was no refinement preserved from the good old wars of
chivalry which was not familiar to our gallant fellows, and I had
expressly forbidden every species of cerebral exercise. Nothing,
I have always said, is so hurtful to the temper of an army as for
the rank and file to suspect that they are led by men of brains.

APHRODITE.

There every one must do you justice, Ares. I never heard even the
voice of prejudice raised to accuse you.

ARES.

No; I do not think any one could have the effrontery to charge me
with encouraging that mental effort which is so disastrous to the
work of a soldier. The same old practices which led our forefathers
to glory--the courage of tigers; the firm belief that if any one
tried to be crafty it must be because he is a coward; a bull-front
set straight at every obstacle, whatever its nature; a proper
contempt for any plan or discovery made since the days of Father
Uranus--these are the principles in which I disciplined our troops,
and I will not admit that I can have anything to reproach myself
with. The circumstances which we were unexpectedly called upon to
face were such as could never have been anticipated.

APHRODITE.

I do not see that you could have done otherwise than, as you did,
to refuse with dignity to anticipate anything so revolutionary.

ARES.

There are certain things which one seems to condone by merely
acknowledging their existence. That employment of mobile
mechanisms, for instance----

APHRODITE.

Do not speak of it! I could never have believed that the semblance
of the military could be made so excessively distasteful to me.

ARES.

Can I imagine myself admitting the necessity of guarding against
such an ungentlemanlike form of attack?

APHRODITE.

Your friends are all aware, Ares, that if the conditions were
to return, you would never demean yourself and them by guarding
against anything of the kind. But I advise you not to brood upon
the past. Your figure will suffer. You must keep up your character
for solid and agile exercises.

ARES.

It will not be easy for me to occupy myself here. I am accustomed,
as you know, to hunting and slaying. I thought I might have enjoyed
some sport with the barbarian islanders, and I selected one for the
purpose. But Zeus intervened, with that authority which even here,
in our shattered estate, we know not how to resist.

APHRODITE.

Did he give any reason for preventing the combat?

ARES.

Yes; and his reaso