scorned, becomes a power: alas! who courts his end
By drawing sword amidst these waves? Why die before our time?
Strive not with angry seas to vie and to their fury lend
Your rage by piling waves upon its savage floods sublime !"
CHAPTER THE ONE HUNDRED AND NINTH.
The woman poured out this rhapsody in a loud excited voice, the
battle-line wavered for an instant, then all hands were recalled to
peace and terminated the war. Eumolpus, our commander, took advantage
of the psychological moment of their repentance and, after administering
a stinging rebuke to Lycas, signed a treaty of peace which was drawn up
as follows: "It is hereby solemnly agreed on your part, Tryphaena, that
you do forego complaint of any wrong done you by Giton; that you do not
bring up anything that has taken place prior to this date, that you do
not seek to revenge anything that has taken place prior to this date,
that you do not take steps to follow it up in any other manner
whatsoever; that you do not command the boy to perform anything to him
repugnant; that you do neither embrace nor kiss the said Giton; that you
do not enfold said Giton in the sexual embrace, except under immediate
forfeiture of one hundred denarii. Item, it is hereby agreed on your
part, Lycas, that you do refrain from annoying Encolpius with abusive
word or reproachful look; that you do not seek to ascertain where he
sleep at night; or, if you do so seek, that you forfeit two hundred
denarii immediately for each and every such offense." The treaty was
signed upon these terms, and we laid down our arms. It seemed well to
wipe out the past with kisses, after we had taken oath, for fear any
vestige of rancor should persist in our minds. Factious hatreds died
out amidst universal good-fellowship, and a banquet, served on the field
of battle, crowned our reconciliation with joviality. The whole ship
resounded with song and, as a sudden calm had caused her to lose
headway, one tried to harpoon the leaping fish, another hauled in the
struggling catch on baited hooks. Then some sea-birds alighted upon the
yard-arms and a skillful fowler touched them with his jointed rods: they
were brought down to our hands, stuck fast to the limed segments. The
breeze caught up the down, but the wing and tail feathers twisted
spirally as they fell into the sea-foam. Lycas was already beginning to
be on good terms with me, and Tryphaena had just sprinkled Giton with
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