13.07.2015 Views

Minor Latin poets; with introductions and English translations

Minor Latin poets; with introductions and English translations

Minor Latin poets; with introductions and English translations

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

THE FABLES OF AVIANUSXXXThe Pig <strong>and</strong> itsOwnerA pig was ruining a farmer's corn <strong>and</strong> tramplinghis fertile fields ; so he cut its ear off <strong>and</strong> let it go,hoping that, carrying home a reminder of the painsuffered, it would remember in future <strong>and</strong> keep offthe tender crops. It was caught again in the crime ofgrubbing up the soil, <strong>and</strong> for its thieving lost the earit had—the one previously spared. Immediatelyafterwards it thrust its mutilated ° head into theaforementioned corn ; but the twice-repeated punishmentmade it a marked trespasser.^ This time thefarmer, having captured it, gave it for its owner'ssumptuous banquet, cutting a great number of slicesfor the various dishes. But when they had beeneating the boar <strong>and</strong> the owner asked for its heart,which the ravenous cook is said to have purloined,then the farmer soothed his reasonable anger <strong>with</strong>these words, remarking that the pig was stupid <strong>and</strong>never had a heart "^—for why had it been mad enoughto return j ust to lose parts of its body ? why let itselfbe caught so many times by the same enemy ?This sketch is a warning to those who have venturedtoo often <strong>and</strong> never kept their h<strong>and</strong>s offiniquity." Horrens is glossed in the Treves MS. as truncatum.* If indignum of the MSS. is kept, the sense is tliat the twoprevious punishments made this new trespass bj- the pig anoutrage. Nothing, therefore, but death could meet the case.The cor was considered the seat of underst<strong>and</strong>ing.'729

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!