And of these Deipnosophists, one quoted one scolium, and one another. And these were those which were recited—
And when this had been sung, and everybody had been delighted with it; and when it had been mentioned that even the incomparable Plato had spoken of this scolium as one most admirably written, Myrtilus said, that Anaxandrides the-comic poet had turned it into ridicule in his Treasure, speaking thus of it—I.
O thou Tritonian Pallas, who from heaven above
Look'st with protecting eye
On this holy city and land,
Deign our protectress now to prove
From loss in war, from dread sedition's band,
And death's untimely blow, thou and thy father Jove.
II.
I sing at this glad season, of the Queen,
Mother of Plutus, heavenly Ceres;
May you be ever near us,
You and your daughter Proserpine,
And ever as a friend
This citadel defend.
III.
Latona once in Delos, as they say,
Did two great children bear,
Apollo with the golden hair,
Bright Phœbus, god of day.
And Dian, mighty huntress, virgin chaste.
On whom all women's trust is placed.
[p. 1110]IV.
Raise the loud shout to Pan, Arcadia's king;
Praise to the Nymphs' loved comrade sing!
Come, O Pan, and raise with me
The song in joyful ecstasy.
V.
We have conquer'd as we would,
The gods reward us as they should,
And victory bring from Pandrosos1 to Pallas.
VI.
Oh, would the gods such grace bestow,
That opening each man's breast,
One might survey his heart, and know
How true the friendship that could stand that test.
VII.
Health's the best gift to mortal given;
Beauty is next; the third great prize
Is to grow rich, free both from sin and vice;
The fourth, to pass one's youth with friends beloved by heaven.
The man who wrote this song, whoe'er he was,After that, these other scolia were sung—
When he call'd health the best of all possessions,
Spoke well enough. But when the second place
He gave to beauty, and the third to riches,
He certainly was downright mad; for surely
Riches must be the next best thing to health,
For who would care to be a starving beauty
Some also call that a scolium which was composed by Hybrias the Cretan; and it runs thus—VIII.
'Tis well to stand upon the shore,
And look on others on the sea;
But when you once have dipp'd your oar,
By the present wind you must guided be.
IX.
A crab caught a snake in his claw,
And thus he triumphantly spake,—
'My friends must be guided by law,
Nor love crooked counsels to take.
[p. 1111]X.
I'll wreathe my sword in myrtle bough,
The sword that laid the tyrant low,
When patriots, burning to be free,
To Athens gave equality.2
XI.
Harmodius, hail! though reft of breath,
Thou ne'er shalt feel the stroke of death,
The happy heroes' isles shall be
The bright abode allotted thee.
XII.
I'll wreathe the sword in myrtle bough,
The sword that laid Hipparchus low,
When at Minerva's adverse fane
He knelt, and never rose again.
XIII.
While Freedom's name is understood,
You shall delight the wise and good;
You dared to set your country free,
And gave her laws equality.
XIV.
Learn, my friend, from Admetus' story,
All worthy friends and brave to cherish;
But cowards shun when danger comes,
For they will leave you alone to perish.
XV.
Ajax of the ponderous spear mighty son of Telamon,
They call you bravest of the Greeks, next to the great Achilles,
Telamon came first, and of the Greeks the second man
Was Ajax, and with him there came invincible Achilles.
XVI.
Would that I were an ivory lyre,
Struck by fair boys to great Iacchus' taste;
Or golden trinket pure from fire,
Worn by a lady fair, of spirit chaste.
XVII.
Drink with me, and sport with me,
Love with me, wear crowns with me,
Be mad with me when I am moved with rage,
And modest when I yield to counsels sage.
XVIII.
A scorpion 'neath every stone doth lie,
And secrets usually hide treachery.
[p. 1112]XIX.
A sow one acorn has, and wants its brother;
And I have one fair maid, and seek another.
XX.
A wanton and a bath-keeper both cherish the same fashion,
Giving the worthless and the good the self-same bath to wash in.
XXI.
Give Cedon wine, O slave, and fill it up,
If you must give each worthy man a cup.
XXII.
Alas! Leipsydrium, you betray
A host of gallant men,
Who for their country many a day
Have fought, and would again.
And even when they fell, their race
In their great actions you may trace.3
XXIII.
The man who never will betray his friend,
Earns fame of which nor earth nor heaven shall see the end.
XXIV.
I have great wealth, a sword, and spear,
And trusty shield beside me here;
With these I plough, and from the vine
Squeeze out the heart-delighting wine;
They make me lord of everything.
But they who dread the sword and spear,
And ever trusty shield to bear,
Shall fall before me on their knees,
And worship me whene'er I please,
And call me mighty lord and king.
