which came into favour, the dramatis personæ represented a strange
society of opulent old men, spendthrift sons, intriguing slaves, and
courtezans. If we did not know what temptation there is to make literary
capital out of the tender passion, we might suppose that the youth of
that day were entirely occupied in clandestine amours, and in buying and
selling women as if they were dogs and parrots. No wonder that "to live
like the Greeks" became a by-word and reproach. Beyond this, the authors
throw the whole force of their genius into the construction of the plot,
upon the strength and intricacy of which their success depends; and the
management of the various threads of the story so as to meet together in
the conclusion, shows a great improvement in art since the days of
Aristophanes. Advancing time seems also to have brought a greater
refinement in language. The indelicacy we now meet with is almost
entirely of an amatory character, and not quite of so low a description
as that previously in use. But in quantity it was greater. Philemon, who
is said to have died from a fit of laughter caused by seeing an ass eat
figs, wrote much that was objectionable; and Diphilus was probably
little better. Philemon found coarseness answer, and was more often
crowned, and a greater favourite than Menander, who is reported to have
said to him, "Do you not blush to conquer me?" but it may be doubted
whether even the latter was as free from indelicacy as is generally
supposed. Plautus and Terence both complain that they cannot find a
really chaste Greek play.

The age of Greek fables, that is the period when they were in common use
in writing and conversation, was now drawing to a close. A few remain
in Callimachus, and Suidas quotes some of perhaps the same date. At this
time Demetrius Phalareus made a prose collection of what were called
Æsop's Fables--as we seek to perpetuate the memory of that which is
passing away. Babrius, also, who performed the same charitable office in