Delphi Complete Works of Longus Page 8
THE FOURTH BOOK
1. AND now one of Lamo’s fellow-servants brought word from Mytilene that their lord would come towards the vintage, to see whether that irruption of the Methymnaeans had made any waste in those fields. When therefore the summer was now parting away and the autumn approaching, Lamo bestirred himself that his lord’s sojourn should present him with pleasure everywhere. He scoured the fountains, that the water might be clear and transparent. He mucked the yard, lest the dung should offend him with the smell. The garden he trimmed with great care and diligence, that all might be pleasant, fresh, and fair.
2. And that garden indeed was a most beautiful and goodly thing, and such as might become a prince. For it lay extended in length a whole furlong. It was situate on a high ground, and had to its breadth four acres. To a spacious field one would easily have likened it. Trees it had of all kinds, the apple, the pear, the myrtle, the pomegranate, the fig, and the olive; and to these on the one side there grew a rare and taller sort of vines, that bended over and reclined their ripening bunches of grapes among the apples and pomegranates, as if they would vie and contend for beauty and worth of fruits with them. So many kinds there were of satives, or of such as are planted, grafted, or set. To these were not wanting the cypress, the laurel, the platan, and the pine. And towards them, instead of the vine, the ivy leaned, and with the errantry of her boughs and her scattered blackberries did imitate the vines and shadowed beauty of the ripening grapes.
Within were kept, as in a garrison, trees of lower growth that bore fruit. Without stood the barren trees, enfolding all, much like a fort or some strong wall that had bin built by the hand of art; and these were encompassed with a spruce, thin hedge. By alleys and glades there was everywhere a just distermination of things from things, an orderly discretion of tree from tree; but on the tops the boughs met to interweave their limbs and leaves with one another’s, and a man would have thought that all this had not bin, as indeed it was, the wild of nature, but rather the work of curious art. Nor were there wanting to these, borders and banks of various flowers, some the earth’s own volunteers, some the structure of the artist’s hand. The roses, hyacinths, and lilies were set and planted by the hand; the violet, the daffodil, and anagall the earth gave up of her own good will. In the summer there was shade, in the spring the beauty and fragrancy of flowers, in the autumn the pleasantness of the fruits; and at every season amusement and delight. 3. Besides, from the high ground there was a fair and pleasing prospect to the fields, the herdsmen, the shepherds, and the cattle feeding; the same too looked to the sea and saw all the boats and pinnaces a sailing by; insomuch that that was no small addition to the pleasure of this most sweet and florid place.
In the midst of this paradise, to the positure of the length and breadth of the ground, stood a fane and an altar sacred to Bacchus. About the altar grew the wandering, encircling, clinging ivy; about the fane the palmits of the vines did spread themselves. And in the more inward part of the fane were certain pictures that told the story of Bacchus and his miracles; Semele bringing forth her babe, the fair Ariadne laid fast asleep, Lycurgus bound in chains, wretched Pentheus torn limb from limb, the Indians conquered, the Tyrrhenian mariners transformed, Satyrs treading the grapes and Bacchae dancing all about. Nor was Pan neglected in this place of pleasure; for he was set up upon the top of a crag, playing upon his pipes and striking up a common jig to those Satyrs that trod the grapes in the press and the Bacchae that danced about it.
4. Therefore in such a garden as this that all might be fine, Lamo now was very busy, cutting and pruning what was withered and dry, and checking and putting back the too forward palmits. Bacchus he had crowned with flowery chaplets, and then brought down with curious art rills of water from the fountains, amongst the borders and the knots. There was a spring, one that Daphnis first discovered, and that, although it was set apart for this purpose of watering the flowers, was nevertheless, in favour to him, always called Daphnis his fountain.
But Lamo besides commanded Daphnis to use his best skill to have his goats as fat as might be; for their lord would be sure to see them too, who now would come into the country after he had bin so long away. Now Daphnis indeed was very confident, because he thought he should be looked upon and praised for them. For he had doubled the number he had received of Lamo, nor had a wolf ravened away so much as one, and they were all more twadding fat then the very sheep. But because he would win upon the lord to be more forward to approve and confirm the match, he did his business with great diligence and great alacrity. He drove out his goats betimes in the morning, and late in the evening brought them home. Twice a day he watered them, and culled out for them the best pasture ground. He took care too to have the dairy-vessels new, better store of milking-pails and piggins, and greater crates for the cheese. He was so far from being negligent in anything, that he tried to make their horns to shine with vernich, and combed their very shag to make them sleek, insomuch that if you had seen this you had said it was Pan’s own sacred flock. Chloe herself too would take her share in this labour, and leaving her sheep would devote herself for the most part to the goats; and Daphnis thought ’twas Chloe’s hand and Chloe’s eyes that made his flocks appear so fair.
5. While both of them are thus busied, there came another messenger from the city, and brought a command that the grapes should be gathered with all speed; and told them withal he was to tarry with them there till the must was made, and then return to the town to wait upon his lord thither, the vintage being then at the height. This Eudromus (for that was his name, because he was a foot-page) they all received and entertained with great kindness; and presently began the vintage. The grapes were gathered, cast into the press; the must made, and tunned into the vessels. Some of the fairest bunches of the grapes, together with their branches, were cut, that to those who came from the city a shew of the vintage-work and some of the pleasure of it might still remain.
6. And now Eudromus made haste to be gone and return to the town, and Daphnis gave him great variety of pretty gifts, but especially whatever could be had from a flock of goats; cheeses that were close pressed, a kid of the late fall, with a goatskin white and thick-shagged to fling about him when he ran in the winter. With this, Eudromus was very pleasantly affected, and kissed Daphnis, and told him that he would speak a good word for him to his master; and so went away with a benevolent mind to them.
But Daphnis went to feed his flock beside Chloe full of anxious thought; and Chloe, too, was not free from fear, namely, that a lad that had bin used to see nothing but goats, mountains, ploughmen, and Chloe, should then first be brought into the presence of his lord, of whom before he had heard nothing but only his name. For Daphnis, therefore, she was very solicitous, how he would come before his master, how he would behave himself, how the bashful youth would salute him. About the marriage, too, she was much troubled, fearing lest they might but only dream of a mere chance, or nothing at all. Therefore kisses passed between them without number, and such embracing of one another as if both of them were grown into one piece; but those kisses were full of fear, those embraces very pensive, as of them that feared their lord as then there, or kissed and clipped in hugger-mugger to him.
Moreover, then there arose to them such a distraction as this: 7. There was one Lampis, an untoward, blustering, fierce herdsman; and he amongst the rest had wooed Dryas for Chloe, and given him many gifts, too, to bring on and dispatch the marriage. Therefore, perceiving that if their lord did not dislike it, Daphnis was to have the girl, he sets himself to find and practise a cunning trick to enrage and alienate their lord. And knowing that he was wonderfully pleased and delighted with that garden, he thought it best to spoil that as much as he could and divest it of all its beauty. To cut the trees he durst not attempt, for he would then be taken by the noise. Wherefore he thinks to ruin the flowers; and when ’twas night, gets over the hedge, and some he pulled up by the roots, of some he grasped and tore the stems, the rest he trod down like a boar;
and so escaped unheard, unseen.
Lamo the next morning went into the garden to water the flowers from the spring. But when he saw all the place now made a waste, and that it was like the work of a mischievous enemy rather then a thief or robber, he rent his clothes, and called so long upon the Gods, that Myrtale left all and ran out thither, and Daphnis, too, let his goats go where they would and ran back again. When they saw it, they cried out, lamented, and wept.
8. To grieve for the flowers it was in vain, but alas! their lord they feared. And indeed a mere stranger, had he come there, might very well have wept with them. For all the glory of the place was gone, and nothing now remained but a lutulent soil. If any flower had escaped the outrage, it had yet, as it was then, a half-hid floridness and its glance, and still was fair although ’twas laid. And still the bees did sit upon them, and all along, in a mourning murmur, sang the funeral of the flowers.
And so Lamo out of his great consternation broke forth into these words: “Alas, alas, the rosaries, how are they broken down and torn! Woe is me, the violaries, how are they spurned and trodden down! Ah me, the hyacinths and daffodils which some villain has pulled up, the wickedest of all mortals! The spring will come, but those will not grow green again; it will be summer and these will not blow; the autumn will come, but these will give no chaplets for our heads. And didst not thou, Bacchus, lord of the garden, pity the suffering of these flowers, among which thou dwelledst, upon which thou lookedst, and with which I have crowned thee so often in joy and gladness? How shall I now shew this garden to my lord? In what mind will he look upon it? How will he take it? He will hang me up for an old rogue, like Marsyas upon a pine, and perchance poor Daphnis too, thinking his goats have done the deed.” 9. With these there fell more scalding tears; for now they wept not for the flowers, but themselves. And Chloe bewailed poor Daphnis his case if he should be hanged up and scourged, and wished their lord might never come, spending her days in misery, as if even then she looked upon her sweet Daphnis under the whip.
But towards night Eudromus came and brought them word that their lord would come within three days, and that their young master would be there to-morrow. Therefore about what had befallen them they fell to deliberate, and took in good Eudromus into their council. This Eudromus was altogether Daphnis his friend, and he advised they should first open the chance to their young lord, and promised himself an assistant too, as one of some account with him; for Astylus was nursed with his milk, and he looked upon him as a foster-brother. And so they did the next day.
10. Astylus came on horseback, a parasite of his with him, and he on horseback too. Astylus was now of the first down, but his Gnatho (that was his name) had long tried the barber’s tools. But Lamo, taking Myrtale and Daphnis with him, and flinging himself at the feet of Astylus, humbly beseeched him to have mercy on an unfortunate old man, and save him from his father’s anger, one that was not in fault, one that had done nothing amiss; and then told him what had befallen them. Astylus had pity on the wretched suppliant, and went with him to the garden; and having seen the destruction of it as to flowers, he promised to procure them his father’s pardon and lay the fault on the fiery horses, that were tied thereabouts, boggled o’er something, and broke their bridles, and so it happened that almost all the flowers everywhere were trodden down, broken, and torn, and flundered up.
At this, Lamo and Myrtale prayed the Gods would prosper him in everything; and young Daphnis soon after presented him with things made ready to that purpose; young kids, cream-cheeses, a numerous brood of hen-and-chickens, bunches of grapes hanging still upon their palmits, and apples on the boughs, and amongst them a bottle of the Lesbian wine, fragrant wine and the most excellent of drinks. 11. Astylus commended their oblation and entertainment, and went a hunting the hare; for he was rich, and given to pleasure, and therefore came to take it abroad in the country.
But Gnatho, a man that had learnt only to guttle, and drink till he was drunk, and afterwards play the lecher, a man that minded nothing but his belly and his lasciviousness under that, he had taken a more curious view of Daphnis then others had, when he presented the gifts. Sed cum natura puerorum amator esset, inventa qualem ne in urbe quidem viderat forma, Daphnim aggredi decrevit, hoc facile ratus illi utpote homini caprario se persuasurum.
When he had now thus deliberated with himself, he went not along with Astylus a hunting, but going down into the field where Daphnis kept, he said he came to see the goats, but came indeed spectator of the youth. He began to palp him with soft words, praised his goats, called fondly on him for a pastoral tune, and said withal he would speedily impetrate his liberty for him, as being able to do what he would with his lord. 12. Ut autem ilium mansuetum sibique morigerum vidit, nocte insidiatus capellas e pastu abducenti, accurrens oscula quaedam dedit; deinde ut more caprarum hircis suis copiam facientium sibi tergumi obvertet precatur. Haec cum tandem animadvertisset Daphnis et dixisset capras quod ineant hirci, id quidem se recte habere, sed hircum numquam quemquam vidisse inire hircum neque arietem pro ovibus arietem, neque gallos gallinarum loco gallos, ibt Gnatho velle vi adigere manusque inicere. But Daphnis flung off this drunken sot, who scarce could stand upon his legs, and laid him on the ground, and then whipped away and left him. Nor would Daphnis endure it he should near him ever after, and therefore still removed his flocks, avoiding him and keeping Chloe carefully.
And indeed Gnatho did not proceed to trouble him further; for he had found him already not only a fair but a stout boy. But he waited an occasion to speak concerning him to Astylus, hoping to beg him of the gallant, as one that would bestow upon him many and better gifts then that. 13. But it was not a time to talk of it now; for Dionysophanes was come with his wife Clearista, and all about was a busy noise, tumultuous pudder of carriages, and a long retinue of menservants and maids. But he thought with himself to make afterwards a speech concerning Daphnis, sufficient for love, sufficient for length.
Dionysophanes was now half gray, but very tall and well-limbed, and able at any exercise to grapple in the younger list. For his riches few came near him; for honest life, justice, and excellent manners, scant such another to be found. He, when he was come, offered the first day to the president Gods of rural business, to Ceres, Bacchus, Pan, and the Nymphs, and set up a common bowl for all that were present. The other days he walked abroad to take a view of Lamo’s works; and seeing how the ground was ploughed, how swelled with palmits and how trim the vineyard was, how fair and flourishing the viridary (for as for the flowers, Astylus took the fault upon himself), he was wonderfully pleased and delighted with all; and when he had praised Lamo much, he promised besides to make him free.
Afterwards he went into the other fields to see the goats and him that kept them. 14. Now Chloe fled into the wood; for she could not bear so strong a presence and was afraid of so great a company. But Daphnis stood girt with a skin from a thick-shagged goat, a new scrip about his shoulders, in one hand holding green cheeses, with the other leading suckling kids. If ever Apollo would be hired to serve Laomedon and tend on herds, just so he looked as Daphnis then. He spoke not a word, but all on a blush, casting his eyes upon the ground, presented the rural gifts to his lord. But Lamo spoke: “Sir,” quoth he, “this is the keeper of those goats. To me you committed fifty she’s and two he’s. Of them he has made you an hundred now and ten he-goats. Do you see how plump and fat they are, how shaggy and rough their hair is, how entire and unshattered their horns? Besides he has made them musical. For if they do but hear his pipe, they are ready to do whatsoever he will.”
15. Clearista heard him what he said, and being struck with a longing to have it presently tried whether it were so indeed or not, she bids Daphnis to play to his goats as he wonted to do, promising to give him for his piping a coat, a mantle, and new shoes. Daphnis, when all the company was sate as a theatre, went to his oak, and standing under it drew his pipe out of his scrip. And first he blowed something that was low and smart, and presently the goats rose up and held th
eir heads bolt upright. Then he played the pastoral or grazing tune, and the goats cast their heads downwards to graze. Then again he breathed a note was soft and sweet, and all lay down together to rest. Anon he struck up a sharp, violent, tumultuous sound, and they all rushed into the wood as if a wolf had come upon them. After a while he piped aloud the recall, and they wheeled out of the wood again and came up to his very feet. Never was there any master of a house that had his servants so obsequious to his commands. All the spectators admired his art, but especially Clearista, insomuch that she could not but swear she would give him the things she promised, who was so fair a goatherd and skilled in music even to wonder.
From this pleasure they returned to the cottage to dine, and sent Daphnis some of their choicer fare to the fields; 16. where he feasted himself with Chloe, and was sweetly affected by those delicates and confections from the city, and hoped he had pleased his lord and lady so, that now he should not miss the maid. But Gnatho now was more inflamed with those things about the goats; and counting his life no life at all unless he had Daphnis at his will, he catched Astylus walking in the garden, and leading him with him into Bacchus his fane, he fell to kiss his hands and his feet. But he inquiring why he did so and bidding him tell what was the matter with him, and swearing withal to hear and help him in anything, “Master, thy Gnatho is undone,” quoth he; “for I who heretofore was in love with nothing but thy plenteous table, and swore nothing was more desirable, nothing of a more precious tang, then good old wine, I that have often affirmed that thy confectioners and cooks were the sweetest things in Mytilene, I shall now hereafter for ever think that nothing is fair and sweet but Daphnis; and giving over to feed high, although thou art furnished every day with flesh, with fish, with banqueting, nothing could be more pleasant to me then to be turned into a goat, to eat grass and green leaves, hear Daphnis his pipe and be fed at his hand. But do thou preserve thy Gnatho, and be to him the victor of victorious love. Unless it be done, I swear by thee that art my God, that when I have filled my paunch with meat, I’ll take this dagger and kill myself at Daphnis his door. And then you may go look your little pretty Gnatho, as thou usest daily to call me.”