Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Vulpes Capta et Rusticus (Abstemius)

SOURCE: You can find both the first and second "hecatomythia" of Abstemius in Nevelet's monumental Aesop published in 1610, available at GoogleBooks. You can find out more about Abstemius at the Aesopus wiki. This is fable 192 in Abstemius. Perry only includes a few sporadic fables from Abstemius in his index, and there is no Perry number for this fable.

READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons or accent marks - and read the text out loud until you feel comfortable and confident. Then, try reading the unmarked text at the bottom. It should be easy for you after practicing with the marked texts. :-)


MACRONS. Here is the text with macrons:

Vulpes capta ā rusticō, cuius quam plūrimās gallīnās occīderat, blandīs eum verbīs ōrābat, ut sē dīmitteret, persanctē iūrāns, nullum ulterius damnum sē illī illātūram. Cui rusticus: ignoscerem, inquit, tibi perlibenter, et tē incolumem dīmitterem, nisi tē subdolum et fidefragum animal cognoscerem. A mortuā nullum mihi dētrīmentum inferrī posse, certō sciō, ā vīvā vērō subdubitō. Fābula indicat, perfidīs et fallācibus virīs nullam adhibendam fidem.


ACCENT MARKS. Here is the text with ecclesiastical accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):

Vulpes capta a rústico, cuius quam plúrimas gallínas occíderat, blandis eum verbis orábat, ut se dimítteret, persáncte iurans, nullum ultérius damnum se illi illatúram. Cui rústicus: ignóscerem, inquit, tibi perlibénter, et te incólumem dimítterem, nisi te súbdolum et fidéfragum ánimal cognóscerem. A mórtua nullum mihi detriméntum inférri posse, certo scio, a viva vero subdúbito. Fábula índicat, pérfidis et fallácibus viris nullam adhibéndam fidem.


UNMARKED TEXT. Here is the unmarked text - after practicing with the marked text that you prefer, you should not have any trouble with the unmarked text:

Vulpes
capta a rustico,
cuius
quam plurimas gallinas occiderat,
blandis eum verbis orabat,
ut se dimitteret,
persancte iurans,
nullum ulterius damnum
se illi illaturam.
Cui rusticus:
ignoscerem, inquit, tibi
perlibenter,
et te incolumem dimitterem,
nisi te
subdolum et fidefragum animal
cognoscerem.
A mortua
nullum mihi detrimentum
inferri posse,
certo scio,
a viva vero
subdubito.
Fabula indicat,
perfidis et fallacibus viris
nullam adhibendam fidem.



IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source) showing a desperate fox: