Page:The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus, A Roman Slave.djvu/12



Syrus soon surprised his new master with sallies of wit superior to his age and condition. They were one day crossing a court together, in which a slave afflicted with the dropsy lay idly basking in the sun. "What are you doing there?" cried the master in an angry tone. "He is only warming his water," said Syrus; and the master's anger vanished in a laugh. On another occasion, his guests were discussing the question at table: what renders repose insupportable? The guests debated at great length without any prospect of agreement. The young slave had the audacity to throw in these words: "The feet of a gouty man;" sure of a pardon for his license from the patness of the remark - and the question was resolved. On another occasion, pointing to an envious character who appeared that day more gloomy that usual - "Some misfortunes, said he, has happened to that man, or some good fortune to some one else."

The master of Syrus desired that a liberal education should grace such rare faculties, and accordingly gave him one. He afterwards added the gift of liberty, a kindness which Syrus never forgot, which substituted for the bonds of servitude, ties dearer to both. "An affectionate freedman, said Syrus, is a son acquired without the aid of nature." At this period of his life it was, that according to the custom of freedmen, he took the name Publius, which was doubtless the surname of his master. It has been long maintained by some, but without proof, that he received it much later in life, from the favor of the people.

Hardly had Syrus received his freedom, when he visited Italy, and there gave himself up to the composition of Mimes, a kind of theatrical exhibition at that time very popular. This species of drama must not be confounded with pantomime, in which dancing and gesture represented only a series of disconnected pictures, for Ovid informs us that his "Art of Love" was exhibited in this way; nor with the Greek Mimes, in which the sentiment uttered was of more importance that the performance of the actors. The Mimes of the Romans, from which dancing was gradually banished, consisted at first of burlesque attitudes, and gross and often licentious farces, a