HALIEUTICA, V. 78-99 



or if there is a shallow depth " of sea which it were 

 better to avoid. Even as if it had a voice, the tail 

 declares all things to him truly, and the burden of 

 the water obeys. For that fish is to the beast 

 champion at once and ears and eye : by it the Whale 

 hears, by it he sees, to it he entrusts the reins of his 

 life for keeping. Even as a son lovingly entreats 

 his aged father, by anxious care of his years repaying 

 the price of his nurture,* and zealously attends and 

 cherishes him, weak now of limb and dim of eye, 

 reaching him his arm in the street and himself in 

 all works succouring him — sons "^ are a new strength 

 to an aged sire : so that fish for love cherishes the 

 monster of the brine, steering as it were a ship by 

 the guiding helm.** Surely it had blood akin to his 

 from earliest birth or he took it of his own will and 

 made it his companion. Thus neither valour nor 

 beauty hath such profit as wisdom, and strength 

 with unwisdom is vain. A little man of good counsel 

 sinks or saves the man of might ; for even the in- 

 vincible Whale with its unapproachable linibs takes 

 for its friend a tiny fish. Therefore one should first 

 capture that scouting Guide, entrapping it with 



Lycurg'. 53 ovk airfSdJKe to. rpocpeia ttj jrarptSi). Cf. Eur. 1. in 

 Aul. 1230 irovwv TiOrjvoi'i d7ro5i5oGffd croi rpotpas. 



' Pind. O. viii. 70 irar/ji Se irarpor iviTrvev^ev /xeyos [ yripaos 

 avriiraXov'; O. X. 86 wre irah e| d\6xov iraTpl I rodeivos Xkovti 

 veoTCLTOi TO irdXiv i^5r] ; Nern. vii. 100 -jraidwv 5e iratSes ex<"f 

 aUl I y^pai t6 Tip vvv Kal dpeiov iiridev ; Proverbs xvii. 6 

 Children's children are the crown of old men ; Psalm cxxvii. 

 4 As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the 

 children of youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver 

 full of them ; they shall not be ashamed when they speak 

 with their enemies in the gate. 



** Plut. Mor. 981 A eTrerai -yap aurip t6 KfjTOi, Sxnrep olaKi 

 yaOs. 



467 



