thdrew, only the king's dresser, a
Macedonian of rank, paused doubtfully at the door, but Euergetes signed
to him to retire immediately, calling after him:

"I am very merry and shall not go to bed. At three hours after sunrise
I expect Aristarchus--and for work too. Put out the manuscripts that I
brought. Is the Eunuch Eulaeus waiting in the anteroom? Yes--so much the
better!

"Now we are alone, my wise friends Hierax and Komanus, and I must
explain to you that on this occasion, out of pure prudence, you seem to
me to have been anything rather than prudent. To be prudent is to have
the command of a wide circle of thought, so that what is close at hand
is no more an obstacle than what is remote. The narrow mind can command
only that which lies close under observation; the fool and visionary
only that which is far off. I will not blame you, for even the wisest
has his hours of folly, but on this occasion you have certainly
overlooked that which is at hand, in gazing at the distance, and I see
you stumble in consequence. If you had not fallen into that error you
would hardly have looked so bewildered when, just now, I exclaimed
'Capital!'

"Now, attend to me. Philometor and my sister know very well what my
humor is, and what to expect of me. If I had put on the mask of a
satisfied man they would have been surprised, and have scented mischief,
but as it was I showed myself to them exactly what I always am and even
more reckless than usual, and talked of what I wanted so openly that
they may indeed look forward to some deed of violence at my hands but
hardly to a treacherous surprise, and that tomorrow; for he who falls on
his enemy in the rear makes no noise about it.

"If I believed in your casuistry, I might think that to attack the enemy
from behind was not a particularly fine thing to do, for even I would
rather see a man's face than his rear--particularly in the case of my
brother and sister, who are both handsome to look upon. But what can
a man do? After all, the best thing to do is what wins the victory and
makes the game. Indeed, my mode of warfare has found supporters among
the wise. If you want to catch mice you must waste bacon, and if we are
to tempt men into a snare we must know what their notions and ideas are,
and begin by endeavoring to confuse them.

"A bull is least dangerous when he runs straight ahead in his fury;
while his two-legged opponent is least dangerous when he does not know
what he is a