Page:Acharnians and two other plays (1909).djvu/23



Dicæopolis. How many things there are to cross and vex me,

My comforts I compute at four precisely,

My griefs and miseries at a hundred thousand.

Let's see what there has happened to rejoice me

With any real kind of joyfulness;

Come, in the first place I set down five talents,

Which Cleon vomited up again and refunded;

There I rejoiced; I loved the Knights for that;

'Twas nobly done, for the interests of all Greece.

But again I suffered cruelly in the Theatre

A tragical disappointment. There was I

Gaping to hear old Æschylus, when the Herald

Called out, "Theognis, bring your chorus forward."

Imagine what my feelings must have been!

But then Dexitheus pleased me coming forward

And singing his Bœotian melody:

But next came Chæris with his music truly,

That turned me sick, and killed me very nearly.

But never in my lifetime, man nor boy,

Was I so vexed as at this present moment;

To see the Pnyx, at this time of the morning,

Quite empty, when the Assembly should be full.

There are our Citizens in the market-place,

Lounging and talking, shifting up and down

To escape the painted twine that ought to sweep

The shoal of them this way; not even the presidents

Arrived—they're always last, crowding and jostling

To get the foremost seat; but as for peace

They never think about it—Oh, poor Country!

As for myself, I'm always the first man.

Alone in the morning, here I take my place,

Here I contemplate, here I stretch my legs;