Page:Acharnians and two other plays (1909).djvu/39

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Pursuing whimsies in the world of fancy. Dic. O happy Euripides, with such a servant;

So clever and accomplished!—call him out. Serv. It's quite impossible. Dic. But it must be done.

Positively and absolutely I must see him;

Or I must stand here, rapping at the door.

Euripides! Euripides! come down,

If ever you came down in all your life!

'Tis I, 'tis Dicæopolis from Chollidæ. Eur. I'm not at leisure to come down. Dic. Perhaps—

But here's the scene-shifter can wheel you round. Eur. It cannot be. Dic. But however, notwithstanding. Eur. Well, there then I'm wheeled round; for I had not time

For coming down. Dic. Euripides, I say! Eur. What say ye? Dic. Euripides! Euripides!

Good lawk, you're there! upstairs! you write upstairs,

Instead of the ground floor? always upstairs.

Well now, that's odd! But, dear Euripides,

If you had but a suit of rags that you could lend me.

You're he that brings out cripples in your tragedies;

A'nt ye? You're the new Poet, he that writes

Those characters of beggars and blind people.

Well, dear Euripides, if you could but lend me

A suit of tatters from a cast-off tragedy.

For mercy's sake, for I'm obliged to make

A speech in my own defence before the chorus,

A long pathetic speech this very day;

And if it fails, the doom of death betides me. Eur. Say, what do ye seek? is it the woeful garb

In which the wretched aged Œneus acted? Dic. No, 'twas a wretcheder man than Œneus, much. Eur. Was it blind Phœnix?