1861.] Gj iges' ring in Plato mid Nizami. 155, 
But where he wished to appear before men. 
There he placed the seal in its proper place. 
lie wandered through the city, now seen, now concealed,. 
And he gained all that his heart desired. 
And one day he rose in secret, 
He turned the signet downward to his palm, 
With a naked Indian sword in his hand, 
He went to the palace and sat him down in secret, 
And when the council chamber was empty of the nobles* 
He suddenly revealed himself to the king. 
Fear seized the heart of the king when he saw him, 
And he hastened to submit himself to his will. 
“ Take heed,” he cried, “ what is thy desire, 
And who sent thee into this place ?” 
The shepherd answered, “ I am a prophet, 
Commit thyself to me and be content with thy fortune. 
When 1 will that none should see me, 
This miracle is at once at my command.” 
The king in fear believed his words 
And the people of the city beyond all number ; 
And the shepherd grew so great and exalted 
That at length the kingdom passed into his hand.” 
Aflatun concludes his story with some commonplace remarks on- 
the inscrutable wisdom of the architect, who could contrive such a 
wonderful piece of workmanship, — but we will rather turn to the- 
real Plato, and hear his wersion of the legend. 
“ They say that Gyges, the ancestor of the Lydian Croesus, was 
once a shepherd in the employ of the then king of Lydia, and that 
one day there was a great shower and earthquake and a part of the 
ground was rent open and a great chasm appeared in the place where 
he tended his flock. He was on the spot and saw it, and being much 
astonished went down into the ravine, and there he saw many other 
marvels such as storytellers romance about, and among others a 
hollow horse of brass, having windows in it, through- which he 
peeped, and lo ! inside was a dead man, taller as it seemed than 
human • size. The body had nothing remarkable except a golden 
ring on its hand, which ho took off and then went out. It chanced 
that the shepherds met together as they were wont to do, that they 
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