HALIEUTICA, V. 238-269 



and emerge from the sea, dragging in their train the 

 huge monster, and the deadly beast is hauled up all 

 unwillingly, distraught in spirit with labour and 

 wounds. Then the courage of the fishers is roused 

 and with hasting blades they row their well-oared 

 boats near. And much noise and much shouting 

 resound upon the sea as they haste and exhort one 

 another to the struggle. Thou wouldst say thou 

 wert beholding the toil of men in war ; such valour 

 rises in their hearts and there is such din and such 

 desire for battle. Far away some goatherd hears 

 their horrid noise, or some shepherd tending his 

 woolly flock in the glens, or woodcutter felling the 

 pine, or hunter slaying wild beasts, and astonished 

 he draws near to sea and shore and standing on a cliif 

 beholds the tremendous toil of the men in this 

 warfare of the sea and the issue of the wondrous 

 hunt, while quenchless lust of war in the water stirs 

 the men. Then one brandishes in his hands the 

 long-barbed trident, another the sharp-pointed lance, 

 others carry the well-bent bill, another wields the 

 two-edged axe. All toil, the hands of all are armed 

 with mighty blade of iron, and close at hand they 

 smite and wound the beast with sweeping blows. 

 And he forgets his mighty valour and is no more 

 able, for all his endeavour, to stay the hasting ships 

 with his jaws, but with heavy sweep of flippers and 

 with the end of his tail he ploughs up the waves of 

 the deep and drives back the ships stemward and 

 turns to naught the work of the oars and the valour 

 of the men, even as a contrary wind that rolls the 

 waves against the prow. The cries of the men 

 resound as they set themselves to work, and all the 

 sea is stained with the gory filth poured forth by 



479 



