384 THE LIFE OF PERICLES.
corner : and passed not for those that were angry and offended with him, neither would be perswaded by his friends earnest requests and entreaties, neither cared for his enemies threats nor accusations against him, nor yet reckoned of all their foolish scoffing songs they sung of him in the citie, to the shame and re-proch of his gouernment, saying that he was a cowardly cap tain e, and that for dastardlinesse he let the enemies take al, and spoile what they would. Of which number Cleon was one that "most defamed him, and began to enter into some pretie credite and fauour with the common people, for that they were angry, and misliked with Pericles: as appeareth by these slaunderous verses of Hermippus, which were then abroade:
0 King of satyres thou, who with such manly speach, of Uoudy warres and doughty deeds, dost dayly to vs
preach :
Why art thou now afraid to take thy launce in hand, or 'with tliy pike against thy foes, couragiously to
stand?
Since Cleon stout and fierce, doth dayly thecprouoke, with biting words, with trenchant blades, and deadly daunting stroke.
All this notwithstanding, Pericles was neuer mooued any thing, but with silence did patiently beare all iniuries and scoffings of his enemies, and did send for all that a nauie of a hundred saile vnto Pelopon-nesvs, whither he would not go in person, but kept himselfe at home, to keepe the people in quiet, vntill such time as the enemies had raised their campe, and were gone away. And to entertaine the common people that were offended and angry at this war: he comforted the ppore people againe, with causing a certaine distribution to be made amongst them of the common treasure, and diuision also of the lands that