MY CORYDALUS. 



153 



Still, it must require much strength to pass 

 through the transformation-period, and perhaps 

 Corydalus was not so strong and 

 healthy as he appeared when I 

 brought him from the brook. 



I think that if Corydalus could 

 have chosen his epitaph it would 

 have been that inscribed over the 

 grand master of Alcantara, " Here 

 lies one who never knew fear." 



And though Charles V., when 

 he knew of the epitaph, remarked 

 to one of his courtiers that " the 

 good knight could never have tried 

 to snuff a candle with his fingers," 

 yet I hope that no aspersions will 

 be cast on Corydalus by any one Pupa co f^ M r f alus 

 who may chance to hear of this 

 second use of the epitaph. For although Cory- 

 dalus may sometimes have had some fear of some- 

 thing, yet he never betrayed such emotion to me 

 during my short acquaintance with him. And if, 

 in leaving him, I should still reiterate my state- 

 ment that he is an evil beast, yet, in doing so, 

 I would follow the advice given by Silvius to 

 Pho3be, 



" Say that you love me not, but say not so 

 In bitterness." 



