hiftless to toil; for a man
grows eager to work when he considers his neighbour, a rich man who
hastens to plough and plant and put his house in good order; and
neighbour vies with his neighbour as he hurries after wealth. This
Strife is wholesome for men. And potter is angry with potter, and
craftsman with craftsman, and beggar is jealous of beggar, and minstrel
of minstrel.

(ll. 25-41) Perses, lay up these things in your heart, and do not let
that Strife who delights in mischief hold your heart back from work,
while you peep and peer and listen to the wrangles of the court-house.
Little concern has he with quarrels and courts who has not a year's
victuals laid up betimes, even that which the earth bears, Demeter's
grain. When you have got plenty of that, you can raise disputes and
strive to get another's goods. But you shall have no second chance to
deal so again: nay, let us settle our dispute here with true judgement
divided our inheritance, but you seized the greater share and carried it
off, greatly swelling the glory of our bribe-swallowing lords who love
to judge such a cause as this. Fools! They know not how much more the
half is than the whole, nor what great advantage there is in mallow and
asphodel [1301].

(ll. 42-53) For the gods keep hidden from men the means of life. Else
you would easily do work enough in a day to supply you for a full year
even without working; soon would you put away your rudder over the
smoke, and the fields worked by ox and sturdy mule would run to waste.
But Zeus in the anger of his heart hid it, because Prometheus the crafty
deceived him; therefore he planned sorrow and mischief against men. He
hid fire; but that the noble son of Iapetus stole again for men from
Zeus the counsellor in a hollow fennel-stalk, so that Zeus who delights
in thunder did not see it. But afterwards Zeus who gathers the clouds
said to him in anger:

(ll. 54-59) 'Son of Iapetus, surpassing all in cunning, you are glad
that you have outwitted me and stolen fire--a great plague to you
yourself and to men that shall be. But I will give men as the price for
fire an evil thing in which they may all be glad of heart while they
embrace their own destruction.'

(ll. 60-68) So said the father of men and gods, and laughed aloud. And
he bade famous Hephaestus make haste and mix earth with water and to put
in it the voice and strength of human kind, and fashion a sweet, lovely
maiden-shape, like to the immortal g