the latter
a voice like the sweet song he has conferred upon the swan, that so
fair a bird, so far excelling all the fowls of the air, might not
live, as now he lives, voiceless, the darling of the god of eloquence,
but himself mute and tongueless.' When the crow heard that, though
possessed of so many qualities, there yet lacked this one, he was
seized with a desire to utter as loud a cry as possible, that the swan
might not have the advantage of him in this respect at any rate, and
forgetting the morsel which he held in his beak, he opened his mouth
to its widest extent, and thus lost by his song what his wings had won
him, while the fox recovered by craft what his feet had lost him. Let
us reduce this fable to the smallest number of words possible. The
crow, to prove himself musical--for the fox pretended that this, the
absence of a voice, was the sole slur on such exquisite beauty--began
to croak, and delivered over the spoil which he carried in his mouth
to the enemy who had thus ensnared him.

_A transition from Greek to Latin._

26. I have known for a long time what it is your demonstrations
demand: namely, that I should deal with the rest of my material in
Latin. For I remember that at the very beginning, when you were
divided in opinion, I promised that neither party among you, neither
those who insisted on Greek nor those who insisted on Latin, should go
away without hearing the language he desired. Wherefore, if it seems
good to you, let us consider that my speech has been Attic long
enough. It is time to migrate from Greece to Latium. For we are now
almost half through our inquiry and, as far as I can see, the second
half does not yield to the first part which I have delivered in Greek.
It is as strong in argument, as full of epigram, as rich in
illustration and as admirable in style.

NOTES

THE APOLOGIA

CHAPTER 1. _Claudius Maximus_, proconsul of Africa, is spoken of as
having succeeded Lollianus Avitus. Lollianus Avitus was consul in 144
A.D. As ten to thirteen years usually elapsed between tenure of the
consulate and proconsulate, Lollianus Avitus may have been proconsul
154-7 A.D., and Claudius Maximus 155-8 A.D.

_gentlemen who sit beside him on the bench._ The governor of the
province, when holding his assize, would be assisted by a _consilium_
of assessors drawn partly from his staff, partly from the local
_conventus civium Romanorum_.

_Granii._ Nothing is known of this suit. G