Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/131

 DEMETRIUS. 123 shut him up, after hearing his account of the combat, they smiled and answered, that their king, also, was not without his scars, but could show upon his neck the marks of a Lauiia, a no less dangerous beast. It was also matter of wonder that, though he had objected so much to Phila on account of her age, he was yet such a slave to Lamia, who was so long past her prime. One evening at supper, when she played the flute, Demetrius asked Demo, whom the men called Madness, what she thouQ-ht of her. Demo answered she thous;ht her an old woman. And when a quantity of sweetmeats were brought in, and the king said again, " See what presents I get from Lamia ! " " My old mother," answered Demo, " will send 3'ou more, if you will make her your mistress." Another story is told of a criticism passed by Lamia on the famous judgment of Bocchoris. A young Egyptian had long made suit to Thonis, the courtezan, offering a sum of gold for her favor. But before it came to ^^ass, he dreamed one night that he had obtained it, and, satis- fied with the shadow, felt no more desire for the sub- stance. Thonis upon this brought an action for the sum. Bocchoris, the judge, on hearing the case, ordered the de- fendant to bring into court the full amount in a vessel, which he was to move to and fro in his hand, and the shadow of it was to be adjudged to Thonis. The fairness of this sentence Lamia contested, saying the young man's desire might have been satisfied with the dream, but Thonis's desire for the money could not be relieved by the shadow. Thus much for Lamia. And now the story passes from the comic to the tragic stage in pursuit of the acts and fortunes of its subject. A general league of the kings, who were now gathering and combining their forces to attack Antigonus, recalled Deme- trius from Greece. He was encouraged by finding his father full of a spirit and resolution for the combat that