"Have you ever seen an elephant?" inquired Menelaus. "I have," replied Charmides, "and have conversed with persons well acquainted with the peculiarity attending its birth."
I here remarked that the animal was known to me only having seen a picture of it. "Well, then," continued he, "I will give you an account of it; for we have abundance of leisure. The time of gestation with the female is ten years,[4] so that when she brings forth her calf he is already old. To this cause we may, in my opinion, attribute his great bulk, his unrivalled strength, and his longevity; for he is said to live longer than Hesiod's crow.[5] His jaw may be said to resemble the head of an ox, for it appears to have two horns; these, however, are the curved tusks of the animal, between them projects his trunk, resembling a trumpet in appearance and size, which is very convenient for taking up his accustomed food or any other edible; anything of this description he seizes with it, and bending it inwards, conveys it to his mouth; but if unsuited for his palate, he turns round his trunk, and extending it upwards delivers the article to the Ethiopian master, who sits upon him as a rider does on a horse, and whom he caresses and also fears, obeying his voice, and submitting to be beaten with an iron axe. I remember once seeing a strange sight, a Greek inserted his head into the mouth of the animal, which with expanded jaws continued to breathe upon him. As you may imagine, I was not a little struck with the boldness of the man and the good-nature of the elephant. The man told me that he had given the beast a fee for breathing upon him, that his breath was almost equal to Indian spices, and was a sovereign specific against the head-ache. It appears that the elephant is aware of his medical skill, and will not open his mouth for nothing, but like a self-conceited physician, asks for his fee beforehand; upon receiving it he becomes all complaisance, expands his jaws, and keeps his mouth open as long as the patient pleases, knowing that he has received a consideration for his breath."
"How comes so ill-favoured an animal to have so fragrant a breath?" I asked. "From the nature of the food upon which he feeds," said Charmides. "The country of the Indians is near the sun; they first behold the rising of that deity, they feel his hottest rays, and from his influence their skin acquires its hue.[6] Now there is in Greece a dark-coloured flower, which among the Indians is not a flower but a leaf, like those which are seen on any tree; in that land it conceals its fragrance, and is therefore in little estimation; either it does not care for celebrity among its countrymen, or else it grudges them its sweetness; but if only it leave that country and be transplanted, it opens its secret treasure-house, instead of a leaf becomes a flower, and clothes itself with perfume. The Indians call this the black rose, and it is as common a food for the elephant as among us grass is for oxen; and from feeding upon it, almost from its birth, the animal exhales the fragrance of his food, and his breath becomes a fount of sweets."[7]
When Charmides had ended his dissertation and we were departed, he not long after—for whoever burns with the fire of love cannot endure delay—sent for Menelaus, and taking his hand, thus addressed him:—"Your conduct to Clitopho shows you to be a sincere friend, nor shall you have to complain of want of friendship upon my part. I have a favour to request which it is easy for you to grant, and by granting it you will preserve my life. Know that I am desperately smitten with Leucippe; you must heal the wound; she is in your debt for having saved her.[8] Now I will give you fifty gold pieces for the good service which I require, and she herself shall receive as many as she pleases."
"Keep your gold," replied Menelaus, "for those who make a traffic of their favours; you have already received me into your friendship, and it shall be my endeavour to promote your wishes."
Immediately afterwards he came to me and related the whole matter. After deliberating what course to adopt, dissimulation appeared most feasible, since it would have been dangerous to give him an absolute refusal, for fear of his employing violence, and it was wholly out of our power to escape, surrounded as we were by the buccaneers in one direction, and by his troops on the other.
Returning to Charmides after a short interval, Menelaus said:—"Your object is accomplished. At first the maiden gave a downright refusal, but at length, upon my redoubling my entreaties and reminding her of her debt of gratitude towards me, she consented; stipulating, however, for a few days' delay until we can reach Alexandria; for this place being a mere village, everything becomes known, and there are many eyes upon us."
"You fix a long postponement to your favour," said Charmides. "Who can think of deferring his wishes in time of war? With an engagement before him, and so many ways of death, how can the soldier tell whether his life will be spared? If you will prevail on Fortune to guarantee my safety, I will wait. Consider that I am about to fight these buccaneers, and all the while a war of a different kind is raging in my soul; a warrior armed with bow and arrow, is committing havoc there; I feel myself vanquished; I am full of wounds; prithee send for the leech with speed, for the danger presses. I shall have to carry fire and sword among the enemy, but love has already kindled his torch to my destruction; extinguish this flame, I beseech, good Menelaus; it will be a fair omen to join in love before we join in battle; let Venus, therefore, herald me on my way to Mars."
"But you do not consider," rejoined Menelaus, "how difficult it is to avoid discovery from her intended husband, who is so enamoured of her."—"Oh! as for Clitopho, we can easily get him out of the way," said Charmides.
Seeing him so firmly bent upon his purpose, Menelaus began to have fears for my safety, and suddenly he thought himself of a fresh excuse. "If you must know her real motive for this delay, it is that her monthly sickness is upon her, consequently she must abstain from sexual intercourse."—"In that case," said the other, "I will wait three or four days, which will be quite sufficient; but in the meanwhile she can, at any rate, come and talk to me. I can hear her voice, press her hand, and touch her person, and kiss her lips. Her indisposition need be no impediment to this."