The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Fables of Phædrus
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)
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
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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 |