Trimalchio
leaned on his pillow, the Homerists ratled out Greek verses, as,
arrogantly enough, they were wont to do, and he read a Latin book with
a loud voice: whereupon silence being made, "Know ye," said he, "what
fable they were upon?
"Diomedes and Ganymede were two brothers, and Helen was their sister;
Agamemnon stole him away, and shamm'd Diana with a hind in his room,
as says Homer in this place; and how the Trojans and the Parentines
fought among themselves; but at last he got the better of it, and
married his daughter Iphigenia to Achilles; on which Ajax run mad.
And there's an end of the tale."
On this the Homerists set up a shout, and a young boiled heifer with
an helmet on her head, was handed in upon a mighty charger: Ajax
followed, and with a drawn sword, as if he were mad, made at it, now
in one place, then in another, still acting a Morris-dancer; till
having cut it into joints, he took them upon the point of his sword,
and distributed them. Nor had we much time to admire the conceit; for
of a sudden the roof gave a crack, and the whole room shook: For my
part, I got on my feet, but all in confusion, for fear some tumbler
might drop on my head; the same also were the rest of the guests;
still gaping and expecting what new thing should come from the clouds:
when straight the main beams opened, and a vast circle was let down,
all round which hung golden garlands, and alabaster pots of sweet
ointments.
Pages:
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94