was not equivalent to the possibility of
being bumped in the future about as much and not less than if he had
smoked three pipes and a cheroot. And not only was injustice prevalent
among those who were as yet in good health, but many of those in the
ships, being or seeming to themselves to be sick, had their places taken
by others accustomed rather to fight upon the land, whose manly
inexperience, though in word more creditable than the cowardice combined
with experience of the others, was in reality less powerful than the
language which those on the bank thought worthy to use concerning them.

Nevertheless, about this time the Oxonians sent an expedition against
Cambridge, having manned a slow train to Bletchley, Nicolaidas being
commander second himself; and they advanced as far as Third Trinity, and
having ravaged part of the land and set up a trophy, they returned home.

HERODOTUS ON HORSEBACK

At this time the Chancellor being among the Oxonii there was instituted a
contest of horses such as this nation is accustomed to celebrate every
spring. And this contest is of such a kind, not being well arranged
according at least to my opinion:--Having dug trenches and built other
ramparts parallel indeed to each other but transversely to the running of
the horses themselves, they do not any longer stand round them invoking
the gods as those do who play golf, but on the contrary, when they have
placed men upon horses they cause them to cross these by leaping under
the lash, as far as the goal: and whoever anticipates the others arriving
at the goal, sitting at least on the same horse on which sitting he set
out, and not it running, having left him behind, nor he himself on foot,
he is considered to have conquered. The reason why I said that this
contest is not well arranged, is of the following kind: because it being
possible to contend in a level place without danger or difficulty, the
Oxonii nevertheless themselves make obstacles so as to prevent the horses
from (not) arriving at the end of the course, neither being compelled nor
there being any necessity ([Greek text]). Then, however, they did these
things, and also, as they are accustomed to do on such occasions, they
sent messengers to inquire of other prophets and also of the Delphic
oracle who should be the conqueror. The Pythian priestess, being mindful
how she had formerly made a good shot in respect of the Median business,
replied in the hexameter rh