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The Fables of Phædrus
Literally translated into English prose with notes
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The Fables of Phædrus Literally translated into English prose with notes

by Phaedrus

Page 1

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Œ, œ (“oe” ligature)
Μωμεῖσθαι

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The text is taken from an omnibus volume that also contained Riley’s translation of the six surviving plays of Terence. The full title page has been retained for completeness, but the sections of the Preface and Contents that apply only to Terence have been omitted.

Footnotes have been renumbered within each Book. Footnote tags that were missing in the original are underlined without further annotation. The name is spelled “Æsop” in Riley, “Esop” in Smart and in the Contents. Inconsistencies in fable numbering are described at the beginning of the Table of Contents.

A few typographical errors have been corrected. They are marked in the text with mouse-hover popups.

THE

COMEDIES

OF

TERENCE.

AND

THE FABLES OF PHÆDRUS.


LITERALLY TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH PROSE
WITH NOTES,

By HENRY THOMAS RILEY, B.A.

LATE SCHOLAR OF CLARE HALL, CAMBRIDGE.


TO WHICH IS ADDED

A METRICAL TRANSLATION OF PHÆDRUS,

By CHRISTOPHER SMART, A.M.

 

LONDON: GEORGE BELL & SONS, YORK STREET,
COVENT GARDEN.
1887.

PREFACE.


In the Translation of Phædrus, the Critical Edition by Orellius, 1831, has been used, and in the Æsopian Fables, the text of the Parisian Edition of Gail, 1826. The Notes will, it is believed, be found to embody the little that is known of the contemporary history of the Author.

H. T. R.

The Table of Contents refers primarily to the Riley text. Fables I.xxix, III.iii, and several Fables in Book IV are missing in Smart; Riley’s Fable IV.i, “The Ass and the Priests of Cybele”, is Smart’s III.xix. Where Smart’s numbers are different, they are shown with popups.

In the text, Book III, Fable xi is “The Eunuch to the Abusive Man”; all following fables in Riley are numbered one higher than in the Table of Contents. This fable is missing from Smart but the number X is skipped, as was number I.xviii.

CONTENTS.


THE FABLES OF PHÆDRUS.

Book I. Prose. Verse. Prologue 365 473 Fable I.

The Wolf and the Lamb

365 473 II.

The Frogs asking for a King

366 474 III.

The vain Jackdaw and the Peacock

367 475 IV.

The Dog carrying some Meat across a River

368 476 V.

The Cow, the She-Goat, the Sheep, and the Lion

368 476 VI.

The Frogs’ complaint against the Sun

369 476 VII.

The Fox and the Tragic Mask

369 477 VIII.

The Wolf and the Crane

370 477 IX.

The Sparrow and the Hare

370
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href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@25512@[email protected]#smart_I_IX" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">478 X.

The Wolf, the Fox, and the Ape

371 478 XI.

The Ass and the Lion hunting

371 478 XII.

The Stag at the Stream

372 479 XIII.

The Fox and the Raven

372 480 XIV.

The Cobbler turned Physician

373 480 XV.

The Ass and the Old Shepherd

373 481 XVI.

The Stag, the Sheep, and the Wolf

374 481 XVII.

The Sheep, the Dog, and the Wolf

374 482 XVIII.

The Woman in Labour

375 — XIX.

The Bitch and her Whelps

375 482 XX.

The hungry Dogs

376 483 XXI.

The aged Lion, the Wild Boar, the Bull, and the Ass

376 483 XXII.

The Man and the Weasel

376 483 XXIII.

The Faithful Dog

377 484 XXIV.

The Frog and the Ox

378 484 XXV.

The Dog and the Crocodile

377 485 XXVI.

The Fox and the Stork

378 485 XXVII.

The Dog, the Treasure, and the Vulture

379 486 XXVIII.

The Fox and the Eagle

380 486 XXIX.

The Ass deriding the Boar

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class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">380 — XXX.

The Frogs frightened at the Battle of the Bulls

380 487 XXXI.

The Kite and the Pigeons

381 487 Book II. Prologue 382 488 Fable I.

The Lion, the Robber, and the Traveller

383 488 II.

Two Women of different Ages beloved by the Middle-aged Man

383 489 III.

The Man and the Dog

384 489 IV.

The Eagle, the Cat, and the Sow

384 490 V.

Cæsar to the Chamberlain

385 491 VI.

The Eagle, the Crow, and the Tortoise

386 492 VII.

The Mules and Robbers

387 492 VIII.

The Stag and the Oxen

387 493 Epilogue 388 494 Book III. Prologue, to Eutychus 390 497 Fable I.

The Old Woman and the Cask

393 498 II.

The Panther and Shepherd

394 498 III.

Esop and the Farmer

395 — IV.

The Butcher and the Ape

395 499 V.

Esop and the Insolent Man

395 499 VI.

The Fly and the Mule

396
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class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">499 VII.

The Dog and the Wolf

397 500 VIII.

The Brother and Sister

398 501 IX.

Socrates to his Friends

398 502 X.

The Poet on Believing and not Believing

399 502 XI.

The Eunuch to the Abusive Man

401 — XI.

The Cock and the Pearl

401 504 XII.

The Bees and the Drones, the Wasp sitting as judge

402 505 XIII.

Esop at play

402 505 XIV.

The Dog to the Lamb

403 506 XV.

The Grasshopper and the Owl

404 507 XVI.

The Trees under the Protection of the Gods

405 508 XVII.

The Peacock to Juno

405 509 XVIII.

Esop’s Answer to the Inquisitive Man

406 509 Epilogue 407 — Book IV. Prologue 409 510 Fable I.

The Ass and the Priests of Cybele

410 509 II.

The Weasel and the Mice

411 510 III.

The Fox and the Grapes

411 511
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class="renumber" title="III in Smart">IV.

The Horse and the Wild Boar

411 511 V.

Esop interpreting a Will

412 512 VI.

The Battle of the Mice and the Weasels

413 514 VII.

The Poet’s Defence against the Censurers of his Fables

414 514 VIII.

The Viper and the File

415 515 IX.

The Fox and the Goat

415 516 X.

Of the Vices of Men

416 516 XI.

A Thief pillaging the Altar of Jupiter

416 517 XII.

Hercules and Plutus

417 517 XIII.

The Lion reigning

417 — XIV.

Prometheus

418 — XV.

The She-Goats and their Beards

418 518 XVI.

The Pilot and the Mariners

419 518 XVII.

The Embassy of the Dogs to Jupiter

419 — XVIII.

The Man and the Snake

420 519 XIX.

The Fox and the Dragon

421 519 XX.

Phædrus

422 520 XXI.

The Shipwreck of Simonides

422 520 XXII.

The Mountain in Labour

423
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tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">522 XXIII.

The Ant and the Fly

424 522 XXIV.

Simonides preserved by the Gods

425 523 Epilogue 426 524 Book V. Prologue 427 526 Fable I.

Demetrius and Menander

427 527 II.

The Travellers and the Robber

428 528 III.

The Bald Man and the Fly

429 529 IV.

The Man and the Ass

429 529 V.

The Buffoon and Countryman

429 530 VI.

The Two Bald Men

431 532 VII.

Princeps the Flute Player

431 532 VIII.

The Emblem of Opportunity

433 534 IX.

The Bull and the Calf

433 534 X.

The Huntsman and the Dog

433 535

The New Fables—attributed to Phædrus. Fable I.

The Ape and the Fox

435 II.

The Author

436 III.

Mercury and the two Women

436 IV.

Prometheus and Cunning

437 V.

The Author

438 VI.

The signification of the Punishments of Tartarus

438 VII.

The Author

439 VIII.

Æsop and the Author

439 IX.

Pompeius Magnus and his Soldier

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440 X.

Juno, Venus, and the Hen

441 XI.

The Father of a Family and Æsop

442 XII.

The Philosopher and the Victor in the Gymnastic Games

442 XIII.

The Ass and the Lyre

443 XIV.

The Widow and the Soldier

443 XV.

The Rich Suitor and the Poor One

444 XVI.

Æsop and his Mistress

445 XVII.

A Cock carried in a Litter by Cats

446 XVIII.

The Sow bringing forth and the Wolf

446 XIX.

The Runaway Slave and Æsop

447 XX.

The Chariot Horse sold for the Mill

447 XXI.

The Hungry Bear

448 XXII.

The Traveller and the Raven

449 XXIII.

The Shepherd and the She-Goat

449 XXIV.

The Serpent and the Lizard

449 XXV.

The Crow and the Sheep

450 XXVI.

The Servant and the Master

450 XXVII.

The Hare and the Herdsman

450 XXVIII.

The Young Man and the Courtesan

451 XXIX.

The Beaver

451 XXX.

The Butterfly and the Wasp

452 XXXI.

The Ground-Swallow and the Fox

453 Epilogue 453 Æsopian Fables—the authors of which are not known. Fable I.

The Sick Kite

454 II.

The Hares tired of Life

454 III.

Jupiter and the Fox

455 IV.

The Lion and the Mouse

455 V.

The Man and the Trees

456 VI.

The Mouse and the Frog

456 VII.

The Two Cocks and the Hawk

456 VIII.

The Snail and the Ape

457 IX.

The City Mouse and the Country Mouse

457 X.

The Ass fawning upon his Master

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href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@25512@[email protected]#AF_X" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">458 XI.

The Crane, the Crow, and the Countryman

459 XII.

The Birds and the Swallow

459 XIII.

The Partridge and the Fox

460 XIV.

The Ass, the Ox, and the Birds

461 XV.

The Lion and the Shepherd

461 XVI.

The Goat and the Bull

462 XVII.

The Horse and the Ass

462 XVIII.

The Birds, the Beasts, and the Bat

463 XIX.

The Nightingale, the Hawk, and the Fowler

463 XX.

The Wolf, the Fox, and the Shepherd

464 XXI.

The Sheep and the Wolves

464 XXII.

The Ape and the Fox

465 XXIII.

The Wolf, the Huntsman, and the Shepherd

465 XXIV.

The Truthful Man, the Liar, and the Apes

466 XXV.

The Man and the Lion

467 XXVI.

The Stork, the Goose, and the Hawk

467 XXVII.

The Sheep and the Crow

468 XXVIII.

The Ant and the Grasshopper

468 XXIX.

The Horse and the Ass

469 XXX.

The Old Lion and the Fox

469 XXXI.

The Camel and the Flea

469 XXXII.

The Kid and the Wolf

470 XXXIII.

The Poor Man and the Serpent

470 XXXIV.

The Eagle and the Kite

471