Ly. Said I not well? More easily shall a corpse1 lie mouldering2 in the sun, and the vulture mark it not, than any strange sight escape Timolaus, no matter though he must run all the way to Corinth at a stretch for it. — Indefatigable3 sightseer!
Ti. Well, Lycinus, what do you expect? One has nothing to do, and just then one hears that a great monster of an Egyptian corn-ship has put in to Piraeus. What is more, I believe you and Samippus came down on precisely4 the same errand.
Ly. So we did, so we did, and Adimantus with us; only he has got lost somewhere in the crowd of spectators. We came all together to the ship; and going on board you were in front, Samippus, if I remember, and Adimantus next, and I was behind, hanging on to him for dear life; he gave me a hand all up the gangway, because I had never taken my shoes off, and he had; but I saw no more of him after that, either on board or when we came ashore5.
Sa. You see when it was we lost him, Lycinus? It must have been when that nice-looking boy came up from the hold, you know, with the beautiful clean linen6, and his hair parted in the middle and done up in a knot behind. If I know anything of Adimantus, he no sooner saw that charming sight, than he said good-bye to the Egyptian ship-wright who was showing us round; and now stands urging his tearful suit. You know; his way; tears come natural to him in these affairs of the heart.
Ly. Well, but, Samippus, this boy was nothing great, that he should make such a conquest; Adimantus has the beauties of Athens at his beck; nice gentlemanly boys, with good Greek, on their tongues, and the mark of the gymnasium on every muscle; a man may languish7 under their rigours with some credit. As for this fellow, to say nothing of his dark skin, and protruding8 lips, and spindle shanks, his words came tumbling out in a heap, one on the top of another; it was Greek, of course, but the voice, the accent were Egyptian born. And then his hair: no freeman ever had his hair tied up in a knot behind like that.
Ti. Oh, but that is a sign of noble birth in Egypt, Lycinus. All gentlemen’s sons wear their hair done up till they reach manhood. It was the other way with our ancestors: the topknot, and the golden grasshopper9 to keep it together, were the proper thing for old men in their time.
Sa. Very much to the point, Timolaus; you allude10 to the remarks in Thucydides’s preface, about our old luxurious11 habits, as preserved in the Asiatic colonies
Ly. Of course! I remember now where it was we lost Adimantus. It was when we were standing12 all that time looking up at the mast, counting the layers of hides, and watching that marvellous fellow going up the shrouds13, and running along the yards, perfectly14 comfortable, with just a hand on the yard-tackling.
Sa. So it was. Well, now what are we to do? Shall we wait for him here, or do you think I had better go back on board?
Ti. No, no, let us walk on; he has probably gone tearing off home, not being able to find us. Anyhow, he knows the way; he will never get lost for want of us to take care of him.
Ly. It is rather a shame, perhaps, to go off and leave one’s friend to shift for himself. However, I agree, if Samippus does.
Sa. Certainly I do. We may find the gymnasium open still. — I say, though, what a size that ship was! 180 feet long, the man said, and something over a quarter of that in width; and from deck to keel, the maximum depth, through the hold, 44 feet. And then the height of the mast, with its huge yard; and what a forestay it takes to hold it! And the lofty stern with its gradual curve, and its gilded15 beak16, balanced at the other end by the long rising sweep of the prow17, and the figures of her name-goddess, Isis, on either side. As to the other ornamental18 details, the paintings and the scarlet19 topsail, I was more struck by the anchors, and the capstans and windlasses, and the stern cabins. The crew was like a small army. And they were saying she carried as much corn as would feed every soul in Attica for a year. And all depends for its safety on one little old atomy of a man, who controls that great rudder with a mere20 broomstick of a tiller! He was pointed21 out to me; Heron was his name, I think; a woolly-pated fellow, half-bald.
Ti. He is a wonderful hand at it, so the crew say; a very Proteus in sea-cunning. Did they tell you how he brought them here, and all their adventures? how they were saved by a star?
Ly. No; you can tell us about that now.
Ti. I had it from the master, a nice intelligent fellow to talk to. They set sail with a moderate wind from Pharus, and sighted Acamas on the seventh day. Then a west wind got up, and they were carried as far east as Sidon. On their way thence they came in for a heavy gale22, and the tenth day brought them through the Straits to the Chelidon Isles23; and there they very nearly went to the bottom. I have sailed past the Chelidons myself, and I know the sort of seas you get there, especially if the wind is SW. by S.; it is just there, of course, that the division takes place between the Lycian and Pamphylian waters; and the surge caused by the numerous currents gets broken at the headland, whose rocks have been sharpened by the action of the water till they are like razors; the result is a stupendous crash of waters, the waves often rising to the very top of the crags. This was the kind of thing they found themselves in for, according to the master — and on a pitch dark night! However, the Gods were moved by their distress24, and showed them a fire that enabled them to identify the Lycian coast; and a bright star — either Castor or Pollux — appeared at the masthead, and guided the ship into the open sea on their left; just in time, for she was making straight for the cliff. Having once lost their proper course, they sailed on through the Aegean, bearing up against the Etesian winds, until they came to anchor in Piraeus yesterday, being the seventieth day of the voyage; you see how far they had been carried out of their way; whereas if they had taken Crete on their right, they would have doubled Malea, and been at Rome by this time.
Ly. A pretty pilot this Heron, and no mistake, to get so far out in his reckoning; a man after Nereus’s heart! — But look! that is surely Adimantus?
Ti. Adimantus it is. Let us hail him. Adimantus! . . . Son of Strombichus! . . . of the deme of Myrrhinus! He must be offended with us, or else he is deaf; it is certainly he.
Ly. I can make him out quite clearly now; his cloak, his walk, his cropped head. Let us mend our pace, and catch him up. — We shall have to pull you by the cloak, and compel you to turn round, Adimantus; you will take no notice of our shouts. You seem like one rapt in contemplation; you are pondering on matters of no light import?
Ad. Oh, it is nothing serious. An idle fancy, that came to me as I walked, and engrossed25 my attention, so that I never heard you.
Ly. And the fancy? Tell us without reserve, unless it is a very delicate matter. And even if it is, you know, we have all been through the Mysteries; we can keep a secret.
Ad. No, I had rather not tell you; you would think it so childish.
Ly. Can it be a love affair? Speak on; those mysteries too are not unknown to us; we have been initiated26 in full torchlight.
Ad. Oh dear, no; nothing of that kind. — No; I was making myself an imaginary present of a fortune — that ‘vain, deluding27 joy,’ as it has been called; I had just reached the pinnacle28 of luxury and affluence29 when you arrived.
Ly. Then all I have to say is, ‘Halves!’ Come, out with your wealth! We are Adimantus’s friends: let us share his superfluities.
Ad. Well, I lost sight of you at once on the ship — the moment I had got you safely up, Lycinus. I was measuring the thickness of the anchor, and you disappeared somewhere. However, I went on and saw everything, and then I asked one of the sailors how much the vessel30 brought in to her owner in an average year. Three thousand pounds, he said, was the lowest reckoning. So afterwards, on the way back, I was thinking: Suppose some God took it into his head to make me a present of that ship; what a glorious life I should have of it, and my friends too! Sometimes I could make the trip myself, at other times I could send my men. On the strength of that three thousand, I had already built myself a house, nicely situated31 just above the Poecile — I would have nothing more to say to my ancestral abode32 on the banks of the Ilissus — and was in treaty for my wardrobe and slaves and chariots and stable. And now behold33 me on board, the envy of every passenger, and the terror of my I crew, who regarded me as next thing to a king; I was getting matters shipshape, and taking a last look at the port in the distance, when up comes Lycinus, capsizes the vessel, just as she is scudding34 before a wishing wind, and sends all my wealth to the bottom.
Ly. Well, you are a man of spirit: lay hands on me, and away with me to the governor, for the buccaneer that I am. A flagrant case of piracy35; on the high roads, too, between Athens and Piraeus. Stay, though; perhaps we can compound the matter. What do you say to five ships, larger and finer ones than your Egyptian; above all, warranted not to sink? — each to bring you, shall we say, five cargoes37 of corn per annum? Though I foresee that you will be the most unbearable38 of shipowners when you have got them. The possession of this one made you deaf to our salutations; give you five more — three-masters all of them, and imperishable — and the result is obvious: you will not know your friends when you see them. And so, good voyage to your worship; we will establish ourselves at Piraeus, and question all who land from Egypt or Italy, as to whether they came across Adimantus’s great ship, the Isis, anywhere.
Ad. There now; that was why I refused to tell you about it at first; I knew you would make a jest and a laughing-stock of my Wish. So now I shall stop here till you have got on ahead, and then I shall go another voyage on my ship. I like talking to my sailors much better than being jeered39 at by you.
Ly. That will never do. We shall hang about, and go on board too.
Ad. I shall go on first, and haul up the gangway.
Ly. Then we shall swim across and board you. You seem to think there will be no difficulty about your acquiring these great ships without building them or paying for them; why should not we obtain from the Gods the privilege of swimming for an indefinite distance without getting tired? You made no objection to our company the other day, you know, when we all went across together to Aegina, to see the rites40 of Hecate, in that tiny little boat, at sixpence a head; and now you are furious at the idea of our going on board with you; you go on ahead, and haul up the gangway. You forget yourself, my Shipowner; you wax fat and kick; you withhold41 from Nemesis42 her due. See what comes of houses in fashionable quarters, and great retinues43. Well, please remember to bring us back some of those exquisite44 smoked fish from the Nile, or some myrrh from Canopus, or an ibis from Memphis; — I suppose you would scarcely have room for a pyramid?
Ti. That is enough, Lycinus. Spare his blushes. You have quite swamped his ship; she is laughter-logged, and can weather it no longer. Now, we have still some distance before us; let us break it up into four parts, and each have so many furlongs, in which he may demand of the Gods what he will. This will lighten our journey, and amuse us into the bargain; we shall revel45 in a delightful46 waking dream of unlimited47 prosperity; for each of us will have full control of his own Wish, and it will be understood that the Gods must grant everything, however impracticable. Above all, it will give us an idea who would make the best use of the supposed wealth; we shall see what kind of a man it would have made of him.
Sa. A good idea. I am your man; I undertake to wish when my turn comes. We need not ask Adimantus whether he agrees; he has one foot on board already. We must have Lycinus’s sanction, however.
Ly. Why, let us to our wealth, if so it must be. Where all is prosperity, I would not be thought to cast an evil eye.
Ad. Who begins?
Ly. You; and then Samippus, and then Timolaus. I shall only want the last hundred yards or so before the Gate for mine, and a quick hundred, too.
Ad. Well, I stick to my ship still; only I shall wish some more things, as it is allowed. May the God of Luck say Yes to all! I will have the ship, and everything in her; the cargo36, the merchants, the women, the sailors, and anything else that is particularly nice to have.
Sa. You forget one thing you have on board —
Ad. Oh, the boy with the hair; yes, him too. And instead of the present cargo of wheat, I will have the same bulk of coined gold, all sovereigns.
Ly. Hullo! The ship will sink. Wheat and gold to the same bulk are not of the same weight.
Ad. Now, don’t make envious48 remarks. When your turn comes, you can have the whole of Fames turned into a mass of gold if you like, and I shall say nothing.
Ly. Oh, I was only thinking of your safety. I don’t want all hands to go down with the golden cargo. It would not matter so much about us, but the poor boy would be drowned; he can’t swim.
Ti. Oh, that will be all right. The dolphins will pick him up and get him to shore. Shall a paltry49 musician be rescued by them for a song’s sake, a lifeless Melicertes be carried on their backs to the Isthmus50, and Adimantus’s latest purchase find never an amorous51 dolphin at his need?
Ad. Timolaus, you are just as bad as Lycinus, with your superfluous52 sneers53. You ought to know better; it was all your idea.
Ti. You should make it more plausible54. Find a treasure under your bed; that would save unloading the gold, and getting it up to town.
Ad. Oh yes! It shall be dug up from under the Hermes in our court; a thousand bushels of coined gold. Well; my first thought has been for a handsome house — ‘the homestead first and chiefest,’ says Hesiod; and my purchases in the neighbourhood are now complete; there remains55 my property at Delphi, and the sea-front at Eleusis; and a little something at the Isthmus (I might want to stop there for the games); and the plain of Sicyon; and in short every scrap56 of land in the country where there is nice shade, or a good stream, or fine fruit; I reserve them all. We will eat off gold plate; and our cups shall weigh 100 lb. apiece; I will have none of the flimsy ware57 that appears on Echecrates’s table.
Ly. I dare say! And how is your cupbearer going to hand you a thing of that weight, when he has filled it? And how will you like taking it from him? It would tax the muscles of a Sisyphus, let alone a cupbearer’s .
Ad. Oh, don’t keep on picking holes in my Wish. I shall have tables and couches of solid gold, if I like; and servants too, if you say another word.
Ly. Well, take care, or you will be like Midas, with nothing but gold to eat and drink; and die of a right royal hunger, a martyr58 to superabundance.
Ad. Your turn will come presently, Lycinus, and then you can be as realistic as you like. To proceed: I must have purple raiment, and every luxury, and sleep as late as I like; with friends to come and pay court to me, and every one bowing down to the ground; and they will all have to wait about at my doors from early morning — the great Cleaenetus and Democritus among them; oh yes, and when they come and try to get in before every one else, seven great foreign giants of porters shall slam the door in their faces, just as theirs do now. And as soon as I feel inclined, I shall peep out like the rising sun, and some of that set I shall simply ignore; but if there is some poor man there, like me before I got the treasure, I shall have a kind word for him: ‘You must come and have dinner with me, after your bath; you know my hour.’ The great men will all choke with envy when they see my chariots and horses, and my handsome slaves — two thousand choice ones, of all ages. Well, so the dinner service is to be of gold — no silver for me, it is much too cheap — and I shall have smoked fish from Spain; wine from Italy; oil from Spain again; our own honey, but it must be clarified without heat; delicacies59 from all quarters; wild boars; hares; all sorts of birds, pheasants, Indian peacocks, Numidian capons; and special cooks for everything, artists in sauce and seasoning60. And when I call for a beaker or goblet61 to pledge any one, he shall take it home with him. As to the people who now pass for rich, they, I need not say, will be paupers62 to me. Dionicus will give up displaying his silver plate and cup in processions, when he sees that my slaves eat off nothing but silver. I should set apart something for the public service, too; a monthly distribution of ￡4 a head to citizens, and half that to foreigners; and the most beautiful theatres and baths you can imagine; and the sea should be brought along a great canal up to the Double Gates, and there would be a harbour close by, so that my ship could be seen lying at anchor from the Ceramicus. And of you who are my friends, Samippus should have twenty bushels of coined gold paid out to him by my steward63; Timolaus, five quarts; and Lycinus one quart, strict measure, because he talks too much, and sneers at my Wish. That is how I would live; revelling64 in every luxury without stint65, superlatively rich. I have done. Hermes bring it all to pass!
Ly. Have you realized on what a slender thread all this wealth depends? Once let that break, and all is gone; your treasure is but dust and ashes.
Ad. How so?
Ly. Why, it is not clear how long this life of affluence is to last. Who knows? You may be sitting one day at your solid gold table, just putting out your hand for a slice of that peacock or capon, when, at that very moment, off flies animula vagula, and Adimantus after her, leaving his all a prey66 to crows and vultures. Need I enumerate67 instances? There have been rich men who have died before they knew what it was to be rich; others have lived to be robbed of their possessions by some malign68 spirit who waits upon wealth. The cases of Croesus and Polycrates are familiar to you. Their riches were greater far than yours; yet at one stroke they lost all. But leaving them out of the case, do you consider that you have good security for the continuance of your health? Look at the number of rich men whose lives are made miserable69 by their infirmities: some are crippled, others are blind, others have internal diseases. Say what you will, I am sure that for double your wealth you would not consent to be a weakling like rich Phanomachus; not to mention the artful designs, the robberies, the envy, and the unpopularity that are inseparable from wealth. See what troubles your treasure will land you in!
Ad. You are always against me, Lycinus. I shall cancel your quart now, for this last piece of spite.
Ly. That is so like a rich man, to draw back and break his promise; a good beginning! Now, Samippus, it is your turn to wish.
Sa. Well, I am a landsman; I come from Mantinea, you know, in Arcadia; so I shall not ask for a ship; I could make no show with that in my country. Nor will I insult the generosity70 of the Gods by asking for so much gold down. I understand there is no boon71 so great, but their power and Timolaus’s law can compass it; we are to wish away without ceremony, he says — they will refuse us nothing. Well then, I wish to be a king. But I will not succeed to a hereditary72 throne, like Alexander of Macedon, Ptolemy, Mithridates and the rest of them. No, I will begin as a brigand73, in a troop of thirty or so, brisk companions ready at need. Then little by little we shall grow to be 300; then 1,000, and presently 10,000; and at last we shall total 50,000 heavy-armed, and 5,000 horse. I shall be elected their chieftain by general consent, having shown myself to be the best qualified74 for the command and conduct of their affairs. Already, you see, I have the advantage of ordinary kings: I am elected to the command on my own merits; I am no hereditary monarch75, reaping the fruits of my predecessor’s labours. That would be like Adimantus, with his treasure; but there is much more satisfaction in knowing that your power is the work of your own hands.
Ly. Now really, this is a Wish, and no mistake; the very acme76 of blessedness; to be commander of that vast company, chosen on your own merits by 50,000 men! A genius, a master! of strategy and king-craft has been quietly growing up in Mantinea, and we not a whit77 the wiser! But I interrupt. Proceed, O King, at the head of your troops; dispose your forces, infantry78 and cavalry79. Whither, I wonder, goes this mighty80 host, issuing from Arcadia? Who are to be the first victims?
Sa. I’ll tell you; or you can come with us, if you like. I will put you in command of the cavalry.
Ly. Why, as to that, your Majesty81, I am much beholden to you for the honour; accept my most oriental prostrations; and manuflexions. But, with all respect to your diadem82, and the perpendicularity83 of your tiara, you would do well to take one of these stout84 fellows instead. I am sadly deficient85 in horsemanship; indeed, I was never on a horse in my life. I am afraid that when the trumpet86 sounded to advance, I might fall off, and be trampled87, in the general confusion, under some of those numerous hoofs88. Or again, my spirited charger might get the bit between his teeth, and carry me right into the midst of the enemy. If I am to remain in possession of saddle and bridle89, I shall have to be tied on.
Ad. All right, Samippus, I will command the cavalry; Lycinus can have the right wing. I have the first claim on you, after all those bushels of sovereigns.
Sa. Let us see what my troopers think of you for a leader. All in favour of Adimantus, hold up their hands.
Ad. All hands go up, look.
Sa. You command the cavalry, then, and Lycinus the right wing. Timolaus will have the left wing. I am in the centre, like the Persian monarchs90 when they take the field in person. Well; after due observance paid to Zeus, king of kings, we advance along the hill-road to Corinth. Greece being now subjugated91 (for no resistance will be offered to our enormous host, we shall merely walk over), we get our troops on to the galleys92, and the horses on to the transports (arrangements having been made at Cenchreae for the requisite93 number of vessels94, with adequate provision and so on), cross the Aegean, and land in Ionia. Here we sacrifice to Artemis, and finding the various cities unfortified, take easy possession of them, put in governors, and march on in the direction of Syria. On the way we pass through Caria, Lycia, Pamphylia, Pisidia, the mountains and sea-board of Cilicia, and so at last reach the Euphrates.
Ly. If your Majesty has no objection, I will stay behind and be Pacha of Greece. I am a poor-spirited fellow; to go all that way from home is not to my liking95 at all. You evidently meditate96 an attack upon the Parthians and Armenians, warlike folk, and unerring shots. Let some one else have the right wing, and let me play Antipater here at home. Some arrow, from the walls of Susa or Bactra, might find a chink in my armour97, and let daylight through me; and there would be a melancholy98 end of my strategic career.
Sa. Oh coward, to desert your post! The penalty for that is decapitation. — We are now at the Euphrates, and have thrown our bridge across. All is secured in our rear by the subordinates whom I have placed in charge of the various districts; officers have also been dispatched for the reduction of Phoenicia and Palestine, and, subsequently, of Egypt. Now, Lycinus, you cross first, with the right wing; I next, and Timolaus after me. Last comes Adimantus with the cavalry. We have now crossed Mesopotamia, and no enemy has yet shown himself; town after town has voluntarily given itself up; we reach Babylon; we enter its gates without warning, and the city is ours. The Persian king meanwhile is at Ctesiphon. He hears of our approach and withdraws to Seleucia, where he proceeds to muster99 his full strength of cavalry, bowmen, and slingers. Our scouts100 report that the force already collected numbers something like a million, including two hundred thousand mounted bowmen; and the Armenian, Caspian, and Bactrian contingents101 are still to come; only the neighbouring districts, the suburbs, as it were, of the empire, have contributed as yet. With such ease does the Persian monarch raise a million of men! It is now time for us to think what we are to do next.
Ad. Well, I say that you should all march for Ctesiphon, leaving me to secure Babylon with the cavalry.
Sa. Are you going to show the white feather too, Adimantus, now that the danger is near? — Timolaus, what is your advice?
Ti. We must march upon the enemy in full force, before they have had time to strengthen their hands with the reinforcements that are pouring in from all quarters; let us engage them whilst they are still making their several ways to Seleucia.
Sa. There is something in that. What do you recommend, Lycinus?
Ly Well, we have all been on our legs till we are tired out; there was the early walk down, and we must be a good three miles now on the way home; and the sun is extremely powerful — it is just about noon: how would it be to sit down for a bit on that ruined column under the olive trees, till we are sufficiently102 restored to complete the journey?
Sa. O sancta simplicitas! Did you think that you were at Athens all this time? You are in the plain before Babylon, in a great camp — engaged in a council of war.
Ly. Why, so I am. I forgot; we are drunk, of course; it is against rules to talk sense.
Sa. Well, now, please, to the attack. Bear yourselves gallantly103 in this hour of danger: be not less than Greeks. See, the enemy are upon us. Our watchword is ‘Lord of Battles.’ The moment the trumpet sounds, raise the war-cry, clash spear upon shield, and lose no time in coming to close quarters, out of danger of their arrows; otherwise the bowmen will give us a warm reception. No sooner do we get to work than Timolaus with his left wing routs104 their right; in the centre the conflict is even; for I have the native Persian troops against me, and the king is in their midst. The whole strength of their cavalry bears down upon our right wing; play the man, therefore, Lycinus; and encourage your troops to receive the charge.
Ly. Just my luck! Every single trooper of them is making straight for me, as if I were the only foeman worthy105 of their steel. If they go on like this, I think I shall have to turn tail and make for the gymnasium, and leave you to fight it out.
Sa. Nonsense; you have almost beaten them already. Now, observe, the king challenges me to single combat; honour forbids that I should draw back; I accordingly engage him.
Ly. To be sure; and are promptly106 wounded. No king should omit to receive a wound, when empire is at stake.
Sa. Well, yes; I do get just a scratch; it is well out of sight, however, so the scar will be no disfigurement. On the other hand, observe the fury of my charge: I send my spear through horse and rider at one stroke; cut off the royal head; remove the diadem therefrom, and am saluted107 as king with universal prostrations. That applies only to the barbarians108; from you who are Greeks I shall have merely the usual title of commander-in-chief. You may imagine the rest: the Samippopolises I shall found, the cities I shall storm and destroy for slighting my supremacy109. The wealthy Cydias will come in for the largest share of my attention; I have not forgotten his gradual encroachments on my property, in the days when we were neighbours.
Ly. Stop there, Samippus; after such a victory, it is high time you retired110 to Babylon, to keep festival. Three-quarters of a mile is your allowance of dominion111, as I reckon it. Timolaus now selects his wish.
Sa. Well, tell me what you think of mine?
Ly. It seems to me, most sapient112 monarch, to involve considerably113 more trouble and annoyance114 than that of Adimantus. While he lives luxuriously115, and hands about gold cups — hundred-pounders — to his guests, you are sustaining wounds in single combat. From morning till night, all is worry and anxiety with you. You have not only the public enemies to fear: there are the numberless conspiracies116, the envy and hatred117 of your courtiers; you have flatterers enough, but not one friend; their seeming goodwill118 is the work of fear or ambition. As to enjoyment119, you can never dream of such a thing. You have to content yourself with glory and gold embroidery120 and purple; with the victor’s garland, and the king’s bodyguard121; beyond these there is nothing but intolerable toil122 and continual discomfort123. You are either negotiating with ambassadors, or judging cases, or issuing mandates124 to your subjects. Here a tribe revolts: there an enemy invades. All is fear and suspicion. The world may think you happy; but you know better. And surely it is a very humiliating circumstance that you should be apt to fall ill, just like ordinary people? Fevers seem not to understand that you are a king; nor does Death stand in any awe125 of your bodyguard; when the fancy takes him, he comes, and carries you off lamenting126; what cares he for the diadem? Fallen from your high estate, dragged from your kingly throne, you go the same road as the rest of us; there is no ‘benefit of royalty’ among the timid flock of shades. You leave behind you upon earth some massive tomb, some stately column, some pyramid of noble outline; but it will be too late then for vanity to enjoy these things; and the statues and temples, the offerings of obsequious127 cities, nay128, your great name itself, all will presently decay, and vanish, and be of no further account. Take it at the best; let all endure for ages: what will it profit your senseless clay? And it is for this that you are to live uneasy days, ever scheming, fearing, toiling129! — Timolaus, the wish is with you. We shall expect better things from your judgement and experience.
Ti. See if you can find anything questionable130 or reprehensible131 in what I propose. As to treasure-heaps and bushels of coin, I will have none of them; nor monarchy132, with the wars and terrors it involves. You rightly censured133 such things, precarious134 as they are, exposed to endless machinations, and bringing with them more vexation than pleasure. No; my wish is that Hermes should appear and present me with certain rings. possessed135 of certain powers. One should ensure its wearer continual health and strength, invulnerability, insensibility to pain. Another, like that of Gyges, should make me invisible. A third should give me the strength to pick up with ease a weight that ten thousand men could barely move. Then I must be able to fly to any height above the earth; a ring for that, Again, I shall want to be able to put people to sleep upon occasion and at my approach all doors must immediately fly open; all bolts yield, all bars withdraw. One ring may secure these points. There remains yet one, the most precious of them all; for with it on my finger I am the desire of every woman and boy, ay, of whole nations; not one escapes me; I am in all hearts, on all tongues. Women will hang themselves for the vehemence136 of their passion, boys will go mad. Happy will those few be reckoned on whom I cast a glance; and those whom I scorn will pine away for grief. Hyacinth, Hylas, Phaon, will sink into insignificance137 beside me. And all this I hold on no brief tenure138; the limitations of human life are not for me. I shall live a thousand years, ever renewing my youth, and casting off the slough139 of old age every time I get to seventeen. — With these rings I shall lack nothing. All that is another’s is mine: for can I not open his doors, put his guards to sleep, and walk in unperceived? Instead of sending to India or to the Hyperboreans for their curiosities, their treasures, their wines or their delicacies, I can fly thither140 myself, and take my fill of all. The phoenix141 of India, the griffin, that winged monster, are sights unknown to others: I shall see them. I alone shall know the sources of the Nile, the lands that are uninhabited, the Antipodes, if such there be, dwelling142 on the other side of the earth. Nay, I may learn the nature of the stars, the moon, the sun itself; for fire cannot harm me. And think of the joy of announcing the Olympian victor’s name in Babylon, on the day of the contest! or of having one’s breakfast in Syria, and one’s dinner in Italy! Had I an enemy, I could be even with him, thanks to my invisibility, by cracking his skull143 with a rock; my friends, on the other hand, I might subsidize with showers of gold as they lay asleep. Have we some overweening tyrant144, who insults us with his wealth? I carry him off a couple of miles or so, and drop him over the nearest precipice145. I could enjoy the company of my beloved without let or hindrance146, going secretly in after I had put every one else in the house to sleep. What a thing it would be to hover147 overhead, out of range, and watch contending armies! If I liked, I could take the part of the vanquished148, send their conquerors149 to sleep, rally the fugitives150 and give them the victory. In short, the affairs of humanity would be my diversion; all things would be in my power; mankind would account me a God. Here is the perfection of happiness, secure and indestructible, backed as it is by health and longevity151. What faults have you to find, Lycinus?
Ly. None; it is not safe to thwart152 a man who has wings, and the strength of ten thousand. I have only one question to ask. Did you ever, among all the nations you passed in your flight, meet with a similar case of mental aberration153? a man of mature years riding about on a finger-ring, moving whole mountains with a touch; bald and snub-nosed, yet the desire of all eyes? Ah, there was another point. What is to prevent one single ring from doing all the work? Why go about with your left hand loaded — a ring to every finger? nay, they overflow154; the right hand must be forced into the service. And you have left out the most important ring of all, the one to stop your drivelling at this absurd rate. Perhaps you consider that a stiffish dose of hellebore would serve the turn?
Ti. Now, positively155, Lycinus, you must have a try yourself. You find fault with everybody else; this time we should like to hear your version of a really unexceptionable wish.
Ly. What do I want with a wish? Here we are at the gates. What with the valiant156 Samippus’s single combat at Babylon, and your breakfasts in Syria and dinners in Italy, you have used up my ground between you; and you are heartily157 welcome. I have no fancy for a short-lived visionary wealth, with the humiliating sequel of barley-bread and no butter. That will be your fate presently. Your bliss158 and your wealth will take wings; you will wake from your charming dreams of treasure and diadems159, to find that your domestic arrangements are of quite another kind, like the actors who take the king’s part in tragedies; — their late majesties160 King Agamemnon and King Creon usually return to very short commons on leaving the theatre. Some depression, some discontent at your existing arrangements, is to be expected on the occasion. You will be the worst off, Timolaus. Your flying-machine will come to grief, like that of Icarus; you will descend161 from the skies, and foot it on the ground; and all those rings will slip off and be lost. As for me, I am content with the exquisite amusement afforded me by your various wishes; I would not exchange it for all the treasure in the world, Babylon included. And you call yourselves philosophers!
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1
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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mouldering
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| v.腐朽( moulder的现在分词 )；腐烂，崩塌 | |
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indefatigable
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| adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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languish
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| vi.变得衰弱无力，失去活力，（植物等）凋萎 | |
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protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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grasshopper
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| n.蚱蜢，蝗虫，蚂蚱 | |
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allude
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| v.提及，暗指 | |
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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shrouds
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| n.裹尸布( shroud的名词复数 )；寿衣；遮蔽物；覆盖物v.隐瞒( shroud的第三人称单数 )；保密 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 | |
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prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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isles
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| 岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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initiated
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| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
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deluding
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| v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的现在分词 ) | |
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pinnacle
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| n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰 | |
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affluence
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| n.充裕，富足 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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scudding
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| n.刮面v.（尤指船、舰或云彩）笔直、高速而平稳地移动( scud的现在分词 ) | |
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35
piracy
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| n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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cargoes
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| n.（船或飞机装载的）货物( cargo的名词复数 )；大量，重负 | |
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unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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jeered
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| v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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nemesis
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| n.给以报应者，复仇者，难以对付的敌手 | |
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retinues
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| n.一批随员( retinue的名词复数 ) | |
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44
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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45
revel
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| vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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paltry
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| adj.无价值的，微不足道的 | |
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50
isthmus
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| n.地峡 | |
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51
amorous
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| adj.多情的；有关爱情的 | |
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52
superfluous
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| adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的 | |
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53
sneers
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| 讥笑的表情（言语）( sneer的名词复数 ) | |
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54
plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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55
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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56
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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57
ware
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| n.(常用复数)商品，货物 | |
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58
martyr
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| n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲 | |
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59
delicacies
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| n.棘手( delicacy的名词复数 )；精致；精美的食物；周到 | |
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60
seasoning
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| n.调味；调味料；增添趣味之物 | |
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goblet
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| n.高脚酒杯 | |
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62
paupers
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| n.穷人( pauper的名词复数 )；贫民；贫穷 | |
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steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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64
revelling
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| v.作乐( revel的现在分词 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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65
stint
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| v.节省，限制，停止；n.舍不得化，节约，限制；连续不断的一段时间从事某件事 | |
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66
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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67
enumerate
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| v.列举，计算，枚举，数 | |
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68
malign
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| adj.有害的；恶性的；恶意的；v.诽谤，诬蔑 | |
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69
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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70
generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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71
boon
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| n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠 | |
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72
hereditary
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| adj.遗传的，遗传性的，可继承的，世袭的 | |
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73
brigand
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| n.土匪，强盗 | |
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qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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acme
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| n.顶点，极点 | |
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whit
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| n.一点，丝毫 | |
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infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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79
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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81
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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82
diadem
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| n.王冠，冕 | |
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83
perpendicularity
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| n.垂直，直立；垂直度 | |
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85
deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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86
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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87
trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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88
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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89
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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monarchs
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| 君主，帝王( monarch的名词复数 ) | |
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91
subjugated
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| v.征服，降伏( subjugate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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92
galleys
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| n.平底大船，战舰( galley的名词复数 )；（船上或航空器上的）厨房 | |
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93
requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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94
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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95
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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96
meditate
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| v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想 | |
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97
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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99
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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100
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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contingents
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| （志趣相投、尤指来自同一地方的）一组与会者( contingent的名词复数 )； 代表团； （军队的）分遣队； 小分队 | |
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102
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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103
gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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104
routs
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| n.打垮，赶跑( rout的名词复数 )；（体育）打败对方v.打垮，赶跑( rout的第三人称单数 )；（体育）打败对方 | |
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105
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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106
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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107
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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108
barbarians
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| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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109
supremacy
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| n.至上；至高权力 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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111
dominion
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| n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图 | |
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112
sapient
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| adj.有见识的，有智慧的 | |
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113
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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114
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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115
luxuriously
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| adv.奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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116
conspiracies
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| n.阴谋，密谋( conspiracy的名词复数 ) | |
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117
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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goodwill
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| n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉 | |
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119
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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120
embroidery
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| n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品 | |
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121
bodyguard
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| n.护卫，保镖 | |
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122
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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123
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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124
mandates
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| 托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式） | |
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125
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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lamenting
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| adj.悲伤的，悲哀的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的现在分词 ) | |
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obsequious
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| adj.谄媚的，奉承的，顺从的 | |
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128
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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129
toiling
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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questionable
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| adj.可疑的，有问题的 | |
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131
reprehensible
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| adj.该受责备的 | |
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132
monarchy
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| n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国 | |
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censured
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| v.指责，非难，谴责( censure的过去式 ) | |
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precarious
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| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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vehemence
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| n.热切；激烈；愤怒 | |
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137
insignificance
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| n.不重要；无价值；无意义 | |
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138
tenure
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| n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期 | |
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139
slough
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| v.蜕皮，脱落，抛弃 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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141
phoenix
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| n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生 | |
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142
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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143
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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144
tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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hindrance
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| n.妨碍，障碍 | |
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hover
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| vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫 | |
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148
vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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149
conquerors
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| 征服者，占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
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150
fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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151
longevity
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| n.长命；长寿 | |
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152
thwart
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| v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的) | |
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153
aberration
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| n.离开正路，脱离常规，色差 | |
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154
overflow
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| v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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156
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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157
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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158
bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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159
diadems
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| n.王冠，王权，带状头饰( diadem的名词复数 ) | |
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160
majesties
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| n.雄伟( majesty的名词复数 )；庄严；陛下；王权 | |
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161
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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