Part 13 (1/2)

FABLE VIII.

THE EMBLEM OF OPPORTUNITY.

A Bald Man, balancing on a razor's edge, fleet of foot, his forehead covered with hair,[13] his body naked--if you have caught him, hold him fast; when he has once escaped, not Jupiter himself can overtake him: he is the emblem how shortlived is Opportunity.

The ancients devised such a portraiture of Time, {to signify} that slothful delay should not hinder the execution of our purposes.

[Footnote V.13: _His forehead covered with hair_)--Ver. 2.

From this figure of Time or Opportunity, Time came to be represented in the middle ages with a tuft of hair on his forehead; whence our common expression ”To take time by the forelock,” signifying to make the best of an opportunity.]

FABLE IX.

THE BULL AND THE CALF.

When a Bull was struggling with his horns in a narrow pa.s.sage, and could hardly effect an entrance to the manger, a Calf began to point out in what way he might turn himself: ”Hush,” said {the Bull}, ”I knew that before you were born.”

Let him who would instruct a wiser man, consider {this as} said to himself.

FABLE X.

THE HUNTSMAN AND THE DOG.

A Dog, who had always given satisfaction to his master by his boldness against swift and savage beasts, began to grow feeble under increasing years. On one occasion, being urged to the combat with a bristling Boar, he seized him by the ear; but, through the rottenness of his teeth, let go his prey. Vexed at this, the Huntsman upbraided the Dog. Old Barker[14] {replied}: ”It is not my courage that disappoints you, but my strength. You commend me for what I have been; and you blame me that I am not {what I was}.”

You, Philetus,[15] may easily perceive why I have written this.

[Footnote V.14: _Old Barker_)--Ver. 7. We may here enumerate the names of this nature, which we find given by Phaedrus to various animals: ”laniger,” ”wool-bearer,” the sheep; ”auritulus,”

”long-ears,” the a.s.s; ”sonipes,” ”sounding-hoof,” the horse; ”barbatus,” ”long-beard,” the goat; ”retorridus,” ”brindle,” the mouse; and ”latrans,” ”barker,” the dog.]

[Footnote V.15: _Philetus._)--Ver. 10. Of this Philetus nothing certain is known, but he is supposed to have been a freedman of the emperor Claudius.]

THE NEW FABLES,

BY SOME ATTRIBUTED TO PHaeDRUS.[1]

[Footnote NF.1: _Attributed to Phaedrus_)--Ca.s.sito and Jannelli, with several other critics, are strongly of opinion that these Fables were written by Phaedrus. On a critical examination, however, they will be found to be so dissimilar in style and language from those acknowledged to be by Phaedrus, that it is very difficult not to come to the conclusion that they are the work of some more recent writer, of inferior genius, and less pure latinity. They were first published in 1809, at Naples, by Ca.s.sito, from a MS. which had belonged to Nicholas Perotti, Archbishop of Sipontum or Manfredonia, at the end of the fifteenth century, and who, notwithstanding his a.s.sertions to the contrary, was perhaps either the author of them or altered them very materially. They appear in the MSS. in a mutilated condition; and the lacunae have been filled up according to the fancy of the successive Editors of the Fables. Those inserted in Gail's edition have in general been here adopted.]

FABLE I.

THE APE AND THE FOX.

_The Greedy Man is not willing to give even from his superabundance._