Axiochus

Nature, ever waiting like a greedy usurer money-lender charging high interest, takes payment in advance, snatching and pulling from this man his sight, from that his hearing, and from some both senses. And if any fortune lingers in this life longer than is commonly seen, Nature, weakening her powers, loosens, lames, and bows down all parts of his body. Those whose bodies long flourish while their minds fail in old age, as the saying goes, become children twice over. And therefore the gods, knowing what is most expedient for men, take those whom they love most dearly out of this vale of wretchedness the soonest. For this cause, Agamedes a legendary architect and Trophonius a legendary architect, when they had built a Temple to Pythius Apollo Apollo as the prophetic god of Delphi, and asked the god to grant them the best reward that could be given, never rose again when they lay down to rest shortly after.

A printed section marker or paraph, resembling a stylized "f" or "§" with a following dot.

Likewise, Cleobis and Biton, the sons of the Argive from Argos priestess, when their mother had made her prayer to Juno Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth that some singular gift might be given to her sons for their great godliness (for when her yoke of oxen could not be found at the time of sacrifice, they yoked themselves to the chariot and drew their mother to the Temple), upon this request of their mother, the two sons were found dead the next morning. It would be too long in this place to rehearse the testimonies of poets, who in their divine verses divinely bewail and