tam lentus vides
Ecquando sævâ fulmen emittes manu,
Si nunc serenum est?
Ecquando sævâ fulmen emittes manu,
Si nunc serenum est?
Scriptori Erotici Graeci
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. "
"Upon learning that Leucippe was taken captive," said Satyrus,
taking up the narrative, "I felt sincere regret on her behalf, and
urged Menelaus by all means to save her; some good genius came to
our assistance; the day before the sacrifice we were sitting by the
sea-shore, overcome with grief and considering what steps were to be
taken. Some of the buccaneers espying a vessel which had got out of her
course from ignorance of the coast, hurried down to attack her; the
crew endeavoured to put out to sea, but being too late they prepared
for resistance.
"There happened to be among them a stage-player or reciter of Homeric
poetry. [28] Arming himself and the rest after the manner of the heroes
of the Iliad, they offered a brave resistance, but being at last
overpowered by a number of the pirate boats, their vessel was sunk
and themselves were slaughtered. It chanced that after this a chest
floated on shore unperceived by the buccaneers; Menelaus getting it
into a retired spot opened it, supposing it might contain something
valuable; among the contents were a cloak and a sword with a hilt five
palms in length, the blade of which was not so long: while Menelaus
was carelessly handling it, the blade flew out and became equal to the
hilt in length, and a different movement reduced it, to its former
dimensions; the ill-fated owner had no doubt been accustomed to use
it upon the stage for the infliction of mimic wounds. I immediately
said to Menelaus, 'if only you will now give proof of your courage,
the deity will second us, and we shall be able to preserve the maiden
without being discovered by the buccaneers. We will get a sheepskin,
one of the softest and most flexible which can be procured, this we
will sew into the shape of a bag, corresponding in size with the
human stomach, and after filling it with entrails and blood, we will
secure the opening; having done this, we will fasten it upon the
maiden's body, and by throwing over her a robe bound by a girdle and
other fastenings we can easily conceal the artifice. The nature of
the oracle given to the pirates and the construction of the sword,
are both strongly in our favour: the oracle commands that the maiden
when adorned for sacrifice is to be ripped open through her dress; and
as for the sword, you see how artfully it is contrived; if you press
it against the human body, the blade flies into the hilt as into a
scabbard, while all the time it will appear to the beholders to have
been run into the body; on the present occasion just enough of the
blade will remain out to cut open the false stomach as soon as the hilt
reaches the sheepskin, and when withdrawn from the wound, the portion
of the sword contained within the hilt will immediately fly out, so
that it will appear to the spectator that the whole of the weapon was
really plunged into the maiden. The pirates will not discover the
deceit, for as I before said, the skin will be concealed by the dress
put over it, and the entrails will immediately protrude from the gash
which it has made; these we shall place upon the altar, and as no one
is to approach the body, we shall be able to place it in the coffin.
You remember the pirate-captain telling you that you were expected to
display some proof of courage; now is the time to go to him and to make
the offer. '
"I followed up my words by many entreaties, invoking Jove the
hospitable, and reminding Menelaus of our having eaten at the same
board[29] and suffered the same perils of shipwreck. The worthy and
true hearted man replied, 'The undertaking is arduous, but one ought
to be prepared to die in the sake of a friend,[30] and death in such
a cause is sweet. ' I then expressed my belief that Clitopho was still
alive, for the maiden had mentioned to me his being left behind,
among the other prisoners, in addition to which the buccaneers who
had fled, brought word to their captain, that all the captives had
contrived to escape into the enemy's ranks during the engagement. 'You
will therefore,' I added, 'be doing him a very great kindness and
will also be the means of delivering this unhappy maiden out of her
misfortunes. ' I succeeded in persuading him, and Fortune favoured us
in our undertaking. While I was busied in preparing what was needed
for our contrivance, Menelaus proceeded to the buccaneers to make the
proposal already mentioned. The chief, by a lucky chance, anticipated
him, and said, 'We have a law, that new comers[31] amongst us, should
first begin the sacrifice, especially when a human victim is to be
offered; be ready therefore against to-morrow; your slave also must
take part in the solemnity. '--'We will endeavour,' replied Menelaus,
'to show ourselves not inferior to any among yourselves. '--'Remember,'
added the pirate-chief, 'that it will be for you to dress and arrange
the maiden in the best manner for consummating the sacrifice. '[32]
Afterwards, when alone, we took the opportunity of fitting out
Leucippe in the manner before related, bidding her have no fear, and
carefully instructing her what to do, enjoining her to remain quiet
in the coffin, if necessary, the whole day, but when an opportunity
offered to seek safety by flying to the encampment; having given her
these directions we led her to the altar: what afterwards occurred you
already know. "
While listening to this narrative, I was overwhelmed by a variety
of feelings, and did not know how sufficiently to express my deep
gratitude to Menelaus; I however adopted the most common method, and
throwing myself at his feet, I embraced his knees and worshipped him
as a god, my heart thrilling with delight. Being now easy concerning
Leucippe, "What," I inquired, "has become of Clinias? " "The last time I
saw him," replied Menelaus, "was when he was clinging to the yard after
the shipwreck; what afterwards became of him I cannot tell. "
Upon hearing this, I could not repress a cry of grief in the midst of
my joy; no doubt some malignant genius envied me the possession of
pure and unalloyed happiness; for this cause doubtless, he whom next
to Leucippe I most valued, was especially selected as a victim by the
sea, that not only his soul might perish,[33] but that he might lose
the rights of sepulture. Oh, ruthless ocean, thus to curtail the full
measure of thy mercy towards us!
There being nothing to detain us longer, we all repaired to the
encampment, and passed the rest of the night in my tent; nor was
it long before the adventure became known. At daybreak, conducting
Menelaus to the commander, I related every particular; Charmides was
highly pleased, and expressed himself in the most friendly terms
towards him. He next inquired what the strength of the enemy amounted
to. Menelaus replied, "That the whole place was full of desperate men,
and that the buccaneers numbered perhaps ten thousand men. "
"Our five thousand," said Charmides, "will be a match for twenty
thousand such as they are: besides which two thousand men will shortly
arrive from the troops who garrison the Delta and Heliopolis. "
While he was still speaking, a boy came in and said that an express
had come from the camp in the Delta, to announce that the expected
reinforcement would not arrive for five days; the incursions of the
buccaneers in that quarter had been repressed indeed, but when the
troops were on the point of marching, the sacred[34] bird, bearing the
sepulchre of his father, had appeared among them, and on this account
the march must be delayed during the period mentioned.
"And pray," inquired I, "what bird is this which is treated with such
respect? What sepulchre is it which he carries with him? "--"He is
called the Phœnix," was the reply; "and is a native of Ethiopia; he
is about the size of the peacock, but superior to him in beauty; his
plumage is bedropt with gold and purple,[35] and he boasts of being
descended from the sun, a claim which is borne out by the appearance
of his head, which is crowned by a splendid circle, the very image of
that orb. [36] The hues are mingled rose and azure, and the disposition
of the feathers represent the rays. He belongs to the Ethiopians during
his life, but the Egyptians possess him after he is dead. He is very
long lived,[37] and upon his decease; his son bears him to the Nile,
having first prepared his sepulchre in the following manner. Taking
a mass of the most fragrant myrrh, sufficient for the purpose, he
excavates the centre with his beak, and the hollow becomes a receptacle
for the dead; then closing up the aperture with earth, he soars aloft
and carries this fruit of his pious labour to the Nile. A flight of
other birds attends him,[38] as a guard of honour, and he resembles
a monarch making a progress. He never deviates from the place of his
destination, the city of the sun, which is the resting-place of the
departed bird; upon arriving there he stations himself upon an elevated
spot, and awaits the arrival of the minister of religion. Presently
an Egyptian priest comes forth from the sanctuary, bearing a book
containing a picture of the bird, in order that he may judge whether
it be genuine. The phœnix, aware of this, opens the receptacle, and
exhibiting the body, makes intercession for its interment;[39] after
which it is received by the sons of the priest and buried; thus, as I
have already observed, this bird is an Ethiopian during his lifetime,
but makes his grave with the Egyptians. "
[Footnote 1: περιάγειν τὴν κεραίαν. Two ropes hung from the horns of
the antenna or yard, the use of which was to turn it round as the wind
veered, so as to keep the sail opposite the wind. See a cut at p. 52 of
the Greek and Rom. Antiq.
"Cornua velatarum obvertimus antennarum. "--Æn. iii. 549.
"At sunset they began to take in sail,
For the sky showed it would come on to blow,
And carry away, perhaps, a mast or so. "--Byron.
]
[Footnote 2: In the original the movements of the passengers are
described by the words δἰαυλος and δρόμος δολιχὸς, expressions
referring to the stadium, where the runners turned round the goal and
came back to the starting-place. ]
[Footnote 3:
"The high wind made the treble, and as bass
The hoarse harsh waves kept time. "--Byron.
]
[Footnote 4: γέῥῤα; these appear to mean the παραῤῥύματα, made of skins
and wicker-work, raised above the edge of the vessel, and intended as a
protection against high waves, &c. --See Dict. Grk. and Rom. Antiq. ]
[Footnote 5:
"Tollimur in cœlum curvato gurgite; et iidem
Subductâ ad manes imos descendimus undâ. "
Virg. Æn. iii. 564.
]
[Footnote 6:
"Strange sounds of wailing, blasphemy, devotion,
Clamour'd in chorus to the roaring ocean. "--Byron.
]
[Footnote 7:
"O Lord! methought what pain it was to drown!
What dreadful noise of water in mine ears!
What sights of ugly death within mine eyes!
. . . . . .
. . . often did I strive
To yield the ghost, but still the envious flood
Kept in my soul, and would not let it forth
To seek the empty, vast, and wand'ring air,
But smother'd it within my panting bulk,
Which almost burst to belch it in the sea. "
Shaksp. Richard III.
]
[Footnote 8: So named from Mount Casius near Pelusium, where he had a
temple. ]
[Footnote 9: "It seems likely that the productivity of nature was
symbolized by the fruit, remarkable as it was for the number of seeds
it contained. "--Note in Blakesley's Herod. , vii. 41. ]
[Footnote 10: κατὰ τὸν οπισθόδομον. ]
[Footnote 11:
μαστούς τ'ἔδειξε, στέρνα, θ' ὡς ἀγάλματος
κάλλιστα. --Eurip. Hec. 560.
]
[Footnote 12: αὐτoσκέδιος τάφος. ]
[Footnote 13: ἐκόσμησεν εὐμόρφῳ φόβῳ. ]
[Footnote 14: Tatius is supposed to mean the silkworm, which he calls
πτηνός, from its changing into a butterfly.
"Quid nemora Æthiopum molli canentia lanâ
Velleraque ut foliis depectant Seres. "--Virg. G. ii. 120.
In the 10th Book of the Ethiopics, the productions of the silkworm are
called "ἀραχνίων νήματα καὶ ὑφάσματα. "]
[Footnote 15: To put on Pluto's helmet was a proverb for becoming
invisible. See Hom. Il. v. 844. In Crabbe's "Parish Register" the coat
is made to serve the same purpose:---
"His shoes of swiftness on his feet he placed,
His _coat_ of darkness on his loins he brac'd,
His sword of sharpness in his hand he took. "
]
[Footnote 16:
". . . rostroque immanis vultur obunco
Immortale jecur tandens, fœcundaque pœnis
Viscera, rimaturque epulis, habitaque sub alto
Pectore. "--Æn. vi. 697.
]
[Footnote 17: εἰs τους δακτύλους ἀποξύνεται. ]
[Footnote 18:
"Then seizing fast the reed, he drew the barb
Home to his bow, the bowstring to his breast,
And when the horn was rounded to an arch
He twang'd it. "--Homer, Il. iv. 123.
]
[Footnote 19: By comparing the description of the piratical haunt
called the Pasturage (in the 1st Bk. of the Ethiopics) with that here
given us of the personal appearance of the pirates, together with the
account of their stronghold at the end of the 4th Book, we are enabled
to form a good idea of the Egyptian βουκόλοι or buccaneers, and of
their way of life. ]
[Footnote 20: τὸν θρῆνον ὀρχἠσομαι. ]
[Footnote 21: νυμφαγωγός. Tatius probably used the term with reference
to Leucippe being taken to the pirate-chief. The strict sense of the
word will be found at p. 599 of Greek and Roman Antiquities. ]
[Footnote 22: "Curæ leves loquuntur; ingentes stupent. "--Sen. Hipp. A.
2. S. iii. ]
[Footnote 23: In the Second Book of the "Ethiopics," the author remarks
on this peculiarity of the Buccaneers:--"βονκόλοι γὰρ ἅλλα τε πρὸς
το φοβερώτερον φαίνεσθαι, καὶ δὴ καὶ τὴν κόμην εἰς ὀφρὺν ἕλκουσι καὶ
σοβοῦσι τῶν ὥμων ἐπιβαίνουσαν. "]
[Footnote 24: In Xen. Cyrop. ii. 3. 17, there is an account of a sham
fight, where half the soldiers pelt with clods, the other half armed
with canes. ]
[Footnote 25:
. . . . "I did consent,
And often did beguile her of her tears,
When I did speak of some distressful stroke
That my youth suffer'd. My story being done,
She gave me for my pains a world of sighs.
. . . . . .
She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd
And I lov'd her that she did pity them. "--Shaksp. Othello.
]
[Footnote 26:
"Post terga juvenum nobiles revocat manus,
Et mœsta vittâ capita purpureâ ligat;
Non thura desunt, non sacer Bacchi liquor.
. . . . . .
Ipse--sacerdos--ipse funestâ prece
Letale carmen _ore violento_ canit. "
Sen. Thyestes. iv. 686.
]
[Footnote 27:
. . . . "Magne regnator Deum.
Tam lentus audis scelera?
tam lentus vides
Ecquando sævâ fulmen emittes manu,
Si nunc serenum est? "--Sen. Hipp. 671.
]
[Footnote 28: ῥαψωδός--one of a class of persons who got their living
by reciting the poems of Homer, and who is here represented as
accoutreing himself and the others in character. ]
[Footnote 29: Tὸ ὁμοτράπεζου--to have eaten at the same table, was
considered an inviolable obligation to friendship; and ἅλα καὶ τράπεζαν
πάραβαίνειν, to transgress the salt and the table; or in other words to
break the laws of hospitality and to injure those by whom they had been
entertained, was considered one of the greatest crimes. --Robinson's
Antiq. of Greece. ]
[Footnote 30:
"Thy friend put in thy bosome;. . .
. . . . . .
If cause require, thou art his sacrifice. "
George Herbert.
]
[Footnote 31: τοὺς πρωτομὐστ ας. ]
[Footnote 32: πρὸς τὴν ἀνατομήν. ]
[Footnote 33: This passage may be illustrated by one which occurs in B.
v. "It is said that the souls of those who have found a watery grave
do not descend to Hades, but wander about the surface of the waves. "
Death by shipwreck, where the body was swallowed up by the deep, was
especially dreaded by the ancients, since without burial of the body,
the soul could not be admitted into the Elysian Fields. --See Ovid,
Trist. i. 2, 61. Virg. Æn. vi. 325, 330. ]
[Footnote 34: Compare the description of the Phœnix with those in
Tacitus, Annal. vi. 28, and in Herod. ii. 73, where see a note in
Blakesley's edit. The object of which is to show that by the Phœnix is
meant a secular period. ]
[Footnote 35: Pliny says, "Auri fulgore circà colla, cetera purpureus,
cæruleam roseis caudam pennis distinguentibus. "--Η. N. x. 2. ]
[Footnote 36:
"Æquatur toto capiti radiata corona
Phœbei referens, verticis alta decus. "
Auctor Carm. incert.
]
[Footnote 37: Five hundred years according to Herodotus, according to
other writers 1560 years. ]
[Footnote 38: "Multo cæterarum volucrum comitatu novam faciem
mirantium. "--Tac. Ann. vi. 28. ]
[Footnote 39: καὶ ἐστι ἐπιτάφιος σοφιστής. ]
BOOK IV.
Upon hearing of the preparations made by the buccaneers, and of the
march of the reinforcements being postponed, Charmides resolved upon
returning to his former quarters, and there to await their arrival. A
lodging was assigned by him to Leucippe and me at a little distance. No
sooner had I entered it, than taking her in my arms, I endeavoured to
accomplish my wishes; she would not consent however, upon which I said
to her: "Do you not observe how many strange and unforeseen accidents
befall us; first we are shipwrecked, then we come into the hands of
pirates, and next you are exposed to be sacrificed, and to undergo a
cruel death. Fortune has just now lulled the storm, let us, therefore,
take advantage of the opportunity, before any yet severer calamity
overtakes us. "
"It is not lawful for me to consent now," was her reply; "for while I
was bewailing myself at the prospect of being sacrificed, the goddess
Diana appeared to me in a dream and said: 'Weep not, maiden, thou shalt
not die; I will protect thee, and thou must remain a virgin until I
conduct thee to thine husband, who shall be Clitopho, and no one else. '"
Upon hearing this circumstance, I was very much annoyed at the delay,
but yet rejoiced at the prospect of future happiness opened to me;
and her mention of the dream reminded me of something similar which
had happened to myself. I thought that during the preceding night I
saw the temple of Venus, and could discern the statue of the goddess
within; upon approaching it with the design of offering up my prayers,
the doors were suddenly closed, and while standing there in a state of
disappointment, a female strongly resembling the statue of the goddess
appeared to me and said: "It is not permitted thee to enter the temple
now; but if thou wilt wait for a short period, I will not only open to
thee its doors, but will constitute thee my priest. " I related this
dream to Leucippe, and although my attempts upon her chastity were not
repeated, I could not get over my feelings of vexation.
An occurrence which just then took place gave Charmides an opportunity
of seeing Leucippe and conceiving a passion for her. Some person had
captured a very curious river animal, called by the Egyptians the
Nile-horse, and in truth he resembles that animal in his belly and
legs, except that he has cloven hoofs;[1] his size is equal to that
of the largest ox; he has a short tail, which as well as his body, is
devoid of hair; his head is large and round, with cheeks like those of
a horse; his nostrils are widely expanded and breathe out sparks, as it
were, of fiery vapours;[2] he has an immense under-jaw, which opens to
nearly the length of his head, and it is garnished with canine teeth
like those of a horse in shape and position, but three times as large.
We were invited to see this creature, and looked at it with great
interest; but the eyes of the commander were rivetted upon Leucippe, of
whom he immediately became enamoured.
In order to detain us there the longer, and by this means to feast his
own eyes, he entered upon a lengthy description of the animal, its
nature and habits, and the manner in which it is captured; that it
is so voracious as to eat up a whole field of corn, and is taken by
employing the following stratagem. Having found out his usual haunt,
the hunters dig a deep pit, which they cover with reeds and earth,
underneath is placed a wooden chest with open doors which reach to the
top of the pit. The animal in passing over the spot at once falls into
the chest as into a cave, when the hunters, who have been on the watch,
immediately close the doors, and in this manner secure their prey. It
would be in vain to attempt capturing him by force; for not only is he
very powerful, but has a hide so hard and thick[3] as to render him
proof against any wounds; he may be called the Egyptian elephant, and
in strength comes next to the elephant of India.
"Have you ever seen an elephant? " inquired Menelaus. "I have," replied
Charmides, "and have conversed with persons well acquainted with the
peculiarity attending its birth. "
I here remarked that the animal was known to me only having seen a
picture of it. "Well, then," continued he, "I will give you an account
of it; for we have abundance of leisure. The time of gestation with
the female is ten years,[4] so that when she brings forth her calf he
is already old. To this cause we may, in my opinion, attribute his
great bulk, his unrivalled strength, and his longevity; for he is said
to live longer than Hesiod's crow. [5] His jaw may be said to resemble
the head of an ox, for it appears to have two horns; these, however,
are the curved tusks of the animal, between them projects his trunk,
resembling a trumpet in appearance and size, which is very convenient
for taking up his accustomed food or any other edible; anything of this
description he seizes with it, and bending it inwards, conveys it to
his mouth; but if unsuited for his palate, he turns round his trunk,
and extending it upwards delivers the article to the Ethiopian master,
who sits upon him as a rider does on a horse, and whom he caresses and
also fears, obeying his voice, and submitting to be beaten with an
iron axe. I remember once seeing a strange sight, a Greek inserted his
head into the mouth of the animal, which with expanded jaws continued
to breathe upon him. As you may imagine, I was not a little struck
with the boldness of the man and the good-nature of the elephant. The
man told me that he had given the beast a fee for breathing upon him,
that his breath was almost equal to Indian spices, and was a sovereign
specific against the head-ache. It appears that the elephant is aware
of his medical skill, and will not open his mouth for nothing, but like
a self-conceited physician, asks for his fee beforehand; upon receiving
it he becomes all complaisance, expands his jaws, and keeps his mouth
open as long as the patient pleases, knowing that he has received a
consideration for his breath. "
"How comes so ill-favoured an animal to have so fragrant a breath? "
I asked. "From the nature of the food upon which he feeds," said
Charmides. "The country of the Indians is near the sun; they first
behold the rising of that deity, they feel his hottest rays, and from
his influence their skin acquires its hue. [6] Now there is in Greece
a dark-coloured flower, which among the Indians is not a flower but a
leaf, like those which are seen on any tree; in that land it conceals
its fragrance, and is therefore in little estimation; either it does
not care for celebrity among its countrymen, or else it grudges them
its sweetness; but if only it leave that country and be transplanted,
it opens its secret treasure-house, instead of a leaf becomes a flower,
and clothes itself with perfume. The Indians call this the black
rose, and it is as common a food for the elephant as among us grass is
for oxen; and from feeding upon it, almost from its birth, the animal
exhales the fragrance of his food, and his breath becomes a fount of
sweets. "[7]
When Charmides had ended his dissertation and we were departed,
he not long after--for whoever burns with the fire of love cannot
endure delay--sent for Menelaus, and taking his hand, thus addressed
him:--"Your conduct to Clitopho shows you to be a sincere friend, nor
shall you have to complain of want of friendship upon my part. I have
a favour to request which it is easy for you to grant, and by granting
it you will preserve my life. Know that I am desperately smitten with
Leucippe; you must heal the wound; she is in your debt for having saved
her. [8] Now I will give you fifty gold pieces for the good service
which I require, and she herself shall receive as many as she pleases. "
"Keep your gold," replied Menelaus, "for those who make a traffic of
their favours; you have already received me into your friendship, and
it shall be my endeavour to promote your wishes. "
Immediately afterwards he came to me and related the whole matter.
After deliberating what course to adopt, dissimulation appeared most
feasible, since it would have been dangerous to give him an absolute
refusal, for fear of his employing violence, and it was wholly out of
our power to escape, surrounded as we were by the buccaneers in one
direction, and by his troops on the other.
Returning to Charmides after a short interval, Menelaus said:--"Your
object is accomplished. At first the maiden gave a downright refusal,
but at length, upon my redoubling my entreaties and reminding her of
her debt of gratitude towards me, she consented; stipulating, however,
for a few days' delay until we can reach Alexandria; for this place
being a mere village, everything becomes known, and there are many eyes
upon us. "
"You fix a long postponement to your favour," said Charmides. "Who
can think of deferring his wishes in time of war? With an engagement
before him, and so many ways of death, how can the soldier tell whether
his life will be spared? If you will prevail on Fortune to guarantee
my safety, I will wait. Consider that I am about to fight these
buccaneers, and all the while a war of a different kind is raging in my
soul; a warrior armed with bow and arrow, is committing havoc there;
I feel myself vanquished; I am full of wounds; prithee send for the
leech with speed, for the danger presses. I shall have to carry fire
and sword among the enemy, but love has already kindled his torch to my
destruction; extinguish this flame, I beseech, good Menelaus; it will
be a fair omen to join in love before we join in battle; let Venus,
therefore, herald me on my way to Mars. "
"But you do not consider," rejoined Menelaus, "how difficult it is
to avoid discovery from her intended husband, who is so enamoured of
her. "--"Oh! as for Clitopho, we can easily get him out of the way,"
said Charmides.
Seeing him so firmly bent upon his purpose, Menelaus began to have
fears for my safety, and suddenly he thought himself of a fresh excuse.
"If you must know her real motive for this delay, it is that her
monthly sickness is upon her, consequently she must abstain from sexual
intercourse. "--"In that case," said the other, "I will wait three or
four days, which will be quite sufficient; but in the meanwhile she
can, at any rate, come and talk to me. I can hear her voice, press her
hand, and touch her person, and kiss her lips. Her indisposition need
be no impediment to this. "
When Menelaus told this to me, I exclaimed, that I would sooner die
than have Leucippe bestow her lips upon another. "A kiss," I said, "is
the best part of love; the moment of actual enjoyment is soon over,
and brings with it satiety,[9] and is indeed worth nothing if we take
away the kissing. A kiss need have no limit to its duration; it never
cloys, it is always new. [10] Three things, excellent in their nature,
proceed from the mouth, the breath, the voice, and last of all, the
kiss, of which the lips are the instruments, but the seat of pleasure
is in the soul. Believe me, Menelaus, for my troubles compel me to
reveal the secret,[11] these are the only favours which I have received
from Leucippe; she is a woman only as having been kissed by me; in all
other respects she is still a virgin. I will not put up with the loss
of them; I will not have my kisses adulterously dallied with. "[12]
"If such be the case," said Menelaus, "we must speedily resolve upon
some plan; one who is in love (like Charmides) as long as he has a hope
of success will wait and feed on expectation, but if driven to despair,
his love changes into hate and urges him to take vengeance upon the
obstacle to his desires; and supposing he has the power to do this with
impunity, the very fact of being free from fear deepens his resentment
and urges him on to his revenge. " In the midst of our deliberation
some one hastily entered, and informed us that Leucippe while walking
about had suddenly fallen down, and lay there wildly rolling her eyes.
We hurried to her, and finding her still lying on the ground, we asked
what ailed her? No sooner did she see me, than starting up and glaring
fiercely from her blood-shot eyes, she struck me with violence upon
the face, and when Menelaus endeavoured to support her, she proceeded
to kick his shins. Perceiving that she was labouring under frenzy, we
seized her by main force and endeavoured to overpower her, she on her
part resisted, and in her struggles was at no pains to hide what women
generally wish to keep concealed. So great was the disturbance that at
length the commander himself came in, and witnessed what was going on.
At first he was suspicious of some fraud contrived against himself,
and looked sternly upon Menelaus; but seeing the truth, he became moved
by feelings of compassion.
Meanwhile cords were brought and the unhappy maiden was bound; upon
seeing her hands confined in this manner, I besought Menelaus (all but
a few having left the tent) to set her arms at liberty; "her tender
arms," I said, "cannot endure this harsh treatment; leave me with her
alone; my arms shall be her fetters, and she may exhaust her frenzy
upon, me: why, indeed, should I wish to live, since Leucippe no longer
knows me? How can I behold her lying thus bound, and though having
the power, shew no desire to release her? Has Fortune delivered us
from the hands of buccaneers only that she may fall a prey to madness?
Unhappy that we are, when will our condition change? We escape dangers
at home only to be overtaken by the shipwreck; saved from the fury
of the sea and freed from pirates, we were reserved for the present
visitation--madness! Even shouldst thou recover thy senses, dearest, I
fear lest the evil genius may have something worse in store! Who can be
pronounced more unhappy than ourselves, who have cause to dread even
what bears the appearance of good fortune! Let Fortune, however, again
make us her sport, provided only I can see thee restored to health and
sense! " Menelaus and those present did all they could to comfort me,
saying that such maladies were not lasting, and were very common in
the hot season of youth; at such a time the young blood, heated by the
vigour of the body, runs boiling through the veins, and overflowing the
brain drowns the powers of reason; the proper course, therefore, would
be to have medical advice.
Menelaus went to the commander without delay, and requested that the
physician belonging to the troops might be called in. Charmides readily
complied, for a lover delights in granting favours. After visiting
her, he said, "we must make her sleep in order to subdue the paroxysm
of her disease; for sleep is the medicine of every sickness,[13] and
afterwards we will have recourse to other means. " Before leaving her,
he gave us a portion of some drug, about the size of a pea, which was
to be dissolved in oil and rubbed upon the top of her head, saying that
he would shortly bring a pill to act upon her bowels. We followed his
directions, and after her head had been rubbed for a short time, she
fell asleep, and slept till morning. I sat by her bed side all night in
tears, and when I saw the cords which still confined her hands, I could
not help exclaiming, "Dearest Leucippe, bondage is still thy portion;
not even in sleep is liberty allowed thee! What images, I wonder, are
now passing before thy mind? Does sense attend upon thy sleep? or
do thy dreams also partake of frenzy? " Upon waking she uttered some
incoherent words. Soon after the physician came and administered the
other medicine.
Just at this time pressing orders arrived from the Viceroy of Egypt
urging the commander to lead his men against the enemy. The troops were
immediately mustered with their officers, and appeared on the ground
in marching order, when, after giving them the watchword, he dismissed
them to their quarters for the night, and next morning led them out to
battle.
I will now describe the nature of the district against which they
marched. The Nile flows in an unbroken stream from Egyptian Thebes as
far as Memphis, when it throws out a small branch. Where the wide part
of the river terminates, stands the village Cercasorum[14]; there the
country becomes intersected by three streams; two flowing respectively
to the right and left; the other continuing its onward course
traverses the district called the Delta; none of these streams flow
uninterruptedly to the sea, but upon reaching different cities separate
into various branches, all of them larger than any Grecian rivers; its
waters nevertheless are not enfeebled and rendered useless by the
many divisions in their course; they bear vessels upon their surface;
they are used for drinking, and contribute to fertilize the land. The
mighty Nile is all in all to the Egyptians, both land and river, and
sea and lake, and a singular spectacle it is to see in juxtaposition
the ship and the mattock, the oar and the plough, the rudder and the
hook,[15] sailors' cabins and labourers' huts, a resort for fishes and
a resting-place for oxen; where but lately a ship sailed, is seen a
cultivated plain, and anon the cultivated plain becomes a watery space;
for the Nile periodically comes and goes, and the Egyptians count the
days and anxiously await the inundation, while the river on his part
keeps to his appointed time, regulates the rising of his waters, and
never exposes himself to the imputation of unpunctuality. Then comes
the rivalry between the land and water; each exerts its power against
the other; the water strives to flood the land, and the land does its
endeavour to absorb the fertilizing water; in the end, conquest can
be assigned to neither, but both may claim the victory, for each is
co-extensive with the other. In the pasturage which is the resort of
the buccaneers, a quantity of water is at all times found, for even
when the Nile retires, the lakes formed by its inundation continue
filled with watery mud; over these the inhabitants can either wade on
foot or pass in boats, each of which will contain one person; any other
kind would be imbedded in the mud, but those which they employ are so
light[16] as to require very little water, and should none be found
they take them on their backs, and proceed on foot until they arrive at
more. These lakes, which I have mentioned, are dotted over with islets,
some of them uninhabited, but abounding in papyrus reeds, between the
intervals of which there is only room for a man to stand, while the
space above is overarched by the summits of the leaves; it is in these
places that the buccaneers assemble, and secretly concert their plans,
masked by these reeds as by a fort. Some of the islets have huts upon
them, presenting the appearance of a rudely constructed town, which
serve as the dwellings of the pirates. One of them, more remarkable
than the other for its extent and for the number of its huts, was
called Nicochis, and here it was that the main body of the freebooters
was collected; confiding in their numbers, and in the strength of their
position, the place being entirely insulated by lagoons, except for a
narrow causeway the eighth of a mile long and seventy feet wide. As
soon as they were aware of the commander's approach, they had recourse
to the following stratagem:--mustering all the old men, they equipped
them as suppliants, with palm branches, commanding the most able-bodied
among the youth to follow, armed with swords and shields. The old men
were to hold aloft their suppliant branches, the foliage of which
would serve to conceal those in the rear,[17] who, by way of farther
precaution, were directed to stoop and trail their spears along the
ground.
In case the commander yielded to the old men's supplications, the
others were to make no hostile movements; if, on the contrary, he
should reject their entreaties, they were to invite him to their
city, with the offer of there surrendering themselves up to death; if
he agreed to follow them, upon arriving at the middle of the narrow
causeway, the old men, at a preconcerted signal, were to throw away
their branches and make their escape, while the others were to make
an assault with might and main. They proceeded to execute these
directions, and upon approaching the commander, entreated him to
reverence their old age and suppliant branches, and to take pity upon
their town; they offered him a present of a hundred talents of silver
for himself, together with an hundred hostages, to be forwarded by him
to the seat of goverment. [18]
They were quite sincere in making these proposals, and would have
fulfilled them faithfully had he consented; upon his refusal, "We must
then," said they, "submit to our destiny; at least grant us this one
favour: do not put us to death at a distance from our town, conduct
us to our 'fatherland,' to our hearths and homes, and there let us
find our grave. We ourselves are ready to lead the way! " Upon hearing
these words, Charmides laid aside his dispositions for battle, and
ordered his forces to follow leisurely. The buccaneers had meanwhile
posted some scouts at a distance, who were to watch the movements of
the enemy, and who, when they had reached the causeway, were to let
out the waters upon them. The canals which issue from the branches of
the Nile have high banks, to hinder the river from flooding the land
before the time, and when the fields require watering, a portion of the
bank is cut through. Now there was a long and wide canal behind the
town which we are speaking of; those who were stationed for the purpose
cut through the banks as soon as they saw the enemy approaching, and
in a moment the old men fled, the others charged with their spears, on
rolled the waters rising higher and higher, the causeway was flooded,
and all around became a sea.
The buccaneers at the first onset speared the foremost of the enemy,
together with their commander, who were taken by surprise, and
therefore quite unprepared, and it is difficult to describe the various
ways in which the others perished. Some fell before they could even
handle their weapons; some before they could offer any resistance;
for to see their assailants and to receive their own death-wound was
simultaneous; others were slain before they could see the hand which
slew them; some overcome by terror, remained motionless awaiting
death; others upon attempting to move were taken off their legs by the
force of the stream, while others again, who had betaken themselves to
flight, were carried along and drowned in the deep part of the lagoons,
where the water was above their heads; those even who were upon land
had water up to their middles, which, by turning aside their shields,
exposed their bodies to the enemy. The difficulty of knowing what
was land and what was not, retarded many, and was the cause of their
being taken prisoners; while others supposing themselves still on land
came into deep water and were drowned; here were to be seen mishaps
and wrecks of an unwonted kind,--a land engagement on the water, and a
wreck upon the land. [19]
The buccaneers were greatly elated by their success, and attributed
their victory not to fraud but to their own valour; for among the
Egyptians their fear degenerates into abject cowardice, and their
courage mounts to rashness; in this respect they are always in
extremes, and are wholly subject either to the excess or the defect.
Ten days had now passed and Leucippe was no better; upon one occasion
while asleep she cried out in a frenzied manner, "Gorgias, it is thou
who hast driven me mad! "[20] I told Menelaus of this in the morning,
and began to consider whether there was any one in the village of that
name. We were just going out, when a young man met and accosted me,
saying, "I am come to save you and your wife. " Perfectly astounded,
and thinking that his coming was providential, "Are you Gorgias? " I
inquired. --"No," replied he, "my name is Chæreas; Gorgias is the cause
of all the mischief. " I felt a thrill run through me, as I asked, "What
mischief do you mean? Who is Gorgias? Some deity betrayed his name to
me last night; be you an interpreter of the announcement. "
"Gorgias," he resumed, "was an Egyptian soldier; he is now no more,
having been slain by the buccaneers. He conceived a passion for your
wife, and being well acquainted with the nature of drugs, he compounded
a love philtre which he persuaded your Egyptian servant to mix with
Leucippe's drink; he neglected to dilute the potion, so that instead
of producing love it brought on madness. I was informed of all this
yesterday by Gorgias' servant, who accompanied his master against the
buccaneers, and who seems to have been specially preserved by Fortune
for your sake. He asks four pieces of gold for effecting your wife's
recovery, having, as he says, a drug which will counteract the effects
of that which has been administered. " "All blessings attend you for
this good service! " I exclaimed; "pray bring the man here of whom you
speak. "
No sooner was he departed on this errand, than going in to the
Egyptian, I struck him repeatedly about the head with my clenched fist,
saying at every blow, "What was it which you gave Leucippe? What is
it which has caused her madness? " The fellow in his fright confessed
everything, confirming what Chæreas had already said; upon which we
thrust him into prison, and there kept him. By this time Chæreas had
returned, bringing the man with him. "Here are your four gold pieces as
the reward for your seasonable information; but before you proceed to
do anything, hear my opinion. As this lady's illness has been caused by
swallowing a drug, I cannot but think it dangerous to administer more
physic while the stomach is already under the influence of medicine;
tell me, therefore, what are the ingredients in your proposed remedy,
and compound it in my presence; upon these conditions I will give
you four more gold pieces. " "Your apprehensions are reasonable," he
replied; "but the ingredients in my medicine are all common and fit
for human food, and I will myself swallow the same quantity which I
give the lady. " After specifying the various ingredients, he sent some
one out to procure them; and as soon as they were brought, he pounded
them together in our presence, made two draughts of them, saying, "one
of them I will drink off, the other is for the lady; it will make her
sleep all night, and in the morning she will awake quite recovered. " He
then swallowed the draught, and ordered the other to be taken at night.
"I must now go and lie down," he said, "under the influence of the
medicine. " With these words he left us, having received the stipulated
sum, and with the assurance of the additional reward being paid him, if
Leucippe should recover. When the hour arrived for administering the
draught, I poured it out, and thus addressed it:
"Offspring of the Earth, gift of Æsculapius, may the promises made of
thee be verified; shew thyself propitious and preserve my beloved;
subdue the power of that ruthless potion. " Thus having entered into
a kind of compact with the medicine, I kissed the cup and give it to
Leucippe. She soon fell into a profound sleep, and while sitting beside
her I said to her, as if she could still hear me, "Wilt thou really
recover thy senses? Wilt thou know me again? Shall I hear that dear
voice of thine? Give some token in thy sleep, as yesternight thou didst
concerning Gorgias; happier are thy sleeping than thy waking hours;
frenzy is thy portion when awake, but thou art inspired by Wisdom when
asleep. "
At length my words and thoughts were interrupted by the
anxiously-expected break of day, and I heard Leucippe's voice calling
me by name.
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. "
"Upon learning that Leucippe was taken captive," said Satyrus,
taking up the narrative, "I felt sincere regret on her behalf, and
urged Menelaus by all means to save her; some good genius came to
our assistance; the day before the sacrifice we were sitting by the
sea-shore, overcome with grief and considering what steps were to be
taken. Some of the buccaneers espying a vessel which had got out of her
course from ignorance of the coast, hurried down to attack her; the
crew endeavoured to put out to sea, but being too late they prepared
for resistance.
"There happened to be among them a stage-player or reciter of Homeric
poetry. [28] Arming himself and the rest after the manner of the heroes
of the Iliad, they offered a brave resistance, but being at last
overpowered by a number of the pirate boats, their vessel was sunk
and themselves were slaughtered. It chanced that after this a chest
floated on shore unperceived by the buccaneers; Menelaus getting it
into a retired spot opened it, supposing it might contain something
valuable; among the contents were a cloak and a sword with a hilt five
palms in length, the blade of which was not so long: while Menelaus
was carelessly handling it, the blade flew out and became equal to the
hilt in length, and a different movement reduced it, to its former
dimensions; the ill-fated owner had no doubt been accustomed to use
it upon the stage for the infliction of mimic wounds. I immediately
said to Menelaus, 'if only you will now give proof of your courage,
the deity will second us, and we shall be able to preserve the maiden
without being discovered by the buccaneers. We will get a sheepskin,
one of the softest and most flexible which can be procured, this we
will sew into the shape of a bag, corresponding in size with the
human stomach, and after filling it with entrails and blood, we will
secure the opening; having done this, we will fasten it upon the
maiden's body, and by throwing over her a robe bound by a girdle and
other fastenings we can easily conceal the artifice. The nature of
the oracle given to the pirates and the construction of the sword,
are both strongly in our favour: the oracle commands that the maiden
when adorned for sacrifice is to be ripped open through her dress; and
as for the sword, you see how artfully it is contrived; if you press
it against the human body, the blade flies into the hilt as into a
scabbard, while all the time it will appear to the beholders to have
been run into the body; on the present occasion just enough of the
blade will remain out to cut open the false stomach as soon as the hilt
reaches the sheepskin, and when withdrawn from the wound, the portion
of the sword contained within the hilt will immediately fly out, so
that it will appear to the spectator that the whole of the weapon was
really plunged into the maiden. The pirates will not discover the
deceit, for as I before said, the skin will be concealed by the dress
put over it, and the entrails will immediately protrude from the gash
which it has made; these we shall place upon the altar, and as no one
is to approach the body, we shall be able to place it in the coffin.
You remember the pirate-captain telling you that you were expected to
display some proof of courage; now is the time to go to him and to make
the offer. '
"I followed up my words by many entreaties, invoking Jove the
hospitable, and reminding Menelaus of our having eaten at the same
board[29] and suffered the same perils of shipwreck. The worthy and
true hearted man replied, 'The undertaking is arduous, but one ought
to be prepared to die in the sake of a friend,[30] and death in such
a cause is sweet. ' I then expressed my belief that Clitopho was still
alive, for the maiden had mentioned to me his being left behind,
among the other prisoners, in addition to which the buccaneers who
had fled, brought word to their captain, that all the captives had
contrived to escape into the enemy's ranks during the engagement. 'You
will therefore,' I added, 'be doing him a very great kindness and
will also be the means of delivering this unhappy maiden out of her
misfortunes. ' I succeeded in persuading him, and Fortune favoured us
in our undertaking. While I was busied in preparing what was needed
for our contrivance, Menelaus proceeded to the buccaneers to make the
proposal already mentioned. The chief, by a lucky chance, anticipated
him, and said, 'We have a law, that new comers[31] amongst us, should
first begin the sacrifice, especially when a human victim is to be
offered; be ready therefore against to-morrow; your slave also must
take part in the solemnity. '--'We will endeavour,' replied Menelaus,
'to show ourselves not inferior to any among yourselves. '--'Remember,'
added the pirate-chief, 'that it will be for you to dress and arrange
the maiden in the best manner for consummating the sacrifice. '[32]
Afterwards, when alone, we took the opportunity of fitting out
Leucippe in the manner before related, bidding her have no fear, and
carefully instructing her what to do, enjoining her to remain quiet
in the coffin, if necessary, the whole day, but when an opportunity
offered to seek safety by flying to the encampment; having given her
these directions we led her to the altar: what afterwards occurred you
already know. "
While listening to this narrative, I was overwhelmed by a variety
of feelings, and did not know how sufficiently to express my deep
gratitude to Menelaus; I however adopted the most common method, and
throwing myself at his feet, I embraced his knees and worshipped him
as a god, my heart thrilling with delight. Being now easy concerning
Leucippe, "What," I inquired, "has become of Clinias? " "The last time I
saw him," replied Menelaus, "was when he was clinging to the yard after
the shipwreck; what afterwards became of him I cannot tell. "
Upon hearing this, I could not repress a cry of grief in the midst of
my joy; no doubt some malignant genius envied me the possession of
pure and unalloyed happiness; for this cause doubtless, he whom next
to Leucippe I most valued, was especially selected as a victim by the
sea, that not only his soul might perish,[33] but that he might lose
the rights of sepulture. Oh, ruthless ocean, thus to curtail the full
measure of thy mercy towards us!
There being nothing to detain us longer, we all repaired to the
encampment, and passed the rest of the night in my tent; nor was
it long before the adventure became known. At daybreak, conducting
Menelaus to the commander, I related every particular; Charmides was
highly pleased, and expressed himself in the most friendly terms
towards him. He next inquired what the strength of the enemy amounted
to. Menelaus replied, "That the whole place was full of desperate men,
and that the buccaneers numbered perhaps ten thousand men. "
"Our five thousand," said Charmides, "will be a match for twenty
thousand such as they are: besides which two thousand men will shortly
arrive from the troops who garrison the Delta and Heliopolis. "
While he was still speaking, a boy came in and said that an express
had come from the camp in the Delta, to announce that the expected
reinforcement would not arrive for five days; the incursions of the
buccaneers in that quarter had been repressed indeed, but when the
troops were on the point of marching, the sacred[34] bird, bearing the
sepulchre of his father, had appeared among them, and on this account
the march must be delayed during the period mentioned.
"And pray," inquired I, "what bird is this which is treated with such
respect? What sepulchre is it which he carries with him? "--"He is
called the Phœnix," was the reply; "and is a native of Ethiopia; he
is about the size of the peacock, but superior to him in beauty; his
plumage is bedropt with gold and purple,[35] and he boasts of being
descended from the sun, a claim which is borne out by the appearance
of his head, which is crowned by a splendid circle, the very image of
that orb. [36] The hues are mingled rose and azure, and the disposition
of the feathers represent the rays. He belongs to the Ethiopians during
his life, but the Egyptians possess him after he is dead. He is very
long lived,[37] and upon his decease; his son bears him to the Nile,
having first prepared his sepulchre in the following manner. Taking
a mass of the most fragrant myrrh, sufficient for the purpose, he
excavates the centre with his beak, and the hollow becomes a receptacle
for the dead; then closing up the aperture with earth, he soars aloft
and carries this fruit of his pious labour to the Nile. A flight of
other birds attends him,[38] as a guard of honour, and he resembles
a monarch making a progress. He never deviates from the place of his
destination, the city of the sun, which is the resting-place of the
departed bird; upon arriving there he stations himself upon an elevated
spot, and awaits the arrival of the minister of religion. Presently
an Egyptian priest comes forth from the sanctuary, bearing a book
containing a picture of the bird, in order that he may judge whether
it be genuine. The phœnix, aware of this, opens the receptacle, and
exhibiting the body, makes intercession for its interment;[39] after
which it is received by the sons of the priest and buried; thus, as I
have already observed, this bird is an Ethiopian during his lifetime,
but makes his grave with the Egyptians. "
[Footnote 1: περιάγειν τὴν κεραίαν. Two ropes hung from the horns of
the antenna or yard, the use of which was to turn it round as the wind
veered, so as to keep the sail opposite the wind. See a cut at p. 52 of
the Greek and Rom. Antiq.
"Cornua velatarum obvertimus antennarum. "--Æn. iii. 549.
"At sunset they began to take in sail,
For the sky showed it would come on to blow,
And carry away, perhaps, a mast or so. "--Byron.
]
[Footnote 2: In the original the movements of the passengers are
described by the words δἰαυλος and δρόμος δολιχὸς, expressions
referring to the stadium, where the runners turned round the goal and
came back to the starting-place. ]
[Footnote 3:
"The high wind made the treble, and as bass
The hoarse harsh waves kept time. "--Byron.
]
[Footnote 4: γέῥῤα; these appear to mean the παραῤῥύματα, made of skins
and wicker-work, raised above the edge of the vessel, and intended as a
protection against high waves, &c. --See Dict. Grk. and Rom. Antiq. ]
[Footnote 5:
"Tollimur in cœlum curvato gurgite; et iidem
Subductâ ad manes imos descendimus undâ. "
Virg. Æn. iii. 564.
]
[Footnote 6:
"Strange sounds of wailing, blasphemy, devotion,
Clamour'd in chorus to the roaring ocean. "--Byron.
]
[Footnote 7:
"O Lord! methought what pain it was to drown!
What dreadful noise of water in mine ears!
What sights of ugly death within mine eyes!
. . . . . .
. . . often did I strive
To yield the ghost, but still the envious flood
Kept in my soul, and would not let it forth
To seek the empty, vast, and wand'ring air,
But smother'd it within my panting bulk,
Which almost burst to belch it in the sea. "
Shaksp. Richard III.
]
[Footnote 8: So named from Mount Casius near Pelusium, where he had a
temple. ]
[Footnote 9: "It seems likely that the productivity of nature was
symbolized by the fruit, remarkable as it was for the number of seeds
it contained. "--Note in Blakesley's Herod. , vii. 41. ]
[Footnote 10: κατὰ τὸν οπισθόδομον. ]
[Footnote 11:
μαστούς τ'ἔδειξε, στέρνα, θ' ὡς ἀγάλματος
κάλλιστα. --Eurip. Hec. 560.
]
[Footnote 12: αὐτoσκέδιος τάφος. ]
[Footnote 13: ἐκόσμησεν εὐμόρφῳ φόβῳ. ]
[Footnote 14: Tatius is supposed to mean the silkworm, which he calls
πτηνός, from its changing into a butterfly.
"Quid nemora Æthiopum molli canentia lanâ
Velleraque ut foliis depectant Seres. "--Virg. G. ii. 120.
In the 10th Book of the Ethiopics, the productions of the silkworm are
called "ἀραχνίων νήματα καὶ ὑφάσματα. "]
[Footnote 15: To put on Pluto's helmet was a proverb for becoming
invisible. See Hom. Il. v. 844. In Crabbe's "Parish Register" the coat
is made to serve the same purpose:---
"His shoes of swiftness on his feet he placed,
His _coat_ of darkness on his loins he brac'd,
His sword of sharpness in his hand he took. "
]
[Footnote 16:
". . . rostroque immanis vultur obunco
Immortale jecur tandens, fœcundaque pœnis
Viscera, rimaturque epulis, habitaque sub alto
Pectore. "--Æn. vi. 697.
]
[Footnote 17: εἰs τους δακτύλους ἀποξύνεται. ]
[Footnote 18:
"Then seizing fast the reed, he drew the barb
Home to his bow, the bowstring to his breast,
And when the horn was rounded to an arch
He twang'd it. "--Homer, Il. iv. 123.
]
[Footnote 19: By comparing the description of the piratical haunt
called the Pasturage (in the 1st Bk. of the Ethiopics) with that here
given us of the personal appearance of the pirates, together with the
account of their stronghold at the end of the 4th Book, we are enabled
to form a good idea of the Egyptian βουκόλοι or buccaneers, and of
their way of life. ]
[Footnote 20: τὸν θρῆνον ὀρχἠσομαι. ]
[Footnote 21: νυμφαγωγός. Tatius probably used the term with reference
to Leucippe being taken to the pirate-chief. The strict sense of the
word will be found at p. 599 of Greek and Roman Antiquities. ]
[Footnote 22: "Curæ leves loquuntur; ingentes stupent. "--Sen. Hipp. A.
2. S. iii. ]
[Footnote 23: In the Second Book of the "Ethiopics," the author remarks
on this peculiarity of the Buccaneers:--"βονκόλοι γὰρ ἅλλα τε πρὸς
το φοβερώτερον φαίνεσθαι, καὶ δὴ καὶ τὴν κόμην εἰς ὀφρὺν ἕλκουσι καὶ
σοβοῦσι τῶν ὥμων ἐπιβαίνουσαν. "]
[Footnote 24: In Xen. Cyrop. ii. 3. 17, there is an account of a sham
fight, where half the soldiers pelt with clods, the other half armed
with canes. ]
[Footnote 25:
. . . . "I did consent,
And often did beguile her of her tears,
When I did speak of some distressful stroke
That my youth suffer'd. My story being done,
She gave me for my pains a world of sighs.
. . . . . .
She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd
And I lov'd her that she did pity them. "--Shaksp. Othello.
]
[Footnote 26:
"Post terga juvenum nobiles revocat manus,
Et mœsta vittâ capita purpureâ ligat;
Non thura desunt, non sacer Bacchi liquor.
. . . . . .
Ipse--sacerdos--ipse funestâ prece
Letale carmen _ore violento_ canit. "
Sen. Thyestes. iv. 686.
]
[Footnote 27:
. . . . "Magne regnator Deum.
Tam lentus audis scelera?
tam lentus vides
Ecquando sævâ fulmen emittes manu,
Si nunc serenum est? "--Sen. Hipp. 671.
]
[Footnote 28: ῥαψωδός--one of a class of persons who got their living
by reciting the poems of Homer, and who is here represented as
accoutreing himself and the others in character. ]
[Footnote 29: Tὸ ὁμοτράπεζου--to have eaten at the same table, was
considered an inviolable obligation to friendship; and ἅλα καὶ τράπεζαν
πάραβαίνειν, to transgress the salt and the table; or in other words to
break the laws of hospitality and to injure those by whom they had been
entertained, was considered one of the greatest crimes. --Robinson's
Antiq. of Greece. ]
[Footnote 30:
"Thy friend put in thy bosome;. . .
. . . . . .
If cause require, thou art his sacrifice. "
George Herbert.
]
[Footnote 31: τοὺς πρωτομὐστ ας. ]
[Footnote 32: πρὸς τὴν ἀνατομήν. ]
[Footnote 33: This passage may be illustrated by one which occurs in B.
v. "It is said that the souls of those who have found a watery grave
do not descend to Hades, but wander about the surface of the waves. "
Death by shipwreck, where the body was swallowed up by the deep, was
especially dreaded by the ancients, since without burial of the body,
the soul could not be admitted into the Elysian Fields. --See Ovid,
Trist. i. 2, 61. Virg. Æn. vi. 325, 330. ]
[Footnote 34: Compare the description of the Phœnix with those in
Tacitus, Annal. vi. 28, and in Herod. ii. 73, where see a note in
Blakesley's edit. The object of which is to show that by the Phœnix is
meant a secular period. ]
[Footnote 35: Pliny says, "Auri fulgore circà colla, cetera purpureus,
cæruleam roseis caudam pennis distinguentibus. "--Η. N. x. 2. ]
[Footnote 36:
"Æquatur toto capiti radiata corona
Phœbei referens, verticis alta decus. "
Auctor Carm. incert.
]
[Footnote 37: Five hundred years according to Herodotus, according to
other writers 1560 years. ]
[Footnote 38: "Multo cæterarum volucrum comitatu novam faciem
mirantium. "--Tac. Ann. vi. 28. ]
[Footnote 39: καὶ ἐστι ἐπιτάφιος σοφιστής. ]
BOOK IV.
Upon hearing of the preparations made by the buccaneers, and of the
march of the reinforcements being postponed, Charmides resolved upon
returning to his former quarters, and there to await their arrival. A
lodging was assigned by him to Leucippe and me at a little distance. No
sooner had I entered it, than taking her in my arms, I endeavoured to
accomplish my wishes; she would not consent however, upon which I said
to her: "Do you not observe how many strange and unforeseen accidents
befall us; first we are shipwrecked, then we come into the hands of
pirates, and next you are exposed to be sacrificed, and to undergo a
cruel death. Fortune has just now lulled the storm, let us, therefore,
take advantage of the opportunity, before any yet severer calamity
overtakes us. "
"It is not lawful for me to consent now," was her reply; "for while I
was bewailing myself at the prospect of being sacrificed, the goddess
Diana appeared to me in a dream and said: 'Weep not, maiden, thou shalt
not die; I will protect thee, and thou must remain a virgin until I
conduct thee to thine husband, who shall be Clitopho, and no one else. '"
Upon hearing this circumstance, I was very much annoyed at the delay,
but yet rejoiced at the prospect of future happiness opened to me;
and her mention of the dream reminded me of something similar which
had happened to myself. I thought that during the preceding night I
saw the temple of Venus, and could discern the statue of the goddess
within; upon approaching it with the design of offering up my prayers,
the doors were suddenly closed, and while standing there in a state of
disappointment, a female strongly resembling the statue of the goddess
appeared to me and said: "It is not permitted thee to enter the temple
now; but if thou wilt wait for a short period, I will not only open to
thee its doors, but will constitute thee my priest. " I related this
dream to Leucippe, and although my attempts upon her chastity were not
repeated, I could not get over my feelings of vexation.
An occurrence which just then took place gave Charmides an opportunity
of seeing Leucippe and conceiving a passion for her. Some person had
captured a very curious river animal, called by the Egyptians the
Nile-horse, and in truth he resembles that animal in his belly and
legs, except that he has cloven hoofs;[1] his size is equal to that
of the largest ox; he has a short tail, which as well as his body, is
devoid of hair; his head is large and round, with cheeks like those of
a horse; his nostrils are widely expanded and breathe out sparks, as it
were, of fiery vapours;[2] he has an immense under-jaw, which opens to
nearly the length of his head, and it is garnished with canine teeth
like those of a horse in shape and position, but three times as large.
We were invited to see this creature, and looked at it with great
interest; but the eyes of the commander were rivetted upon Leucippe, of
whom he immediately became enamoured.
In order to detain us there the longer, and by this means to feast his
own eyes, he entered upon a lengthy description of the animal, its
nature and habits, and the manner in which it is captured; that it
is so voracious as to eat up a whole field of corn, and is taken by
employing the following stratagem. Having found out his usual haunt,
the hunters dig a deep pit, which they cover with reeds and earth,
underneath is placed a wooden chest with open doors which reach to the
top of the pit. The animal in passing over the spot at once falls into
the chest as into a cave, when the hunters, who have been on the watch,
immediately close the doors, and in this manner secure their prey. It
would be in vain to attempt capturing him by force; for not only is he
very powerful, but has a hide so hard and thick[3] as to render him
proof against any wounds; he may be called the Egyptian elephant, and
in strength comes next to the elephant of India.
"Have you ever seen an elephant? " inquired Menelaus. "I have," replied
Charmides, "and have conversed with persons well acquainted with the
peculiarity attending its birth. "
I here remarked that the animal was known to me only having seen a
picture of it. "Well, then," continued he, "I will give you an account
of it; for we have abundance of leisure. The time of gestation with
the female is ten years,[4] so that when she brings forth her calf he
is already old. To this cause we may, in my opinion, attribute his
great bulk, his unrivalled strength, and his longevity; for he is said
to live longer than Hesiod's crow. [5] His jaw may be said to resemble
the head of an ox, for it appears to have two horns; these, however,
are the curved tusks of the animal, between them projects his trunk,
resembling a trumpet in appearance and size, which is very convenient
for taking up his accustomed food or any other edible; anything of this
description he seizes with it, and bending it inwards, conveys it to
his mouth; but if unsuited for his palate, he turns round his trunk,
and extending it upwards delivers the article to the Ethiopian master,
who sits upon him as a rider does on a horse, and whom he caresses and
also fears, obeying his voice, and submitting to be beaten with an
iron axe. I remember once seeing a strange sight, a Greek inserted his
head into the mouth of the animal, which with expanded jaws continued
to breathe upon him. As you may imagine, I was not a little struck
with the boldness of the man and the good-nature of the elephant. The
man told me that he had given the beast a fee for breathing upon him,
that his breath was almost equal to Indian spices, and was a sovereign
specific against the head-ache. It appears that the elephant is aware
of his medical skill, and will not open his mouth for nothing, but like
a self-conceited physician, asks for his fee beforehand; upon receiving
it he becomes all complaisance, expands his jaws, and keeps his mouth
open as long as the patient pleases, knowing that he has received a
consideration for his breath. "
"How comes so ill-favoured an animal to have so fragrant a breath? "
I asked. "From the nature of the food upon which he feeds," said
Charmides. "The country of the Indians is near the sun; they first
behold the rising of that deity, they feel his hottest rays, and from
his influence their skin acquires its hue. [6] Now there is in Greece
a dark-coloured flower, which among the Indians is not a flower but a
leaf, like those which are seen on any tree; in that land it conceals
its fragrance, and is therefore in little estimation; either it does
not care for celebrity among its countrymen, or else it grudges them
its sweetness; but if only it leave that country and be transplanted,
it opens its secret treasure-house, instead of a leaf becomes a flower,
and clothes itself with perfume. The Indians call this the black
rose, and it is as common a food for the elephant as among us grass is
for oxen; and from feeding upon it, almost from its birth, the animal
exhales the fragrance of his food, and his breath becomes a fount of
sweets. "[7]
When Charmides had ended his dissertation and we were departed,
he not long after--for whoever burns with the fire of love cannot
endure delay--sent for Menelaus, and taking his hand, thus addressed
him:--"Your conduct to Clitopho shows you to be a sincere friend, nor
shall you have to complain of want of friendship upon my part. I have
a favour to request which it is easy for you to grant, and by granting
it you will preserve my life. Know that I am desperately smitten with
Leucippe; you must heal the wound; she is in your debt for having saved
her. [8] Now I will give you fifty gold pieces for the good service
which I require, and she herself shall receive as many as she pleases. "
"Keep your gold," replied Menelaus, "for those who make a traffic of
their favours; you have already received me into your friendship, and
it shall be my endeavour to promote your wishes. "
Immediately afterwards he came to me and related the whole matter.
After deliberating what course to adopt, dissimulation appeared most
feasible, since it would have been dangerous to give him an absolute
refusal, for fear of his employing violence, and it was wholly out of
our power to escape, surrounded as we were by the buccaneers in one
direction, and by his troops on the other.
Returning to Charmides after a short interval, Menelaus said:--"Your
object is accomplished. At first the maiden gave a downright refusal,
but at length, upon my redoubling my entreaties and reminding her of
her debt of gratitude towards me, she consented; stipulating, however,
for a few days' delay until we can reach Alexandria; for this place
being a mere village, everything becomes known, and there are many eyes
upon us. "
"You fix a long postponement to your favour," said Charmides. "Who
can think of deferring his wishes in time of war? With an engagement
before him, and so many ways of death, how can the soldier tell whether
his life will be spared? If you will prevail on Fortune to guarantee
my safety, I will wait. Consider that I am about to fight these
buccaneers, and all the while a war of a different kind is raging in my
soul; a warrior armed with bow and arrow, is committing havoc there;
I feel myself vanquished; I am full of wounds; prithee send for the
leech with speed, for the danger presses. I shall have to carry fire
and sword among the enemy, but love has already kindled his torch to my
destruction; extinguish this flame, I beseech, good Menelaus; it will
be a fair omen to join in love before we join in battle; let Venus,
therefore, herald me on my way to Mars. "
"But you do not consider," rejoined Menelaus, "how difficult it is
to avoid discovery from her intended husband, who is so enamoured of
her. "--"Oh! as for Clitopho, we can easily get him out of the way,"
said Charmides.
Seeing him so firmly bent upon his purpose, Menelaus began to have
fears for my safety, and suddenly he thought himself of a fresh excuse.
"If you must know her real motive for this delay, it is that her
monthly sickness is upon her, consequently she must abstain from sexual
intercourse. "--"In that case," said the other, "I will wait three or
four days, which will be quite sufficient; but in the meanwhile she
can, at any rate, come and talk to me. I can hear her voice, press her
hand, and touch her person, and kiss her lips. Her indisposition need
be no impediment to this. "
When Menelaus told this to me, I exclaimed, that I would sooner die
than have Leucippe bestow her lips upon another. "A kiss," I said, "is
the best part of love; the moment of actual enjoyment is soon over,
and brings with it satiety,[9] and is indeed worth nothing if we take
away the kissing. A kiss need have no limit to its duration; it never
cloys, it is always new. [10] Three things, excellent in their nature,
proceed from the mouth, the breath, the voice, and last of all, the
kiss, of which the lips are the instruments, but the seat of pleasure
is in the soul. Believe me, Menelaus, for my troubles compel me to
reveal the secret,[11] these are the only favours which I have received
from Leucippe; she is a woman only as having been kissed by me; in all
other respects she is still a virgin. I will not put up with the loss
of them; I will not have my kisses adulterously dallied with. "[12]
"If such be the case," said Menelaus, "we must speedily resolve upon
some plan; one who is in love (like Charmides) as long as he has a hope
of success will wait and feed on expectation, but if driven to despair,
his love changes into hate and urges him to take vengeance upon the
obstacle to his desires; and supposing he has the power to do this with
impunity, the very fact of being free from fear deepens his resentment
and urges him on to his revenge. " In the midst of our deliberation
some one hastily entered, and informed us that Leucippe while walking
about had suddenly fallen down, and lay there wildly rolling her eyes.
We hurried to her, and finding her still lying on the ground, we asked
what ailed her? No sooner did she see me, than starting up and glaring
fiercely from her blood-shot eyes, she struck me with violence upon
the face, and when Menelaus endeavoured to support her, she proceeded
to kick his shins. Perceiving that she was labouring under frenzy, we
seized her by main force and endeavoured to overpower her, she on her
part resisted, and in her struggles was at no pains to hide what women
generally wish to keep concealed. So great was the disturbance that at
length the commander himself came in, and witnessed what was going on.
At first he was suspicious of some fraud contrived against himself,
and looked sternly upon Menelaus; but seeing the truth, he became moved
by feelings of compassion.
Meanwhile cords were brought and the unhappy maiden was bound; upon
seeing her hands confined in this manner, I besought Menelaus (all but
a few having left the tent) to set her arms at liberty; "her tender
arms," I said, "cannot endure this harsh treatment; leave me with her
alone; my arms shall be her fetters, and she may exhaust her frenzy
upon, me: why, indeed, should I wish to live, since Leucippe no longer
knows me? How can I behold her lying thus bound, and though having
the power, shew no desire to release her? Has Fortune delivered us
from the hands of buccaneers only that she may fall a prey to madness?
Unhappy that we are, when will our condition change? We escape dangers
at home only to be overtaken by the shipwreck; saved from the fury
of the sea and freed from pirates, we were reserved for the present
visitation--madness! Even shouldst thou recover thy senses, dearest, I
fear lest the evil genius may have something worse in store! Who can be
pronounced more unhappy than ourselves, who have cause to dread even
what bears the appearance of good fortune! Let Fortune, however, again
make us her sport, provided only I can see thee restored to health and
sense! " Menelaus and those present did all they could to comfort me,
saying that such maladies were not lasting, and were very common in
the hot season of youth; at such a time the young blood, heated by the
vigour of the body, runs boiling through the veins, and overflowing the
brain drowns the powers of reason; the proper course, therefore, would
be to have medical advice.
Menelaus went to the commander without delay, and requested that the
physician belonging to the troops might be called in. Charmides readily
complied, for a lover delights in granting favours. After visiting
her, he said, "we must make her sleep in order to subdue the paroxysm
of her disease; for sleep is the medicine of every sickness,[13] and
afterwards we will have recourse to other means. " Before leaving her,
he gave us a portion of some drug, about the size of a pea, which was
to be dissolved in oil and rubbed upon the top of her head, saying that
he would shortly bring a pill to act upon her bowels. We followed his
directions, and after her head had been rubbed for a short time, she
fell asleep, and slept till morning. I sat by her bed side all night in
tears, and when I saw the cords which still confined her hands, I could
not help exclaiming, "Dearest Leucippe, bondage is still thy portion;
not even in sleep is liberty allowed thee! What images, I wonder, are
now passing before thy mind? Does sense attend upon thy sleep? or
do thy dreams also partake of frenzy? " Upon waking she uttered some
incoherent words. Soon after the physician came and administered the
other medicine.
Just at this time pressing orders arrived from the Viceroy of Egypt
urging the commander to lead his men against the enemy. The troops were
immediately mustered with their officers, and appeared on the ground
in marching order, when, after giving them the watchword, he dismissed
them to their quarters for the night, and next morning led them out to
battle.
I will now describe the nature of the district against which they
marched. The Nile flows in an unbroken stream from Egyptian Thebes as
far as Memphis, when it throws out a small branch. Where the wide part
of the river terminates, stands the village Cercasorum[14]; there the
country becomes intersected by three streams; two flowing respectively
to the right and left; the other continuing its onward course
traverses the district called the Delta; none of these streams flow
uninterruptedly to the sea, but upon reaching different cities separate
into various branches, all of them larger than any Grecian rivers; its
waters nevertheless are not enfeebled and rendered useless by the
many divisions in their course; they bear vessels upon their surface;
they are used for drinking, and contribute to fertilize the land. The
mighty Nile is all in all to the Egyptians, both land and river, and
sea and lake, and a singular spectacle it is to see in juxtaposition
the ship and the mattock, the oar and the plough, the rudder and the
hook,[15] sailors' cabins and labourers' huts, a resort for fishes and
a resting-place for oxen; where but lately a ship sailed, is seen a
cultivated plain, and anon the cultivated plain becomes a watery space;
for the Nile periodically comes and goes, and the Egyptians count the
days and anxiously await the inundation, while the river on his part
keeps to his appointed time, regulates the rising of his waters, and
never exposes himself to the imputation of unpunctuality. Then comes
the rivalry between the land and water; each exerts its power against
the other; the water strives to flood the land, and the land does its
endeavour to absorb the fertilizing water; in the end, conquest can
be assigned to neither, but both may claim the victory, for each is
co-extensive with the other. In the pasturage which is the resort of
the buccaneers, a quantity of water is at all times found, for even
when the Nile retires, the lakes formed by its inundation continue
filled with watery mud; over these the inhabitants can either wade on
foot or pass in boats, each of which will contain one person; any other
kind would be imbedded in the mud, but those which they employ are so
light[16] as to require very little water, and should none be found
they take them on their backs, and proceed on foot until they arrive at
more. These lakes, which I have mentioned, are dotted over with islets,
some of them uninhabited, but abounding in papyrus reeds, between the
intervals of which there is only room for a man to stand, while the
space above is overarched by the summits of the leaves; it is in these
places that the buccaneers assemble, and secretly concert their plans,
masked by these reeds as by a fort. Some of the islets have huts upon
them, presenting the appearance of a rudely constructed town, which
serve as the dwellings of the pirates. One of them, more remarkable
than the other for its extent and for the number of its huts, was
called Nicochis, and here it was that the main body of the freebooters
was collected; confiding in their numbers, and in the strength of their
position, the place being entirely insulated by lagoons, except for a
narrow causeway the eighth of a mile long and seventy feet wide. As
soon as they were aware of the commander's approach, they had recourse
to the following stratagem:--mustering all the old men, they equipped
them as suppliants, with palm branches, commanding the most able-bodied
among the youth to follow, armed with swords and shields. The old men
were to hold aloft their suppliant branches, the foliage of which
would serve to conceal those in the rear,[17] who, by way of farther
precaution, were directed to stoop and trail their spears along the
ground.
In case the commander yielded to the old men's supplications, the
others were to make no hostile movements; if, on the contrary, he
should reject their entreaties, they were to invite him to their
city, with the offer of there surrendering themselves up to death; if
he agreed to follow them, upon arriving at the middle of the narrow
causeway, the old men, at a preconcerted signal, were to throw away
their branches and make their escape, while the others were to make
an assault with might and main. They proceeded to execute these
directions, and upon approaching the commander, entreated him to
reverence their old age and suppliant branches, and to take pity upon
their town; they offered him a present of a hundred talents of silver
for himself, together with an hundred hostages, to be forwarded by him
to the seat of goverment. [18]
They were quite sincere in making these proposals, and would have
fulfilled them faithfully had he consented; upon his refusal, "We must
then," said they, "submit to our destiny; at least grant us this one
favour: do not put us to death at a distance from our town, conduct
us to our 'fatherland,' to our hearths and homes, and there let us
find our grave. We ourselves are ready to lead the way! " Upon hearing
these words, Charmides laid aside his dispositions for battle, and
ordered his forces to follow leisurely. The buccaneers had meanwhile
posted some scouts at a distance, who were to watch the movements of
the enemy, and who, when they had reached the causeway, were to let
out the waters upon them. The canals which issue from the branches of
the Nile have high banks, to hinder the river from flooding the land
before the time, and when the fields require watering, a portion of the
bank is cut through. Now there was a long and wide canal behind the
town which we are speaking of; those who were stationed for the purpose
cut through the banks as soon as they saw the enemy approaching, and
in a moment the old men fled, the others charged with their spears, on
rolled the waters rising higher and higher, the causeway was flooded,
and all around became a sea.
The buccaneers at the first onset speared the foremost of the enemy,
together with their commander, who were taken by surprise, and
therefore quite unprepared, and it is difficult to describe the various
ways in which the others perished. Some fell before they could even
handle their weapons; some before they could offer any resistance;
for to see their assailants and to receive their own death-wound was
simultaneous; others were slain before they could see the hand which
slew them; some overcome by terror, remained motionless awaiting
death; others upon attempting to move were taken off their legs by the
force of the stream, while others again, who had betaken themselves to
flight, were carried along and drowned in the deep part of the lagoons,
where the water was above their heads; those even who were upon land
had water up to their middles, which, by turning aside their shields,
exposed their bodies to the enemy. The difficulty of knowing what
was land and what was not, retarded many, and was the cause of their
being taken prisoners; while others supposing themselves still on land
came into deep water and were drowned; here were to be seen mishaps
and wrecks of an unwonted kind,--a land engagement on the water, and a
wreck upon the land. [19]
The buccaneers were greatly elated by their success, and attributed
their victory not to fraud but to their own valour; for among the
Egyptians their fear degenerates into abject cowardice, and their
courage mounts to rashness; in this respect they are always in
extremes, and are wholly subject either to the excess or the defect.
Ten days had now passed and Leucippe was no better; upon one occasion
while asleep she cried out in a frenzied manner, "Gorgias, it is thou
who hast driven me mad! "[20] I told Menelaus of this in the morning,
and began to consider whether there was any one in the village of that
name. We were just going out, when a young man met and accosted me,
saying, "I am come to save you and your wife. " Perfectly astounded,
and thinking that his coming was providential, "Are you Gorgias? " I
inquired. --"No," replied he, "my name is Chæreas; Gorgias is the cause
of all the mischief. " I felt a thrill run through me, as I asked, "What
mischief do you mean? Who is Gorgias? Some deity betrayed his name to
me last night; be you an interpreter of the announcement. "
"Gorgias," he resumed, "was an Egyptian soldier; he is now no more,
having been slain by the buccaneers. He conceived a passion for your
wife, and being well acquainted with the nature of drugs, he compounded
a love philtre which he persuaded your Egyptian servant to mix with
Leucippe's drink; he neglected to dilute the potion, so that instead
of producing love it brought on madness. I was informed of all this
yesterday by Gorgias' servant, who accompanied his master against the
buccaneers, and who seems to have been specially preserved by Fortune
for your sake. He asks four pieces of gold for effecting your wife's
recovery, having, as he says, a drug which will counteract the effects
of that which has been administered. " "All blessings attend you for
this good service! " I exclaimed; "pray bring the man here of whom you
speak. "
No sooner was he departed on this errand, than going in to the
Egyptian, I struck him repeatedly about the head with my clenched fist,
saying at every blow, "What was it which you gave Leucippe? What is
it which has caused her madness? " The fellow in his fright confessed
everything, confirming what Chæreas had already said; upon which we
thrust him into prison, and there kept him. By this time Chæreas had
returned, bringing the man with him. "Here are your four gold pieces as
the reward for your seasonable information; but before you proceed to
do anything, hear my opinion. As this lady's illness has been caused by
swallowing a drug, I cannot but think it dangerous to administer more
physic while the stomach is already under the influence of medicine;
tell me, therefore, what are the ingredients in your proposed remedy,
and compound it in my presence; upon these conditions I will give
you four more gold pieces. " "Your apprehensions are reasonable," he
replied; "but the ingredients in my medicine are all common and fit
for human food, and I will myself swallow the same quantity which I
give the lady. " After specifying the various ingredients, he sent some
one out to procure them; and as soon as they were brought, he pounded
them together in our presence, made two draughts of them, saying, "one
of them I will drink off, the other is for the lady; it will make her
sleep all night, and in the morning she will awake quite recovered. " He
then swallowed the draught, and ordered the other to be taken at night.
"I must now go and lie down," he said, "under the influence of the
medicine. " With these words he left us, having received the stipulated
sum, and with the assurance of the additional reward being paid him, if
Leucippe should recover. When the hour arrived for administering the
draught, I poured it out, and thus addressed it:
"Offspring of the Earth, gift of Æsculapius, may the promises made of
thee be verified; shew thyself propitious and preserve my beloved;
subdue the power of that ruthless potion. " Thus having entered into
a kind of compact with the medicine, I kissed the cup and give it to
Leucippe. She soon fell into a profound sleep, and while sitting beside
her I said to her, as if she could still hear me, "Wilt thou really
recover thy senses? Wilt thou know me again? Shall I hear that dear
voice of thine? Give some token in thy sleep, as yesternight thou didst
concerning Gorgias; happier are thy sleeping than thy waking hours;
frenzy is thy portion when awake, but thou art inspired by Wisdom when
asleep. "
At length my words and thoughts were interrupted by the
anxiously-expected break of day, and I heard Leucippe's voice calling
me by name.
