Leno." (79) The girl accordingly prepared herself for the task. Approaching the mourner, "Heaven keep you," said she, in a low plaintive voice; "and make you happy." She then sang to an instrument, with such a sweet and ravishing melody, that Apollonius was enchanted. Her song[1] related to the fortunes she had experienced, and was to the following effect. That she fell into the hands of dis-
- ↑ In a rare Latin copy of this story, entitled "Narratio eorum quæ contigerunt Apollonio Tyrio. Ex Membranis vetustis. Anno M.D.XCV." the reading of these verses (else hardly distinguishable) is as follows:
"Per sordes gradior, sed sordium conscia non sum,
Sic rosa de spinis nescit violarier ullis.
Corripit et raptor gladii ferientis ab ictu:
Tradita Lenoni non sum violata pudore.
Vulnera cessassent animi, lacrymæque deessent,
Nulla etenim melior, si nossem certa parentes,
Unica regalis generis sum stirpe creata:
Ipsa jubente deo lætari credo aliquando.
Fige modo lacrymas, curam dissolve molestam,
Redde polo faciem, mentemque ad sydera tolle.
Nam deus et hominum plasmator, rector et auctor,
Non sinet has lacrymas casso finire labore."
I have collated this copy with the text from which the translation is made, but the material variations are inconsiderable. The Latin, however, is very much better.
