The Love of Thyonichus
AESCHINES.
Hail, sir Thyonichus.
THYONICHUS.
Æschines, to you.
AESCHINES.
I have missed thee.
THYONICHUS.
Missed me! Why what ails him now?
AESCHINES.
My friend, I am ill at ease.
THYONICHUS.
Then this explains
Thy leanness, and thy prodigal moustache
And dried-up curls. Thy counterpart I saw,
A wan Pythagorean, yesterday.
He said he came from Athens: shoes he had none:
He pined, I'll warrant,-for a quartern loaf.
AESCHINES.
Sir, you will joke-But I've been outraged, sore,
And by Cynisca. I shall go stark mad
Ere you suspect-a hair would turn the scale.
THYONICHUS.
Such thou wert always, Æschines my friend.
In lazy mood or trenchant, at thy whim
The world must wag. But what's thy grievance now?
AESCHINES.
That Argive, Apis the Thessalian Knight,
Myself, and gallant Cleonicus, supped
Within my grounds. Two pullets I had slain,
And a prime pig: and broached my Biblian wine;
'Twas four years old, but fragrant as when new.
Truffles were served to us: and the drink was good.
Well, we got on, and each must drain a cup
To whom he fancied; only each must name.
We named, and took our liquor as ordained;
But she sate silent-this before my face.
Fancy my feelings! 'Wilt not speak? Hast seen
A wolf?' some wag said. 'Shrewdly guessed,' quoth she,
And blushed-her blushes might have fired a torch.
A wolf had charmed her: Wolf her neighbour's son,
Goodly and tall, and fair in divers eyes:
For his illustrious sake it was she pined.
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poem by Theocritus
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