Page:Acharnians and two other plays (1909).djvu/28

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Whilst every door flies open to these fellows.

But I'll do something desperate and decided.

Where is Amphitheus got to? Amph. Here am I. Dic. There—take you these eight drachmas on my part,

And make a separate peace for me with Sparta,

For me, my wife and children and maidservant.

And you—go on with your embassies and fooleries. Her. Theorus, our ambassador into Thrace,

Returned from King Sitalces! Τheor. Here am I. Dic. More coxcombs called for! Here's another coming. Τheor. We should not have remained so long in Thrace Dic. If you hadn't been overpaid I know you wouldn't. Τheor. But for the snow, which covered all the country,

And buried up the roads, and froze the rivers.

'Twas singular this change of weather happened

Just when Theognis here, our frosty poet,

Brought out his tragedy. We passed our time

In drinking with Sitalces. He's your friend,

Your friend and lover, if there ever was one,

And writes the name of Athens on his walls.

His son, your new-made fellow-citizen,

Had wished to have been enrolled in proper form

At the Apaturian festival; and meanwhile,

During his absence, earnestly desires

That the Apaturian sausages may be sent to him.

He is urgent with his father to befriend

His newly adopted countrymen; and in fine

Sitalces has been so far worked upon,

He has sworn at last his solemn Thracian oath,

Standing before the sacrifice, to send

Such an army, he said, that all the Athenian people

Shall think that there's a flight of locusts coming. Dic. Then hang me if I believe a word about it,

Except their being locusts; that seems likely.