This Demades was a very famous Orator, and taking Notice as he was in the middle of a Discourse to the People upon a Subject of great Importance, that their Thoughts were wandering upon something else, he slipt from his Text into this Digression. Ceres, (says he) a Swallow and Eele were travelling together upon the Way: They came to a River, it seems, and the Swallow flew over it; the Eele made a shift to swim through it; - And there he stopt, Well, (says some of the Company) and what became of Ceres? Why (says Demades) the Goddess was mightily offended, to find so many People in the World that are deaf to any thing they may the better for, and yet have their Ears open to Fooleries.
People are sooner reclaim'd by the Side-Wind of a Surprise, than by downright Admonition and Counsel; for they'll lend an Ear to a Parable when nothing else will down with them.Source:
L'Estrange 253.
Here is an illustration for the story (
image source) - it's an old Soviet postage stamp showing a painting of Ceres by Rubens.
M0871 Perry063
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