59. But since, as fortune would have it so, in the before-quoted lines,—my excellent Ulpian, or you too, O you sons of grammarians, just tell me what was Ephippus's meaning in what I have just repeated, when he said—
The calf
Which from Corone[20] came, and we to-morrow
Shall surely sup on it.
For I think there is here an allusion to some historical fact, and I should like to understand it. And Plutarch said,—There is a Rhodian tale, which, however, I can hardly repeat at the moment, because it is a very long time since I have fallen in with the book in which it occurs. But I know that Phoenix the Colophonian, the Iambic poet, making mention of some men as collecting money for the Jackdaw, speaks as follows—
THE SWALLOW.
My friends, I pray you give a handful now
Of barley to the jackdaw, Phoebus' daughter;
Or else a plate of wheat; or else a loaf,
A halfpenny, or whatsoe'er you please;
Give, my good friends, whatever you can spare
To the poor jackdaw; e'en a grain of salt;
For willingly she feeds on anything;
And he who salt bestows to-day, to-morrow
May give some honey. Open, boy, the door;
Plutus has heard, and straight a serving maid
Brings out some figs. Gods, let that maiden be
For ever free from harm, and may she find
A wealthy husband of distinguish'd name:
And may she show unto her aged father
A lusty boy, and on her mother's lap
Place a fair girl, her daughter, to bring up
A happy helpmate for some lucky cousin.
But I, where'er my feet conduct my eyes,
Sing with alternate melody at the gates
Of him who gives, and him who rude denies.
At present I'll leave off, and say no more.
And at the end of this set of iambics he says—
But you, my friends, who have good store at home,
Give something. Give, O king; give you too, housewife.
It is the law that all should give their hand
When the crow begs. And you who know this law,
Give what you please, and it shall be sufficient.
And those people who went about collecting for the jackdaw (κορώνη) were called Coronistæ, as Pamphilus of Alexandria tells us, in his treatise on Names. And the songs which are sung by them are called coronismata, as Agnocles the Rhodian tells us, in his Coronistæ.
60. There is also another collection made among the Rhodians, the making of which is called χελιδονίζειν; and it is mentioned by Theognis, in the second book of his treatise on the Sacrifices in Rhodes, where he writes thus—"There is a species of collecting which the Rhodians call χελιδονίζειν, which takes place in the month Boedromion. And it derives its name of χελιδονίζειν because the people are accustomed to utter the following song:—
The swallow, the swallow (χελιδών) is come,
Bringing good seasons and a joyful time.
Her belly is white, her back is black.
Bring, oh bring, a cake of figs
Out of your luxurious house,
Bring a cup of wine,
And a dish of cheese,
And a bag of wheat.
Those the good swallow will not despise,
Nor a cake of eggs.
Shall we now go, or shall we get something?
Give something, and we'll go; if you give nothing
We will not cease to pester you; we'll force the door
And carry it away, or th' upper lintel,
Or e'en your wife who sits within the house.
She is but little, we shall find her light.
If you give something, let it be worth having.
Open, then, open the door to the swallow,
For we are not old men, but only boys.