Chapter Epimenides to Ereenia of E by Brewer's Readers Handbook

(3) Dog and the Dog Brutus: Tarquin sent to Delphi to learn the fate of his struggle with the Romans for the recovery of his throne, and was told: “Tarquin will never fall till a dog speaks with the voice of a man.” The “dog” was Junius Brutus, who was called a dog by way of contempt.

(4) Goat and Fig Tree: A Messenian seer, being sent to consult the Delphic oracle respecting the issue of the Messenian war, then raging, received for reply—

When a goat stoops to drink of the Neda, O seer,
From Messenia flee, for its ruin is near.

In order to avert this calamity, all goats were diligently chased from the banks of the Neda. One day, Theoclos observed a fig tree growing on the river-side, and its branches dipped into the stream. The interpretation of the oracle flashed across his mind, for he remembered that goat and fig tree, in the Messenian dialect, were the same word.

The pun would be clearer to an English reader if “a stork” were substituted for the goat: “When a stork stoops to drink of the Neda;” and the “stalk” of the fig tree dipping into the stream.

(5) Mother and Mother Earth: When the oracle was asked by a deputation of Romans who would succeed Tarquin, it replied, “He who shall first kiss his mother.” Whereupon Junius Brutus fell to the earth, and exclaimed, “Thus, then, I kiss thee, O mother earth!”

(6) Released: When, in 1560, the countess Egmont presented herself to the duke of Alva, and implored him to release her husband, the duke calmly assured her “that her husband would be released on the morrow.” The countess retired with delight, but on the morrow her husband was “released” by death.—Motley: The Dutch Republic, pt. iii. 2 (1856).

4. From puns on stops—

(1) Ibis Redibis: An excellent equivoke from the want of a stop is the following: “Ibis redibis nunquam per bella peribis” (“You will go you will return never by war will you perish”). If the stop is after redibis, the reading would be, “You will go and return, never in war will you perish;” but if the stop is after nunquam, the reading would be, “You will go and return never, in the war you will perish.” Which may be rendered into English thus—

Go! You will return again
Never by the foeman slain.

If the stop is after “again,” he will survive. If it is after “never,” he will be slain.

(2) Orleton and the Death of Edward II.: A dam Orleton, bishop of Hereford, sent to keeper of Berkeley Castle this ambiguous message: “Edwardum occidere nolite timere bonum est” (that is, “To kill Edward fear not a good deed it would be”); which, by shifting the point, may be, “To kill Edward fear,—a good deed it would not be,” or “To kill Edward fear not,—a good deed it would be.”

Eraclius (The emperor) condemned a knight to death on the supposition of murder; but, the man supposed to be murdered making his appearance, the condemned man was taken back, under the expectation that he would be instantly acquitted. But no, Eraclius ordered all three to be put to death: the knight, because the emperor had ordered it; the man who brought him back, because he had not obeyed the emperor’s command; and the man supposed to be murdered, because he was virtually the cause of death to the other two.

(This tale is told in the Gesta Romanorum, and Chaucer has put it into the mouth of his sumpnor. It is also told by Seneca, in his De Ira; but he ascribes it to Cornelius Piso, and not to Eraclius.)

Éraste , hero of Les Facheux, by Molière. He is in love with Orphise , whose tutor is Damis (1661).