Voyage To the Lower World (3)

Well, never mind now; here he comes, look, and a fine host of passengers with him; a fine flock, rather; he hustles them along with his staff like so many goats, But what’s this? One of them is bound, and another enjoying the joke; and there is one with a wallet slung beside him, and a stick in his hand; a cantankerous-looking fellow; he keeps the rest moving. And just look at Hermes! Bathed in perspiration, and his feetcovered with dust! See how he pants; he is quite out of breath. What is the matter, Hermes? Tell us all about it; you seem disturbed.

The matter is that this rascal ran away; I had to go after him, and had well nigh played you false for this trip, I can tell you.

Why, who is he? What did he want to run away for?

His motive is sufficiently clear: he had a preference for remaining alive. He is some king or tyrant, as I gather from his piteous allusions to blessedness no longer his.

And the fool actually tried to run away, and thought to prolong his life when the thread of Fate was exhausted?