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At least he fought no sea-fight with a colleague

Called Erasinides!

That's no criticism.

I write my prologues singularly well!

By Zeus, I won't go pecking word by word

At every phrase; I'll take one little oil-can,

God helping me, and send your prologues pop!

My prologues pop with oil-cans?

Just one oil-can!

You write them so that nothing comes amiss,

The bed-quilt, or the oil-can, or the clothes-bag,

All suit your tragic verse! Wait and I'll prove it.

You'll prove it? Really?

Yes.

Begin to quote.

"Aegyptus, so the tale is spread afar,

With fifty youths fled in a sea-borne car,

But, reaching Argos "