seized me, and I gazed upon Menelaus, half believing him to be a sorcerer; he proceeded to remove the lid, when Leucippe slowly rose and came forth, presenting the most fearful spectacle which can be imagined; the lower part of her person was entirely laid open and all her bowels had been removed; we rushed into each other's embrace and both fell to the ground. When I had recovered myself a little, I said to Menelaus, "Will you not explain the meaning of all this? Is not this Leucippe whose face I behold, whose form I press, and whose voice I hear? What was it which I witnessed yesterday? Either it was an idle dream, or what I now see is an unreality; and yet this kiss is warm, loving, and sweet, as Leucippe's was wont to be."—"Her bowels shall soon be restored," was his reply; "the wound on her breast shall be healed, and you shall behold her sound as ever, but be so good as to cover your eyes, for I must call Hecate to lend us her assistance."
Believing him in earnest I followed his directions, and he began to practise his juggling tricks and to mutter certain sounds, at the same time removing the contrivances from Leucippe's body and restoring her to her usual appearance. "Uncover your face," he at length exclaimed. Slowly and with great trepidation—for I really believed that Hecate was there—I removed my hands from my eyes, and beheld Leucippe's own sweet self, unharmed in any way: more astonished than ever, "My dear Menelaus," said I, "if you are the minister of any god, tell me where we are, and what all these things mean."—"Do not frighten him any more," interrupted Leucippe, "but at once tell him how you contrived to outwit the buccaneers."—"You may remember my telling you on board ship," said Menelaus, "that I am by birth an Egyptian; my property lies chiefly about this village, and I am consequently well acquainted with the principal persons in it; when I and Satyrus after being shipwrecked were thrown on shore we were conducted into the presence of the pirate chief; some of his people soon recognized me, upon which my chains were taken off, and after assuring me of safety I was strongly urged to join their company as being in some degree already known to them. Upon this I required that Satyrus should be delivered up to me, declaring him to be a slave of mine: 'Your wish shall be complied with,' they replied, 'provided you first give some proof of courage in our cause.' Fortunately they had just then been commanded by an oracle to offer up a virgin as an expiation for their robber band, and after tasting the victim's entrails they were to place the body in a coffin and to retire from the scene of sacrifice. The object of this was to strike terror into the minds of the hostile force; but," continued he, addressing Satyrus, "the rest of the story belongs more properly to you."