A LESSON IN EPIGRAM
Long ago a beautiful statue stood in one of the ancient Greek cities. Every trace of it has now vanished, but an epigrammatic- conversation between a traveller r and the statue -has' been preserved. This tradi- : tion not only gives us an excellent description of the statue, but discloses "the "lesson which, the wise old Greeks wished to convey* to every passer-by. • What is thy name, statue ? '- ' I am called Opportunity.' ' Who made thee ? ' ' Lysippus.' ' Why art thou on thy toes ? ' " - 1 To show that, I. stay but a -moment,' 1 Why hast thou wings on thy feet ?J? J _- - ' To show how quickly I pass by.' 1 But why is thy hair so long on the forehead ? ' _ ' That men may seize me when they meet, me.' « Why, then, , is thy- head so. bald behind ? ' fTo show that when- 1 have once passed I cannot be caught.' ' - - -
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZT19061101.2.59.4
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New Zealand Tablet, 1 November 1906, Page 38
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151A LESSON IN EPIGRAM New Zealand Tablet, 1 November 1906, Page 38
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