[13.] His forehead covered with hair)—Ver. 2. From this figure of Time or Opportunity, Time came to be represented in the middle ages with a tuft of hair on his forehead; whence our common expression “To take time by the forelock,” signifying to make the best of an opportunity.
[14.] Old Barker)—Ver. 7. We may here enumerate the names of this nature, which we find given by Phædrus to various animals: “laniger,” “wool-bearer,” the sheep; “auritulus,” “long-ears,” the ass; “sonipes,” “sounding-hoof,” the horse; “barbatus,” “long-beard,” the goat; “retorridus,” “brindle,” the mouse; and “latrans,” “barker,” the dog.
[15.] Philetus.)—Ver. 10. Of this Philetus nothing certain is known, but he is supposed to have been a freedman of the emperor Claudius.
THE NEW FABLES,
BY SOME ATTRIBUTED TO PHÆDRUS.[NF.1]
[ Fable I.]
THE APE AND THE FOX.
The Greedy Man is not willing to give even from his superabundance.
An Ape asked a Fox for a part of her tail, that he might decently cover his naked hinder parts therewith; but the ill-natured creature replied: “Although it grow even longer than it is, still I will sooner drag it through mud and brambles, than give you ever so small a part thereof.”
[ Fable II.]
THE AUTHOR.
We must not require what is unreasonable.