PEACE. 78

to produce the prophecy in reliance on which he
had himself been acting, he bravely replied with
what was wanted. It came from Homer, he said,
but of course it was an impromptu of his own.

“When the sons of Greece had driven lowering clouds of war
away,

Lovely Peace they gladly welcomed, making feast and holy day.

Flesh from thigh-bones duly burning, tasting duly, as is meet,

Savoury morsels from the inwards, pouring out libations sweet.

I, whom now you see before you, I the holy rites began,

But with bright gold goblet no one blessed the prophesying
man.”

Soothsayer. “Strange the words that thou hast
uttered; not the Sibyl’s speech, are they?”

I. “Strange they may be, yet full wisely did the
mighty Homer say: —

“He who loves the savage strife that severs men of kindred
race,

Motherhood he scorns and custom and the home life’s kindly
face.”

The soothsayer continued to interrupt and intrude,
and in the end Trygzeus and his servants drove him
away. The sacrifice ended, it became time to lay
out the wedding-supper, at which it was soon evident
there would be no lack of guests. Trygeus took
his helmet, and pulling out the crest, handed it to
the servant, with the remark that, as he had no more
use for it, it had better be used for wiping down
the tables. While this was being done, a sickle-