The Satyricon of Petronius ArbiterPetronius Arbiter
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The Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter
Petronius Arbiter
Rome -- Fiction; Satire, Latin -- Translations into English
When I had cheated my self with this assurance, I muffled my head in
my coat, and feign'd my self asleep: but on a sudden, as if fortune
had resolv'd to ruin my quiet; I heard one above deck groaning out:
"And has he scorn'd me?" This struck me with a trembling, for it was
a man's voice, and one I was afraid I knew: but at a greater distance,
with the same heat, I heard a woman lamenting: "O that some god," said
she, "wou'd bring my Gito to my arms; tho' he banish'd himself thence;
how kindly wou'd I receive him!"
So unexpected a thing drove the colour from our cheeks; I especially,
as in a trance, was a long time speechless; when, trembling with fear,
I pull'd Eumolpus by the coat, who was now asleep; and "I beseech you,
father," said I, "do you know the owner of this vessel, or who the
passengers are?" He was very angry to be disturbed: "And was it for
this reason," said he, "that we chose the most private place in the
ship; that none but your self might disturb us: or what will it
signifie if I tell you, that one Lycas a Tarentine owns her, and is
carrying one Tryphœna to Tarentum?"
For a while I stood like one thunder-struck, when opening my bosom, I
trembling, cry'd out; "At last, Fortune, you have ruin'd every part of
me:" for Gito, my better half, lean'd on my breast, as if he had
breath'd his last: when our sweating through fear, had a little
recover'd our spirits: I fell at Eumolpus feet, and intreated him to
have compassion of two dying wretches: that is, to assist us in the
means of escaping the impending mischief: "Tho' death," I added,
"wou'd be more grateful to us, if the happiness of enjoying you, did
not make us envy life."
Eumolpus was glad to serve us, and swore by all that's sacred, he was
privy to no design against us; and that he had very innocently brought
us hither, for no other end, than for our company, having hir'd the
vessel before he was acquainted with us: "But what designs on your
lives are here?" added he, "Or have we a pyrate Hannibal on board?"
"Lycas," continued he, "a very honourable man, is not only master and
owner of this vessel, but of a good estate, and having inclinations to
traffick, freights his vessel himself: Is this the terrible Cyclops?
Is this the dreadful cut-throat, we must pay our carriage to? And
besides him, is the beautiful Tryphœna that other emblem of
terrour, who for her pleasure only goes with Lycas."
"These are the very two," reply'd Gito, "we strove to avoid": and, in
a low voice, made Eumolpus, that trembled at the story, at once
understand the occasions of their malice to us, and our present
danger.
Eumolpus was so distracted in his thoughts, he cou'd not advise, but
bid each of us give him his opinion; "And presume," says he, "we had
just enter'd the Cyclops den, where Jove's thunderbolts are made. We
must seek a means of delivery, except we design to free us from all
danger, by sinking the vessel."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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