Page:Comedies of Aristophanes (Hickie 1853) vol1.djvu/179

1108—1130.

you train him properly; on the one side able for petty suits; but train his other jaw able for the more important causes.

. Make yourself easy; you shall receive him back a clever sophist.

. Nay, rather, pale and wretched. [Exeunt Socrates, Strepsiades, and Phidippides.]

. Go ye then: but I think that you will repent of these proceedings. We wish to speak about the judges, what they will gain, if at all they justly assist this Chorus. For in the first place, if you wish to plough up your fields in spring, we win rain for yon first; but for the others afterwards. And then we will protect the fruits, and the vines, so that neither drought afflict them, nor excessive wet weather. But if any mortal dishonour us who are goddesses, let him consider what evils he will suffer at our hands, obtaining neither wine, nor any thing else from his farm. For when his olives and vines sprout, they shall be cut down; with such slings will we smite them. And if we see him making brick, we will rain; and we will smash the tiles of his roof with round hailstones. And if he himself, or any one of his kindred or friends, at any time marry, we will rain the whole night; so that he will probably wish rather to have been even in Egypt, than to have judged badly. [Enter Strepsiades with a meal-sack on his shoulder.]