Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Wright - 1.djvu/532

358

Zaleucus, not Zelongus, was the name of the king who preformed [sic] this striking act of justice. It is thus told by Valerius Maximus. "Zaleucus, urbe Locrensium à se saluberrimis atque utilissimis legibus munita, cum filius ejus adulterii crimine damnatus, secundum jus ab ipso constitutum, utroque oculo carere deberet, ac tota civitas in honorem patris pœnæ necessitatem adolescentulo remitteret, aliquamdiu repugnavit. Ad ultimum precibus populi evictus, suo prius, deinde filii oculi eruto, usum videndi utrique reliquit. Ita debitum supplicii modum legi reddidit, æquitatis admirabili temperamento, se inter misericordem patrem et justum legislatorem partitus."—Lib. vi. c. 5. Ex. 3.

I have met with a similar story in a modern book of fables under the following form.

"One hot day in summer, a boar, covered with wounds, threw himself beneath the shadow of a large tree, where he was grievously tormented by