HERCULESPACIFICATUS

herculespacificatus

atalefromsuidas

(1831)

indaysofyore,ereearlygreece

haddream'dofpatrolsorpolice,

acrewofrake-hellsinterrorem

spreadwide,andcarriedallbefore'em,

rifledthepoultry,andthewomen,

andheldthatallthingswereincommon;

tilljove'sgreatsonthenuisancesaw,

anddidabateitbyclublaw.

yetnotsocleanhemadehiswork,

buthereandtherearoguewouldlurk

incavesandrockyfastnesses,

andshunn'dthestrengthofhercules.

ofthese,moredesperatethanothers,

apairofragamuffinbrothers

insecretambuscadejoin'dforces,

tocarryonunlawfulcourses.

theserobbers'names,enoughtoshakeus,

where,strymonone,theothercacus.

and,moretheneighbourhoodtobother,

awickeddamtheyhadformother,

whoknewtheircraft,butnotforbidit,

andwhatsoe'ertheynymm'd,shehidit;

receivedthemwithdelightandwonder,

whentheybroughthomesome'specialplunder;

call'dthemherdarlings,andherwhiteboys,

herducks,herdildings—allwasrightboys—

"only,"shesaid,"mylads,havecare

yefallnotintoblackback'ssnare;

for,ifhecatch,he'llmaulyourcorpus,

andclapper-clawyoutosomepurpose."

shewasintruthakindofwitch,

hadgrownbyfortune-tellingrich;

tospellsandconjuringsdidtackleher,

andreadfolks'doomsbylightoracular;

inwhichshesaw,asclearasdaylight,

whatmischiefonherbairnswoulda-light;

thereforeshehadaspecialloathing

forallthatown'dthatsableclothing.

whocan'scapefate,whenwe'redecreedto't?

thegracelessbrethrenpaidsmallheedto't.

abracetheywereofsturdyfellows,

aswemaysay,thatfear'dnocolours,

andsneer'dwithmoderninfidelity

attheoldgipsy'sfondcredulity.

itprovedalltruetho',asshe'dmumbled—

foronadaythevarletsstumbled

onagreenspot—sitlinguaefides—