SOPHENE AND SOPHOCLES. 43 



This town is consecrated to Apollo. His love for that nymph is too 

 well known for me to gis'e a recital of it : it was in the inner part of his 

 temple, that we were exposed for sale. 



I fell upon my knees, and addressed a prayer to Apollo : — " Son of 

 Jupiter ! be sensible of my affliction. Twice a slave, already I am 

 threatened a third time with the loss of my liberty. Do not permit an 

 envoy of thy father, to linger in disgraceful bondage. Soften the hearts 

 of my new masters ; let them remember they are Greeks, and that I am 

 equally so. Powerful god, from whose all-beholding eyes, nothing can 

 escape ! what has become of Sophene ? If the fatal sisters have cut off 

 her days, it was not a god who condemned her to death. Thou canst 

 repair the crimes of men, and restore Sophene to me. The pains that 

 love made thee suffer, must render thee compassionate to mine." 



The moment of being heard was not yet come. I was torn from the 

 altar to be delivered to a citizen who had bought me ; Dvmas was his 

 name, and Chriseis that of his wife. Curiosity, it has been frequently 

 asseverated, is the predominant characteristic of her sex ; scarce had 

 she seen me ere she inquired who I was, whence I came, and bv what 

 charm I was their slave. 



With downcast eye I modestly entreated her to spare me a woful 

 relation, that could not be of any great concern for her ; Dymas, (I can- 

 not call him master,) Dymas listened to us, and was displeased at my 

 refusal. He darted upon me a threatening look, and being told that 

 dinner was brought in, he bade me wait upon him ; I obeyed, and thus 

 Sophocles, who some months before was minister of Jupiter, and loaded 

 with glory, sat the first at Sophenes' table, served and loved by Sophene, 

 found himself confounded among vile slaves in his own country, and put 

 to the drudgery of the house he was in. — O fortune ! such are thylsports ! 

 Towards the endof the entertainment, Dymas orderedhis slaves toretire; 

 Iremainedalonewithhim: "I will have thee," said he, "tell methv adven- 

 tures ; thou shalt entertain me till I fall asleep, and then beware of in- 

 terrupting my rest." This order, delivered in so imperious and abrupt a 

 manner, made me more sensible than ever of the rigour of my lot. 



My eyes were ready to overflow ; my heart was oppressed ; I could 

 not complain. " Know," added he, "thou art my slave and must perform 

 my commands : speak, or fear, if thou provest obstinate, to be chastised 

 into the knowledge of thy duty. — An angry master is a severe preceptor." 

 "O Dymas !" cried I, "letthe Gods judge between us. I am a Greek ; 

 you have no authority over me, but that which you derive from my mis- 

 fortunes and your injustice ; will you, more cruel than the barbarians 

 themselves, who sold me, take away my life, which they have spared in 

 spite of me ? — Strike ! — born a freeman, I fear death less than slavery." 

 Chriseis was pleased with my courage ; she pleaded for me ; Dymas 

 fell asleep, and I came off with threats only. 



The youthful days of Chriseis were past ; but it was not difficult to per- 

 suade myself she had been handsome, if not lovely. She thought she 

 was so still. In reality she was benevolent, mildly disposed, and, above all 

 sweetly compassionate. I received at her hands many tokens of kindness! 

 that deeply engaged my gratitude ; and if I failed to disclose to her everv 

 thing that concerned me, what I said was sufficient to please her, by the 

 confidence I reposed in her. 



