This I remember I saw, when I was little bigger then a boy, and, as I thinke, terrified in my sleepe with the blowes I had before received. But whilest I am telling this unto you, good god, (may some man say) this was a long dreame indeed, and stuffed with judicious matter. Some winters dreame I warrant you (sayes another) when the nights are at the longest: or it may be the length of three nights, the time of Hercules begetting: what comes in his head to trouble us with these fooleries, & tell us his ancient apish dreames, that are now growne old with age? this dull narration is stale and out of date: doth hee take us for some kinde of dreame readers? Nothing so good sir: for Xenophon, when hee reported a dreame that appeared unto him, as hee thought, in his fathers house, and other visions else, you know, the apparition was held for no fiction, nor hee condemned for a trifler in repeating it, though it were in the time of warre, when his case was desperate, and hee round beset with enemies: but the relating of it wanted not his fruit. So I, for my part, have repeated this dreame unto you, because I would have yong men take the better way, and sticke to learning, especially hee, whom povertie enforceth to a wilfull neglect of himselfe, and to incline to worse courses, so depraving the good condition of his nature: for I know the hearing of this tale will encourage him much, and that hee will propose mee, as a sufficient patterne for him to imitate, when hee shall consider how poore a snake I was, and yet affected the highest fortunes, and fixed my desire upon learning, and would not be discouraged with the povertie I was then opprest withall. And in what condition I am now returned amongst you, though it be not all of the best yet I hope I am no worse a man then a Carver.

PRAXITELES AND THE GODDESS

Erotes

Pseudo-Lucian

Translated by M. D. MacLeod, 1967