We mixed with the company, and ascended the hill with them; and lo! on
the top was an octagonal palace, which they called the Palladium, into
which we entered; within there were eight hexangular recesses, in each
of which was a book-case and a table: at these recesses were seated the
laureled _sophi_, and in the Palladium itself there were seats cut out
of the rock, on which the rest were seated. A door on the left was then
opened, through which the two strangers newly arrived from the earth
were introduced; and after the compliments of salutation were paid, one
of the laureled _sophi_ asked them, "WHAT NEWS FROM THE EARTH?" They
replied, "This is news, that in forests there have been found men like
beasts, or beasts like men: from their face and body they were known to
have been born men, and to have been lost or left in the forests when
they were two or three years old; they were not able to give utterance
to any thought, nor could they learn to articulate the voice into any
distinct expression; neither did they know the food suitable for them as
the beasts do, but put greedily into their mouths whatever they found in
the forest, whether it was clean or unclean; besides many other
particulars of a like nature: from which some of the learned among us
have formed several conjectures and conclusions concerning the relative
state of men and beasts.
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