HALIEUTICA, III. 502-528 



much trodden cross- ways," stands pondering, and at 

 one moment his heart is set on going by the left 

 road, at another by the right, and he looks on this 

 side and on that and his mind fluctuates like the 

 wave and only at long last he reaches a single 

 purpose ; even so also the spirit of the Grey Mullet 

 ponders variously, now thinking of a snare and now 

 of harmless food. At last his mind impels him and 

 brings him nigh his doom. And immediately he 

 starts back in fear and many times as he touches it, 

 terror seizes him and checks his impulse. As when 

 a little maiden girl, when her mother is abroad, is 

 faint for some eatable or whatever it may be ; and 

 to touch it she is afraid for the anger of her mother, 

 yet, unwilhng to withdraw, she dares the deed : 

 stealthily she creeps to it and again turns away ; 

 now courage, now fear enters her heart ; and always 

 her keen eyes are strained watchfully upon the door : 

 even so then the gentle fish approaches and retires. 

 But when he takes heart and draws nigh, not readily 

 does he touch the bait but first lashes A\-ith his tail and 

 stirs the hook to see whether haply there is any warm 

 breath in its body ; for to eat of aught living is for the 

 Grey Mullet a thing forsworn. Then he nibbles and 

 plucks at the bait -with the tip of his mouth ; and 

 straightway the fisher strikes and pierces him with 

 the bronze, even as a charioteer constrains a gallant 

 horse by the stern compulsion of the bit, and pulls him 

 up and casts him strugghng on the loathed earth. 



911 iv TpioSu) S' iffTTjKa' dv' etVi t6 irpbadtv oSoi /xot' \ (ppoyrit^u 

 To&rwv ifivTiv' tw ■n-poTeprjv ; Pind, P. x. 38 ^ p, S> ipiKoi, /cot' 

 dfnevo'LTropov rplodov idiv-qdTjv, \ opOav bobv Iwv to irpiv ; Plato, 

 Laws, 799 c (jTa.% 8' dv, KaOdirep iv rpibSw yevbfxfvo^ Kal /utj 

 (r<f>65pa KardOuis oddv, dre fibvo% efre /uer' SWuiv rvxoi- Troptvofiffos, 

 avipciT ftv avTbv koX tovs AXXouj rb dTopovpuvov, 



389 



