(Fr. 2 ap. Athen. xi. 471 E.)

and, evidently a little sceptical as to the inviolable κοσμιότης of the lady, makes various efforts to induce her to commit herself, either by eating or drinking to excess[257] (Fr. 1, 5), or by displaying her talents in a questionable “song and dance.” (Fr. 6.) His efforts seem, however, to be unsuccessful, and at the end of the evening the hero is as hopelessly in love as ever:—

ὡς δ’ ἐδείπνει κοσμίως, he exclaims,

οὐκ ὥσπερ ἄλλαι, τῶν πράσων ποιούμεναι

τολύπας, ἔσαττον τὰς γνάθους καὶ τῶν κρεῶν

ἀπέβρυκον αἰσχρῶς, ἀλλ’ ἑκάστου μικρὸν ἂν

ἀπεγέυεθ’ ὥσπερ παρθένος Μιλησία.

(Fr. 4 ap. Athen. xiii. 571 F.)

The dénouement of this interesting little story we do not know; let us hope it was a satisfactory one.

In the Agonis of Alexis again, we find a girl remonstrating with her mother, who wishes her to accept a rich but dissolute lover in preference to the νεανίσκος of her choice.