Section 1b

[One day,] when he was playing for a prize, and when the breaking of a string became a hindrance to him in the contest, the favour of the Better One supplied him with another string, and placed within his grasp the boon of fame. A grasshopper was made to settle on his lyre, through the foreknowledge of the Better One, and [so] fill in the melody in substitution of the [broken] string. And so by mending of his string the harper’s grief was stayed, and fame of victory was won. 7. And this I feel is my own case, most noble [Sirs]! For but just now I seemed to make confession of my want of strength, and play the weakling for a little while; but now, by virtue of the strength of [that] Superior One, as though my song about the King had been perfected [by Him, I seem] to wake my muse. For, you must know, the end of [this] our duty will be the glorious fame of Kings, and the good-will of our discourse ( logos ) [will occupy itself] about the triumphs which they win. Come then, let us make haste! For that the singer willeth it, and hath attuned his lyre for this; nay more, more sweetly will he play, more fitly will he sing, as he has for his song the greater subjects of his theme. 8. Since, then, he has the [stringing] of his lyre tuned specially to Kings, and has the key of laudatory songs, and as his goal the Royal praises, let him first raise himself unto the highest King—the God of wholes. Beginning, [then,] his song from the above, he, [thus,] in second place, descends to those after His likeness who hold the sceptre’s power ; since Kings themselves, indeed, prefer the [topics] of the song should step by step descend from the above, and where they have their [gifts of] victory presided o’er for them, thence should their hopes be led in orderly succession. 9. Let, then, the singer start with God, the greatest King of wholes, who is for ever free from death, both everlasting and possessed of [all] the might of everlastingness, the Glorious Victor, the very first, from whom all victories descend to those who in succession do succeed to victory. 10. Our sermon ( logos ) then, doth hasten to descend to [Kingly] praises and to the Presidents of common weal and peace, the Kings—whose lordship in most ancient times was placed upon the highest pinnacle by God Supreme; for whom the prizes have already been prepared even before their prowess in the war; of whom the trophies have been raised even before the shock of conflict. For whom it is appointed not only to be Kings but also to be best. At whom, before they even stir, the foreign land doth quake. * * * * * (ABOUT THE BLESSING OF THE BETTER [ONE] AND PRAISING OF THE KING) 11. But now our theme ( logos ) doth hasten on to blend its end with its beginnings—with blessing of the Better [One] ; and then to make a final end of its discourse ( logos ) on those divinest Kings who give us the [great] prize of peace. For just as we began [by treating] of the Better [One] and of the Power Above, so let us make the end bend round again unto the same—the Better [One].