The Works of Lucian of Samosata — Volume 04 — John Shaqi
The Works of Lucian of Samosata — Volume 04Lucian, of Samosata
General
The Works of Lucian of Samosata — Volume 04
Lucian, of Samosata
Lucian, of Samosata -- Translations into English
_Ti._ That is enough, Lycinus. Spare his blushes. You have quite
swamped his ship; she is laughter-logged, and can weather it no longer.
Now, we have still some distance before us; let us break it up into
four parts, and each have so many furlongs, in which he may demand of
the Gods what he will. This will lighten our journey, and amuse us into
the bargain; we shall revel in a delightful waking dream of unlimited
prosperity; for each of us will have full control of his own Wish, and
it will be understood that the Gods must grant everything, however
impracticable. Above all, it will give us an idea who would make the
best use of the supposed wealth; we shall see what kind of a man it
would have made of him.
_Sa._ A good idea. I am your man; I undertake to wish when my turn
comes. We need not ask Adimantus whether he agrees; he has one foot on
board already. We must have Lycinus's sanction, however.
_Ly._ Why, let us to our wealth, if so it must be. Where all is
prosperity, I would not be thought to cast an evil eye.
_Ad._ Who begins?
_Ly._ You; and then Samippus, and then Timolaus. I shall only want the
last hundred yards or so before the Gate for mine, and a quick hundred,
too.
_Ad._ Well, I stick to my ship still; only I shall wish some more
things, as it is allowed. May the God of Luck say Yes to all! I will
have the ship, and everything in her; the cargo, the merchants, the
women, the sailors, and anything else that is particularly nice to have.
_Sa._ You forget one thing you have on board--
_Ad._ Oh, the boy with the hair; yes, him too. And instead of the
present cargo of wheat, I will have the same bulk of coined gold, all
sovereigns.
_Ly._ Hullo! The ship will sink. Wheat and gold to the same bulk are
not of the same weight.
_Ad._ Now, don't make envious remarks. When your turn comes, you can
have the whole of Parnes turned into a mass of gold if you like, and I
shall say nothing.
_Ly._ Oh, I was only thinking of your safety. I don't want all hands to
go down with the golden cargo. It would not matter so much about us,
but the poor boy would be drowned; he can't swim.
_Ti._ Oh, that will be all right. The dolphins will pick him up and get
him to shore. Shall a paltry musician be rescued by them for a song's
sake, a lifeless Melicertes be carried on their backs to the Isthmus,
and Adimantus's latest purchase find never an amorous dolphin at his
need?
_Ad._ Timolaus, you are just as bad as Lycinus, with your superfluous
sneers. You ought to know better; it was all your idea.
_Ti._ You should make it more plausible. Find a treasure under your
bed; that would save unloading the gold, and getting it up to town.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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