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Historical Introduction

the instant he touched the deck the noise that was pleasant and tintinnabulous ceased, and after pouring forth one profuse strain of unpremeditated art, likewise ceased the harmonious diapason; and by some mysterious power Pythagoras was borne away over that unknown sea.

Now concerning his voyage is no certain record, and although many weighty tomes have been written on the matter, the jejunality of this work doth not suffer me to treat of it; so suffice it to say that after a short and fair journey he was at last, with many diapasons and tintinnabulous rejoicings, landed on the opposite coast. But he had scarcely reached the land when a grave and reverend man accosted him, and hailing him nasiloquently as "stranger" gave him welcome. And after the first greetings were over, and the autochthon had ascertained at how many drachmas the πῆχυς Pythagoras had purchased his ἱμάτιον, he informed him that his name was Odysseus

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