To escape from one evil and incur another as bad or worse is an idea expressed in many proverbial metaphors; e.g., "To come out of the rain under the spout" (German).[574] "Flying from the bull, I fell into the river" (Spanish).[575] "To break the constable's head and take refuge with the sheriff" (Spanish).[576] "To shun Charybdis and strike upon Scylla" is a well-known phrase, which almost everybody supposes to have been current among the ancients. It is not to be found, however, in any classical author, but appears for the first time in the Alexandriad of Philip Gaultier, a medieval Latin poet. In his fifth book he thus apostrophises Darius when flying from Alexander:—
"Nescis, heu! perdite, nescis
Quem fugias: hostes incurris dum fugis hostem;
Incidis in Scyllam cupiens vitare Charybdim."
Go forward, and fall; go backward, and mar all.
"A precipice ahead; wolves behind" (Latin).[577] "To be between the hammer and the anvil" (French).[578]
You may go farther and fare worse.
To be between the devil and the deep sea.
"A substitute shines brightly as a king
Until a king be by."
"Where there are no dogs the fox is a king" (Italian).[579]