Page:The whole familiar colloquies of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.djvu/416

412 FAMILIAR COLLOQUIES. presumptuously to come into my presence, without any fear of me ; I will advance up to her and make her know who I am. A mischief take you, you impudent jade. Th. You salute me very roughly ; pray, forsooth, take that to yourself that you wish to me. Ba. Why, Thalia, are not you, that have been routed so long ago, ashamed to come into my presence? Th. Do you ask me such a question? you are not worthy to lay your eyes upon me ; and it is beneath me to cast my eyes upon such a nasty beast as you are. Ba. Heyday ! What, a poor beggarly wretch to dare to affront me ! What, do not you know me better than that comes to ? Take care you do not provoke me. Th. A fart for your menaces, I do not mind them, nor nobody else ; should I be afraid of you, you nasty wretch ? Ba. Take care whom you throw your reflections upon.

Th. You may thank your companions there for your grandeur. Ba. What, these ? Th. Yes, them, and none but them. Ba. What am I indebted to them for? pray tell me. Th. It is their opinion of you, or rather their error, that has raised you to the pitch of a goddess, and not your noble birth. Ba. But (if time would permit) I could authentically derive my pedigree from the divinity itself. Th. A rare pedigree, I will warrant you ! Pray let us have it, there is time enough ; and no doubt but the sun will stand still while you are telling such sti-ange stories. Ba. You make a mighty bragging of your being Jupiter's daughter, and triumph in Apollo's being your conductor. My father was one who would not knock under to him, either for valour, archery, or music. When at any time he had a mind to divert himself with singing like Orpheus, he made the very woods dance after his music ; and as for racing, he would outstrip even the east wind itself. Th. I have heard these stories a thousand times over. Ba. What have you to say to that ? Do you take me in ? Th. When you first started up in the world you pretended Chiron was half man. Ba. It is like your manners to break in upon me before I have said what I was about ; have you not patience to hold your tongue till I have said what I had to say ? Th. I have, if you will keep to the truth. But if I do hold my tongue I shall not mind you much. Ba. What, do you make a liar of me too ? Th. No ; but if you take it upon your- self, it really belongs to you.

Ba. Do you speak the truth when you say I was Chiron's daughter? Th. Why, here are witnesses of it. Ba. Where are they, pray ? Th. Why, this great tail that hangs down to your heels is one, and these bristles on your back, and these whitish ears on your head, all these plainly shew you are one of Chiron's offspring; he begat you upon an ass; a very fine pedigree to brag of! Ba. I see you set yourself to be as abusive as you can. You make a mighty to do about shape; but let us come to virtue, argue about that, about fame, and glory, and adorers : what signifies the body ? Th. No great matter, indeed, saving that a deformed mind usually accompanies a deformed body. But come on, we will come to those things. Ba. Take this in the first place; there are but few that adore you, the whole world adores me; you being hardly known by anybody lie incognito ; I have extended my name all over the world, I am well known and famous everywhere. Th. I own that. Ba. Yoii would not own it if you had anything to say against it.