|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 11
Now, after sailing and rowing against the stream for certain days, I came to
the City of the Ford of the Ox. Here the river changes his name, and is called
Isis, after the name of the goddess of the Egyptians. But whether the Britons
brought the name from Egypt or whether the Egyptians took it from the Britons,
not knowing I prefer not to say. But to me it seems that the Britons are a
colony of the Egyptians, or the Egyptians a colony of the Britons. Moreover,
when I was in Egypt I saw certain soldiers in white helmets, who were
certainly British. But what they did there (as Egypt neither belongs to
Britain nor Britain to Egypt) I know not, neither could they tell me. But one
of them replied to me in that line of Homer (if the Odyssey be Homer's), 'We
have come to a sorry Cyprus, and a sad Egypt.' Others told me that they once
marched against the Ethiopians, and having defeated them several times, then
came back again, leaving their property to the Ethiopians. But as to the truth
of this I leave it to every man to form his own opinion.
Having come into the City of the Priests, I went forth into the street, and
found a priest of the baser sort, who for a piece of silver led me hither and
thither among the temples, discoursing of many things.
Now it seemed to me a strange thing that the city was empty, and no man
dwelling therein, save a few priests only, and their wives, and their
children, who are drawn to and fro in little carriages dragged by women, but
the priest told me that during half the year the city was desolate, for that
there came somewhat called 'The Long,' or 'The Vac,' and drave out the young
priests. And he said that these did no other thing but row boats, and throw
balls from one to the other, and this they were made to do, he said, that the
young priests might learn to be humble, for they are the proudest of men. But
whether he spoke truth or not I know not, only I set down what he told me. But
to anyone considering it, this appears rather to jump with his story--namely,
that the young priests have houses on the river, painted of divers colours,
all of them empty.
Then the priest, at my desire, brought me to one of the temples, that I might
seek out all things concerning Herodotus the Halicarnassian, from one who
knew. Now this temple is not the fairest in the city, but less fair and goodly
than the old temples, yet goodlier and more fair than the new temples; and
over the roof there is the image of an eagle made of stone--no small marvel,
but a great one, how men came to fashion him; and that temple is called the
House of Queens. Here they sacrifice a boar once every year; and concerning
this they tell a certain sacred story which I know but will not utter.
Then I was brought to the priest who had a name for knowing most about Egypt,
and the Egyptians, and the Assyrians, and the Cappadocians, and all the
kingdoms of the Great King. He came out to me, being attired in a black robe,
and wearing on his head a square cap. But why the priests have square caps I
know, and he who has been initiated into the mysteries which they call
'Matric' knows, but I prefer not to tell. Concerning the square cap, then, let
this be sufficient. Now, the priest received me courteously, and when I asked
him, concerning Herodotus, whether he were a true man or not, he smiled, and
answered 'Abu Goosh,' which, in the tongue of the Arabians, means 'The Father
of Liars.' Then he went on to speak concerning Herodotus, and he said in his
discourse that Herodotus not only told the thing which was not, but that he
did so wilfully, as one knowing the truth but concealing it. For example,
quoth he, 'Solon never went to see Croesus, as Herodotus avers; nor did those
about Xerxes ever dream dreams; but Herodotus, out of his abundant wickedness,
invented these things.
'Now behold,' he went on, 'how the curse of the Gods falls upon Herodotus. For
he pretends that he saw Cadmeian inscriptions at Thebes. Now I do not believe
there were any Cadmeian inscriptions there: therefore Herodotus is most
manifestly lying. Moreover, this Herodotus never speaks of Sophocles the
Athenian, and why not? Because he, being a child at school, did not learn
Sophocles by heart: for the tragedies of Sophocles could not have been learned
at school before they were written, nor can any man quote a poet whom he never
learned at school. Moreover, as all those about Herodotus knew Sophocles well,
he could not appear to them to be learned by showing that he knew what they
knew also.' Then I thought the priest was making game and sport, saying first
that Herodotus could know no poet whom he had not learned at school, and then
saying that all the men of his time well knew this poet, 'about whom everyone
was talking'. But the priest seemed not to know that Herodotus and Sophocles
were friends, which is proved by this, that Sophocles wrote an ode in praise
of Herodotus.
Then he went on, and though I were to write with a hundred hands (like
Briareus, of whom Homer makes mention) I could not tell you all the things
that the priest said against Herodotus, speaking truly, or not truly, or
sometimes correctly and sometimes not, as often befalls mortal men. For
Herodotus, he said, was chiefly concerned to steal the lore of those who came
before him, such as Hecataeus, and then to escape notice as having stolen it.
Also he said that, being himself cunning and deceitful, Herodotus was easily
beguiled by the cunning of others, and believed in things manifestly false,
such as the story of the Phoenix-bird.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|