登陆注册
5371300000004

第4章

Crowded in the glassy bay were the vessels of commerce and the gilded galleys for the pleasures of the rich citizens. The boats of the fishermen glided rapidly to and fro; and afar off you saw the tall masts of the fleet under the command of Pliny. Upon the shore sat a Sicilian who, with vehement gestures and flexile features, was narrating to a group of fishermen and peasants a strange tale of shipwrecked mariners and friendly dolphins--just as at this day, in the modern neighborhood, you may hear upon the Mole of Naples.

Drawing his comrade from the crowd, the Greek bent his steps towards a solitary part of the beach, and the two friends, seated on a small crag which rose amidst the smooth pebbles, inhaled the voluptuous and cooling breeze, which dancing over the waters, kept music with its invisible feet.

There was, perhaps, something in the scene that invited them to silence and reverie. Clodius, shading his eyes from the burning sky, was calculating the gains of the last week; and the Greek, leaning upon his hand, and shrinking not from that sun--his nation's tutelary deity--with whose fluent light of poesy, and joy, and love, his own veins were filled, gazed upon the broad expanse, and envied, perhaps, every wind that bent its pinions towards the shores of Greece.

'Tell me, Clodius,' said the Greek at last, 'hast thou ever been in love?'

'Yes, very often.'

'He who has loved often,' answered Glaucus, 'has loved never. There is but one Eros, though there are many counterfeits of him.'

'The counterfeits are not bad little gods, upon the whole,' answered Clodius.

'I agree with you,' returned the Greek. 'I adore even the shadow of Love;but I adore himself yet more.'

'Art thou, then, soberly and honestly in love? Hast thou that feeling which the poets describe--a feeling that makes us neglect our suppers, forswear the theatre, and write elegies? I should never have thought it. You dissemble well.'

'I am not far gone enough for that,' returned Glaucus, smiling, 'or rather Isay with Tibullus--He whom love rules, where'er his path may be, Walks safe and sacred.

In fact, I am not in love; but I could be if there were but occasion to see the object. Eros would light his torch, but the priests have given him no oil.'

'Shall I guess the object?--Is it not Diomed's daughter? She adores you, and does not affect to conceal it; and, by Hercules, I say again and again, she is both handsome and rich. She will bind the door-posts of her husband with golden fillets.'

'No, I do not desire to sell myself. Diomed's daughter is handsome, Igrant: and at one time, had she not been the grandchild of a freedman, Imight have... Yet no--she carries all her beauty in her face; her manners are not maiden-like, and her mind knows no culture save that of pleasure.'

'You are ungrateful. Tell me, then, who is the fortunate virgin?'

'You shall hear, my Clodius. Several months ago I was sojourning at Neapolis, a city utterly to my own heart, for it still retains the manners and stamp of its Grecian origin--and it yet merits the name of Parthenope, from its delicious air and its beautiful shores. One day I entered the temple of Minerva, to offer up my prayers, not for myself more than for the city on which Pallas smiles no longer. The temple was empty and deserted.

The recollections of Athens crowded fast and meltingly upon me: imagining myself still alone in the temple, and absorbed in the earnestness of my devotion, my prayer gushed from my heart to my lips, and I wept as I prayed.

I was startled in the midst of my devotions, however, by a deep sigh; Iturned suddenly round, and just behind me was a female. She had raised her veil also in prayer: and when our eyes met, methought a celestial ray shot from those dark and smiling orbs at once into my soul. Never, my Clodius, have I seen mortal face more exquisitely molded: a certain melancholy softened and yet elevated its expression: that unutterable something, which springs from the soul, and which our sculptors have imparted to the aspect of Psyche, gave her beauty I know not what of divine and noble; tears were rolling down her eyes. I guessed at once that she was also of Athenian lineage; and that in my prayer for Athens her heart had responded to mine.

I spoke to her, though with a faltering voice--"Art thou not, too, Athenian?" said I, "O beautiful virgin!" At the sound of my voice she blushed, and half drew her veil across her face.--"My forefathers' ashes,"said she, "repose by the waters of Ilissus: my birth is of Neapolis; but my heart, as my lineage, is Athenian."--"Let us, then," said I, "make our offerings together": and, as the priest now appeared, we stood side by side, while we followed the priest in his ceremonial prayer; together we touched the knees of the goddess--together we laid our olive garlands on the altar.

I felt a strange emotion of almost sacred tenderness at this companionship.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 蒋勋说文学:从《诗经》到陶渊明

    蒋勋说文学:从《诗经》到陶渊明

    先秦、汉魏、两晋时期的文学,是中国文学逐渐成熟的阶段,是一幅幅陶冶性灵、崇尚自然,充满激情的生活画卷,它们的美满溢着情窦初开、浪漫忧思、风骨铮铮,为后世的文学树立了不同的典范。
  • 实用公务员文书写作大全

    实用公务员文书写作大全

    本书详细地介绍了常用的命令、指令、议案、决案、布告、通知、指示、请示;条例、制度;计划、总结;函电、传真;会议文书;社交文书;涉外工作文书。介绍了各文书的概念及写作要点,并附有大量的例文。特在第十一章对公文的处理作了全面的介绍,在第十三章介绍了新兴的各行业岗位职责写作,全书涉及面广,因而具有全面性、指导性、借鉴和实用性,实是公务员必备之工具书。
  • 抢个师尊当相公

    抢个师尊当相公

    青离从不会亏待自己,看上的东西,盗回来慢慢欣赏。想吃的美食,学过来做了慢慢品尝。一手做天下美味,一手盗奇珍异宝。然而她却一朝穿越到古代,入了仙门。遇到了一位颜值爆表的师尊。青离从前总是吹嘘,这天底下还没有她偷不到的东西,可如今她第一次有点儿犯难了。这盗宝容易,盗人也不难,可是这心好盗不?【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 灰姑娘

    灰姑娘

    说的是一对打工姐妹的故事,姐姐叫大玉,妹妹叫小玉。当然,故事中还有一个男主角,叫小唐。两个配角,是一对夫妇,女的叫向日葵,男的叫马有贵。好了,交待完这些,我们开始进入故事吧。开始的时候,小玉并没有来南方打工,是姐姐大玉独自来的。大玉和小玉是一对双胞胎,她们的家乡,在四川大巴山。姐妹俩出生时,大巴山下了这年冬天的第一场雪,做爹的呢,望着两个玉一样的孩儿,就给姐妹俩取了大玉;小玉这两个名字。姐妹俩一样的聪明好学,一样的乖巧懂事。
  • 千金难得

    千金难得

    女主偶然看总裁文。忽然穿越到里面。女主初穿,人在医院绝症死亡魂穿。紧接着女主带着儿子开始在外独立生活,在和儿子渐渐相处的过程中,女主开始喜欢上这个孩子,决心为他找爹。在一系列的兜兜转转中,女主渐渐喜欢上男配,但是剧情设定非要女主喜欢男主。女主挣扎中渐渐迷茫混乱。最终男配病故,女主穿回。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 中华国学经典读本:战国策

    中华国学经典读本:战国策

    刘向编著的《战国策》是汉人刘向根据战国时期纵横家著作编辑而成的一部独特的国别史著作,它实际上是当时纵横家游说之辞的汇编,主要记载战国时期谋臣策士纵横捭阖的斗争。该书文辞优美,语言生动,富于雄辩与运筹的机智,描写人物绘声绘色,常用寓言阐述道理,在我国古典文学史上亦占有重要地位。
  • 职场文化:狼道VS羊道

    职场文化:狼道VS羊道

    每一个企业都有自己独特的风格,不同的环境造就不同的职场文化:欧美企业重视个性,所以轻松的人性化管理细节随处可见;日韩企业等级制度分明,人人要学会谦逊礼貌。而中国的职场文化又如何?一直以来,在激烈的市场竞争中,很多企业将“狼文化”作为自己的标杆,可是在“员工不堪压力而自杀”的事件不断曝光后,曾经风靡一时的“狼文化”受到质疑,职场人士开始倡导比较温和的“羊文化”。《职场文化:狼道VS羊道》全面分析“狼文化”和“羊文化”的特点,从中提取当今企业管理运营中的优势理念,把两者结合,双管齐下,帮助企业塑造合理、新颖、有效、有活力的企业文化。
  • 行走的中国

    行走的中国

    作品集以重大的社会变革为背景,从具体的城市、乡村撷取题材,视角独特,激情澎湃,气势恢宏地全方位展示全球视野下的中国发展道路的历史画卷。
  • 末世之择日成神

    末世之择日成神

    世界战争之后,面对即将崩塌的地球,上帝再次打开了生物进化的枷锁。不只是人类,其他种族进化同样急速恐怖,在这超能力与顶尖科技并存的年代,谁能完成地球的制霸统治,谁能掌握人类最后的命运?是强横了无数年的财团联盟?亦或是盘亘千年的圣教派系?更或是拥有强大异能者的地下军团?还是?那个横空出世的邪神少年!越描越白末世科幻系列第二部,正式开盘,爽到爆炸!
  • 吃货联盟的恐龙牧场

    吃货联盟的恐龙牧场

    阿雷是瑞亚星舰三号大陆上的045号肉联厂的普通年轻工人,当肉联厂发生恐龙暴动时,他用大口径猎枪轰翻了两头挡路的恐龙,然后爬过恐龙的尸体,往工厂深处的飞船发射井跑去。可惜他晚了一步,发射井里的六艘飞船都已经升空,只留下浓烟弥漫的空井……阿雷破口大骂那些没义气的同事,然而生产线被破坏的坍塌声淹没了他那不堪入耳的斥骂,一头体长五米多的恐龙突然跳到了他面前!阿雷举枪射击,不料恐龙非常灵活地避开了他的枪口,咆哮的子弹打穿一根冷却管,哗啦啦的液氮喷洒着白雾倾泻而出,恐龙的动作因此慢了下来。