Потерянный континент: история Атлантиды

           Phorenice’sinfluenceseemedtohavespreadasthoughitweresomehorridblightoverthewholefaceofwhatwasonceasmilingandaneasy-livingland.

           SofarIhadmetwithlittleenoughinterferencefromanymenIhadcomeacross.Manyhadfledwiththeirwomenintothedepthsoftheforestatthebaresightofme;somestoodtheirgroundwithathreateningface,butmadenooffertoattack,seeingthatIdidnotoffertheminsultfirst;andafew,averyfew,offeredmeshelterandprovision.ButasInearedthecity,andbegantocomeuponmuddybeatenpaths,Ipassedthroughgovernmentsthatweremorethicklypopulated,andhereappearedstrongchanceofdelay.Thewatcherinthetowerwhichissetaboveeachvillagewouldspymeandcry:“Hereisamasterlessman,”andthenthepeoplethatwerewithinwouldrushoutwithintenttospoilmeofmyweapons,andafterwardstoappointmeasalabourer.

           Ihadnodesiretoslaythesewretchedfolk,beingfilledwithpityatthestatetowhichtheyhadfallen;andoftenwordsservedmetomakethemstandasidefromthepath,andstarewonderinglyatmyfierceness,andletmegomyways.Andwhenatothertimeswordshadnoavail,Istrovetostrikeaslightlyascouldbe,myobjectbeingtogetforwardwithmyjourneyandleavenounnecessarydeadbehindme.Indeed,havingfoundthemodernwayofthesevillages,itgrewtobemycustomtoturnoffintotheforest,andmakeacircuitwheneverIcamewithinsmelloftheirgarbage.