WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
The Fables of Phædrus / Literally translated into English prose with notes cover

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

Chapter 4: PREFACE.
Open in WeRead

About This Book

A collection of short moral tales uses anthropomorphized animals and brief human scenes to dramatize ethical lessons and social critiques. Each fable presents a compact situation—often involving greed, pride, injustice, or folly—and ends with a pointed observation or moral. The pieces alternate concise prose and occasional metrical renderings, employing irony, reversal, and vivid imagery to expose human weaknesses and practical wisdom. Organized into numbered books and prologues, the work favors pithy narrative, accessible examples, and satirical comment to instruct as well as to entertain.

The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Fables of Phædrus

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: The Fables of Phædrus

Author: Phaedrus

Translator: Henry T. Riley

Christopher Smart

Release date: May 18, 2008 [eBook #25512]
Most recently updated: January 3, 2021

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Louise Hope, Carl Hudkins and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FABLES OF PHÆDRUS ***

This e-text includes characters that will only display in UTF-8 (Unicode) file encoding, including a few words of accented Greek:

Œ, œ (“oe” ligature)
Μωμεῖσθαι

If any of these characters do not display properly, or if the apostrophes and quotation marks in this paragraph appear as garbage, you may have an incompatible browser or unavailable fonts. First, make sure that the browser’s “character set” or “file encoding” is set to Unicode (UTF-8). You may also need to change your browser’s default font.

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

370 478
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

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

396 499
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
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

423 522
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

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

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