When Ulpian had said this, Laurentius bearing witness to the truth of his statement, and adding something to his speech, said, that Marius sent the skins of these animals to Rome, and that no one could conjecture to what animal they belonged, on account of the singular appearance which they presented; and that these skins were hung up in the temple of Hercules, in which the generals who celebrate a triumph give a banquet to the citizens, as many poets and historians of our nation have related. You then, O grammarians, as the Babylonian Herodicus says, inquiring into none of these matters—
Fly ye to Greece along the sea's wide back,For, as Anaxandrides the comic writer says—
Pupils of Aristarchus, all more timid
Than the pale antelope, worms hid in holes,
Monosyllabic animals, who care
For σφὶν, and σφῶιν, and for μὶν, and νὶν,
This shall be your lot, grumblers—but let Greece
And sacred Babylon receive Herodicus.
'Tis sweet when one has plann'd a new device,And when this conversation had terminated, most of the guests took their departure secretly, and so broke up the party.
To tell it to the world. For those who are
Wise for themselves alone have, first of all,
No judge to criticize their new invention.
And envy is their portion too: for all,
That seems to be commended by its novelty,
Should be imparted freely to the people.