pretended that she herself was compelled to go out to a temple to offer
up her vows. Eumolpus, who was so continent that even I was a boy in his
eyes, lost no time in inviting the damsel to sacrifice to the Aversa
Venus; but, as he had told everyone that he was gouty and that his back
was weak, and as he stood in danger of upsetting the whole farce if he
did not carefully live up to the pretence, he therefore, that the
imposture might be kept up, prevailed upon the young lady to seat herself
upon that goodness which had been commended to her, and ordered Corax to
crawl under the bed upon which he himself was lying and after bracing
himself by putting his hands upon the floor, to hoist his master up and
down with his own back. Corax carried out the order in full and
skillfully seconded the wriggling of the girl with a corresponding
seesaw. Then, when the crisis was about due, Eumolpus, in a ringing
voice, called out to Corax to increase the cadence. And thus the old
lecher, suspended between his servant and his mistress, enjoyed himself
just as if he were in a swing. Time and again Eumolpus repeated this
performance, to the accompaniment of ringing laughter in which he himself
joined. At last, fearing I might lose an opportunity through lack of
application, I also made advances to the brother who was enjoying the
gymnastics of his sister through the keyhole, to see if he would prove
amenable to assault. Nor did this well trained lad reject my advances;
but alas! I discovered that the God was still my enemy. (However, I was
not so blue over this failure as I had been over those before, and my
virility returned a little later and, suddenly finding myself in better
fettle I cried out,) "Great are the gods who have made me whole again!
In his loving kindness, Mercury, who conducts and reconducts the souls,
has restored to me that which a hostile hand had cut away. Look! You
will find that I am more graciously endowed than was Protestilaus or any
other of the heroes of old!" So saying, I lifted up my tunic and showed
Eumolpus that I was whole. At first he was startled, then, that he might