Page:History of the Literature of Ancient Greece (Müller) 2ed.djvu/107

85 LITERA1UKE OF ANCIKNT GltEECE. 85 should take u wife, and how he should look out for her. He then especially recommends to all to bear in mind that the immortal gods watch over the actions of men ; in all intercourse with others to keep the tongue from idle and provoking words ; and to preserve a certain purity and care in the commonest occurrences of every-day life. At the same time he gives many curious precepts, which resemble sacerdotal rules, with respect to the decorum to be observed in acts of worship, and, moreover, have much in common with the symbolic rules of the Pythagoreans, which ascribed a deep and spiritual import to many unimportant acts of common life. Of a very similar nature is the last part of this poem, which treats of the days on which it is expedient or inexpedient to do this or that busi- ness. These precepts, which do not relate to particular seasons of the year, but to the course of each lunar month, are exclusively of a super- stitious character, and are in great part connected with the different worships which were celebrated upon these days : but our knowledge is far too insufficient to explain them all*. If we regard the connexion of this poem, as indicated by the heads which we have mentioned, it must be confessed that the whole is perfectly adapted to the circumstances of the case ; and conformable to the poet's view of turning his brother Perses from his scheme of enrich- ing himself by unjust lawsuits, and of stimulating him to a life of la- borious husbandry. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that the poet has failed in producing so perfect an agreement of the several members of his work, that by their combination they form, as it were, one body. Indeed, the separate parts have often very little connexion with each other, and are only introduced by announcements such as these, " Now, if thou wilt, I will tell another story;" or, " Now I will relate a fable to the kings," &c. This plainly shows much less art in composition than is displayed in the Homeric poems ; the reason of which was the far greater difficulty which must have been felt at that time of forming general reflections upon life into a connected whole, than of relating a great heroic event. Yet in the general tone of the poem, and in the sentiments which it displays, a sufficient uniformity is not wanting. We feel, as we read it, that we are transported back to an age of primitive simplicity, in which even the wealthy man does not disdain to increase his means by the labour of his own hands ; and an attention to economical cares was not considered ignoble, as it was among the later Greeks, who from hus- bandmen became mere politicians. A coarse vein of homely good t£-j«s of the beginning and ending of the month is a day on which evils are to be feared: it was considered as the birthday of the toil-worn Hercules. On the 17th the com is lo be brought to the threshing floor : the 17th of Boedromion was the sacrificial day of Demeter and Cora at Athens (Boeckh. Corp. Inscript. Gr. No. 523 v, and a great day of !he Eleusinia.
 * On the seventh day the poet himself remarks the connexion with Apollo. The