old men; the first uttering sentiments full of tenderness, but certainly inconsistent with their actions; the others full of wisdom and of meanness."

"Well, so be it," replied Euripides, "so long as you see my art and its happy ef

fects."

"I am reminded by this conversation," said Socrates, "of a story which my nurse used to relate to me when I was a child. By often listening to the story, I got it nearly by heart, in her way of telling it; if, then, you observe any traces of rusticity in the language or in the sentiments, attribute them to their proper source. It has not been given me to relate stories with the grace of Agatho, or the pathos of Euripides; but if a plain, unvarnished tale can give you pleasure, I shall be well content to allow to others the glory of their art of adornment."

Then, when all appeared desirous of hearing it, Socrates related the story of

THE PASSIONATE LOVERS.

In the city of Corinth, because of its flourishing commerce, there have been, time out of mind, rich men of mean extraction, who have risen to great reputation by force of their wealth and enterprise. Among these, however, there have also been a few noble families, who pretended to a very ancient lineage, tracing their parentage as far even as the days of Atreus, when the deities were still accustomed, as of old, to converse with mortals. Of these nobles, none was prouder, or more boastful of his origin, than the old man Agathon, whose daughter Lucia, the child of his dotage, inherited her father's nobleness of person, but not his pride or hardness of soul. The mother of Lucia, sharp-visaged dame Canopa, was of Thracian origin, a woman of a lofty and resolute temper, but avaricious and inhuman in her dealings

with men.

The wealth of this family had fallen gradually, by various accidents of fortune, to a mean estate, consisting only of a house in the city, and a few slaves whose labor earned a meagre subsistence for the household.

Notwithstanding the harshness and pride of her parents and the poverty of Lucia, which appeared in the plainness of her

attire, many sons of wealthy merchants, attracted by her beauty, made her offers of marriage, but were always rejected with insult by Agathon, who had resolved that his daughter should marry none but a descendant of the deities. For this prospect he neglected all the promises of wealth that were held out to him; and being troubled by the importunities of young men, and vexed with their gay manners and youthful insolence, he commanded Lucia to appear no more in public, but to remain constantly in her chamber.

In the lives of some men there are, as I think, to be seen the marks of a Divine retribution extended over all their actions. Heaven had not looked kindly on the pride and hardness of Agathon and his dame, but had left them in a deserved and despised poverty. And when the old man, to better his condition, solicited the votes of the citizens to raise him to offices of trust, for which by nature he was well fitted, rumors would get about, on the days previous to election, of his unkindness to his daughter, and people reasoned with themselves that a man who could so vilely forget the office of father and abuse the trust of Heaven, would not be likely to fill any human office with justice.

On one occasion, however, it happened that being on a voyage returning from the island of Crete, whither Agathon had gone to look after an estate which he thought might have fallen to him by the death of a relation, and having taken his wife and daughter with him, because he dared not leave them at home, exposed to the insults of the loose Corinthian youth, the old man found on an island, where his vessel touched for water, a young Athenian, who had been shipwrecked there, and who was miserably subsisting upon roots and wild fruit-the island being an uninhabited rock, covered with a scanty shrubbery. The castaway, whose name was Cleon, offered himself to Agathon as his slave for two years, if he would take him off the island; for such was the inhumanity of the old man's countenance, it seemed impossible to move him to any thing without some vast reward. Cleon, though he was a man of good family and elegantly accomplished, had acquired, through great misfortune and abuse, an humility and gentle

ses.

At length, to give a surpassing proof of his passion, this gallant wooer appointed games to be celebrated privately for her entertainment, for which, as it was contrary to custom, and some thought to religion, games being a part of the ceremony of worship, he was blamed by many and ridiculed by not a few.

However, when the day arrived, Lucia, attended by her father and mother, and a troop of slaves, presented by the liberality of the intended son-in-law, entered the marble palestra where the games were to be celebrated. Here were assembled many of the wealthiest citizens of Corinth, some with their wives and mistresses; but Lucia, it was admitted, outshone them all in beauty and elegance of demeanor.

Meanwhile the entertainments proceeded. First appeared in the arena a pair of poets, who contended in a rhythmic dialogue who should best celebrate the praise of Lucia. Nor did these ingenious persons fail to mingle great laudations of their patron, whom they seemed to venerate as a kind of deity. When these had done their part, a company of youths entered, who played alternately upon the lute and harp, with songs appropriate to the occasion. These were followed by a company of circus riders, who showed for what a trifling approbation some men will peril their lives. Boxers, quoit-players and runners followed in their turn, and last of all appeared two athletics of great vigor, who contended nearly naked for mastery in the pancratium, a contest in which it is lawful for the adversary to use every advantage.

While the younger guests were enjoying themselves in conversation, or in watching and betting upon the combatants, the father of Lucia conversed apart with the Archon, who, being of a truly generous nature, behaved with great liberality, and leclared himself so well pleased with the beauty and modesty of the girl, he would gratify her father with any sum that might ppear liberal, and would not require the araphernalia which the bride should

the slave who had instructed her in music. To this proposition Agathon offered some objections for appearance sake, as though about to make a great sacrifice, but at length yielded to the Archon's demand. with an air of satisfaction which he could not conceal: for this blind father had not seen nor did he even suspect the affection of his daughter for the slave, but attributed her rapid proficiency solely to her dutiful desire to gratify her parents. His wife had indeed observed something of her daughter's liking for Cleon, but so extravagant was her pride and confidence, she made nothing of it, and did not even use the necessary precautions to prevent their secret interviews. Agathon, meanwhile, informed the Archon that the slave should be sent to him as soon as he returned from a journey which he had lately undertaken to Sicyon, to procure for Lucia a new lute of a peculiar construction, such as he represented were to be found only in that city.

Meanwhile Cleon, who, by this artifice, had obtained leave of absence, retired to the hut of a sorceress near the city, and there lying concealed for some days, when he heard that games were to be celebrated, shaved his hair and beard, which he had worn long and flowing, and by the aid of the sorceress stained his whole body of a brown color, and in this disguise, returning to the city, obtained admittance to the palæstra, where the guests were assembled at the spectacle of the games. Being large and powerful in body and of great endurance and breath in all exercises, he awaited the opportunity which it pleased those deities who favor faithful lovers to prepare for him. For now the enthusiasm of the spectators had risen to a high pitch, and the young nobles, throwing off their robes, had gathered about the combatants, and some of those who prided themselves upon their manly vigor, began to wrestle and strike, at first in sport, but soon with a feeling of emulation. women and old men had retired from the palæstra, and the whole place was occupied with knots of betters and combatants, engaged in boisterous conversation or in

The

* Bride's furniture, clothes, &c., &c., brought from her parents' house.

watching the struggles of some two who | had engaged in strife. Cleon, in the dress of an Athenian, crowned with a wreath as though he had been drinking, mingled with the crowd and began to dare and defy the weaker among them to wrestle with him. With an appearance of great effort he overcame several, and threw them down without injury. The Archon's son, meanwhile, did not fail, on his part, to engage with some complying combatants; who, out of deference to him, as their entertainer, suffered themselves to be overcome. Elated with success, he pushed through the crowd that surrounded Cleon, who had just thrown down a feeble antagonist, and seizing him rudely by the shoulder, struck him upon the face and dared him to the pancratium. Cleon paused for a moment, as if to gather courage for the feat, and then, seizing the Archon's son in both his arms, threw him upon the ground with such violence that he lay senseless, and soon after expired. In the confusion which ensued, and before any could think to prevent him, Cleon escaped from the arena and retired again to his place of concealment, where, having cleansed his body of the color which disguised it, and delaying for the necessary time of the journey, he returned to the house of Agathon, in his slave's dress, as usual.

Believing that it would be fatal to him to remain longer in Athens, and yet wholly unable to part from Lucia, whom to leave was worse to him than death, Cleon resolved to make trial of her love, and by degrees, breaking the matter little by little, informed her of what he had done. At first the tender and scrupulous maid was overcome with terror and remorse; she could not endure that he had slain the Archon's son, who had never injured him, and with the bitterest reproaches forbade him to speak with, or even to look at her again. Struck dumb with anguish and despair he left the house, and soon after disappeared from Corinth; nor could any trace of him be found, though the old man Agathon, who valued his services, caused diligent search to be made in all parts of the city. Meanwhile Lucia, pining between love and terror, and unable to bear the weight of her painful secret, fell ill of a continued fever, and in the ravings of

delirium betrayed all to her physician and attendants. Dreadful was the rage of Agathon and his wife, when they heard of this affair. Taking a wooden sandal from her foot, the mother standing by the bedside struck her daughter with it upon the face, execrating her want of spirit to fall in love with a slave, and calling the Eumenides and the gloomy queen of hell to punish the mean-spirited and perfidious girl. She, insensible, lay swooning and nearly dead; yet so fierce was the anger of these parents, you would have thought they meant to thrust her through the gate of Hades to which she lay so near.

And now the affair becoming public, proclamation was made throughout the city offering freedom and a great reward to any slave who would bring the missing servant of Agathon, alive or dead, before the Archon. A number of innocent people were seized and dragged before the judge, and some were even slain by their captors, but none proved to be the person sought.

While this was happening, the miserable Cleon fled away and took refuge among the mountains of Arcadia, inhabited by outlaws of all Greece, and by a warlike race of shepherd robbers. They received him and applauded him when he told them his history, and being an Athenian and accomplished in music, and in the arts of war and chase, he soon gathered about him a band of followers, who attacked rich travellers, or descended upon the fruitful plains, carrying off with them the wives and riches of the inhabitants. In vain the Lacedæmonians, the Argives and the Corinthians sent armies against them: with Cleon for their leader, these robbers routed whole armies and put to flight even the spears of Lace | dæmon. Thus he lived for some years while Lucia lay imprisoned in her father's house.

Rumor spread abroad the story of Lucis and the slave, over all Greece. A bankrupt who had fled from Corinth, reported in Arcadia that Lucia had recovered from her illness, and would soon marry a younger son of the Archon, who now stood in his brother's place. This information inspired Cleon at once with new terror and with hope. Calling his troop together be sent fifty of them, by various routes, is various disguises, into Corinth, appointing a day and place of meeting; and then, taking