the miscellaneous writings and speeches-1- 第7部分

SPEUSIPPUS。　All　fiction！　　All　trumped　up　by　Aristophanes！

CALLIDEMUS。　By　Pallas；　if　he　is　in　the　habit　of　putting　shoes　on　his　fleas；　he　is　kinder　to　them　than　to　himself。　　But　listen　to　me；　boy；　if　you　go　on　in　this　way；　you　will　be　ruined。　　There　is　an　argument　for　you。　　Go　to　your　Socrates　and　your　Melesigenes；　and　tell　them　to　refute　that。　　Ruined！　　Do　you　hear？

SPEUSIPPUS。　Ruined！

CALLIDEMUS。　Ay；　by　Jupiter！　　Is　such　a　show　as　you　make　to　be　supported　on　nothing？　　During　all　the　last　war；　I　made　not　an　obol　from　my　farm；　the　Peloponnesian　locusts　came　almost　as　regularly　as　the　Pleiades；corn　burnt；olives　stripped；fruit　trees　cut　down；　wells　stopped　up；and；　just　when　peace　came；　and　I　hoped　that　all　would　turn　out　well；　you　must　begin　to　spend　as　if　you　had　all　the　mines　of　Thasus　at　command。

SPEUSIPPUS。　Now；　by　Neptune；　who　delights　in　horses

CALLIDEMUS。　If　Neptune　delights　in　horses；　he　does　not　resemble　me。　　You　must　ride　at　the　Panathenaea　on　a　horse　fit　for　the　great　king：　four　acres　of　my　best　vines　went　for　that　folly。　　You　must　retrench；　or　you　will　have　nothing　to　eat。　　Does　not　Anaxagoras　mention；　among　his　other　discoveries；　that　when　a　man　has　nothing　to　eat　he　dies？

SPEUSIPPUS。　You　are　deceived。　　My　friends

CALLIDEMUS。　Oh；　yes！　your　friends　will　notice　you；　doubtless；　when　you　are　squeezing　through　the　crowd；　on　a　winter's　day；　to　warm　yourself　at　the　fire　of　the　baths；or　when　you　are　fighting　with　beggars　and　beggars'　dogs　for　the　scraps　of　a　sacrifice；or　when　you　are　glad　to　earn　three　wretched　obols　（The　stipend　of　an　Athenian　juryman。）　by　listening　all　day　to　lying　speeches　and　crying　children。

SPEUSIPPUS。　There　are　other　means　of　support。

CALLIDEMUS。　What！　　I　suppose　you　will　wander　from　house　to　house；　like　that　wretched　buffoon　Philippus　（Xenophon；　Convivium。）；　and　beg　everybody　who　has　asked　a　supper…party　to　be　so　kind　as　to　feed　you　and　laugh　at　you；　or　you　will　turn　sycophant；　you　will　get　a　bunch　of　grapes；　or　a　pair　of　shoes；　now　and　then；　by　frightening　some　rich　coward　with　a　mock　prosecution。　　Well！　that　is　a　task　for　which　your　studies　under　the　sophists　may　have　fitted　you。

SPEUSIPPUS。　You　are　wide　of　the　mark。

CALLIDEMUS。　Then　what；　in　the　name　of　Juno；　is　your　scheme？　　Do　you　intend　to　join　Orestes　（A　celebrated　highwayman　of　Attica。　　See　Aristophanes；　Aves；　711；　and　in　several　other　passages。）；　and　rob　on　the　highway？　　Take　care；　beware　of　the　eleven　（The　police　officers　of　Athens。）；　beware　of　the　hemlock。　　It　may　be　very　pleasant　to　live　at　other　people's　expense；　but　not　very　pleasant；　I　should　think；　to　hear　the　pestle　give　its　last　bang　against　the　mortar；　when　the　cold　dose　is　ready。　　Pah！

SPEUSIPPUS。　Hemlock？　Orestes！　folly！I　aim　at　nobler　objects。　　What　say　you　to　politics；the　general　assembly？

CALLIDEMUS。　You　an　orator！oh　no！　no！　　Cleon　was　worth　twenty　such　fools　as　you。　　You　have　succeeded；　I　grant；　to　his　impudence；　for　which；　if　there　be　justice　in　Tartarus；　he　is　now　soaking　up　to　the　eyes　in　his　own　tanpickle。　　But　the　Paphlagonian　had　parts。

SPEUSIPPUS。　And　you　mean　to　imply

CALLIDEMUS。　Not　I。　You　are　a　Pericles　in　embryo；　doubtless。　　Well：　and　when　are　you　to　make　your　first　speech？　　O　Pallas！

SPEUSIPPUS。　I　thought　of　speaking；　the　other　day；　on　the　Sicilian　expedition；　but　Nicias　（See　Thucydides；　vi。　8。）　got　up　before　me。

CALLIDEMUS。　Nicias；　poor　honest　man；　might　just　as　well　have　sate　still；　his　speaking　did　but　little　good。　　The　loss　of　your　oration　is；　doubtless；　an　irreparable　public　calamity。

SPEUSIPPUS。　Why；　not　so；　I　intend　to　introduce　it　at　the　next　assembly；　it　will　suit　any　subject。

CALLIDEMUS。　That　is　to　say；　it　will　suit　none。　　But　pray；　if　it　be　not　too　presumptuous　a　request；　indulge　me　with　a　specimen。

SPEUSIPPUS。　Well；　suppose　the　agora　crowded；an　important　subject　under　discussion；an　ambassador　from　Argos；　or　from　the　great　king；　the　tributes　from　the　islands；an　impeachment；in　short；　anything　you　please。　　The　crier　makes　proclamation。〃Any　citizen　above　fifty　years　old　may　speakany　citizen　not　disqualified　may　speak。〃　　Then　I　rise：a　great　murmur　of　curiosity　while　I　am　mounting　the　stand。

CALLIDEMUS。　Of　curiosity！　yes；　and　of　something　else　too。　　You　will　infallibly　be　dragged　down　by　main　force；　like　poor　Glaucon　（See　Xenophon　Memorabilia；　iii。）　last　year。

SPEUSIPPUS。　Never　fear。　　I　shall　begin　in　this　style：　〃When　I　consider；　Athenians；　the　importance　of　our　city；when　I　consider　the　extent　of　its　power；　the　wisdom　of　its　laws；　the　elegance　of　its　decorations；when　I　consider　by　what　names　and　by　what　exploits　its　annals　are　adorned；　when　I　think　on　Harmodius　and　Aristogiton；　on　Themistocles　and　Miltiades；　on　Cimon　and　Pericles；when　I　contemplate　our　pre…eminence　in　arts　and　letters；when　I　observe　so　many　flourishing　states　and　islands　compelled　to　own　the　dominion；　and　purchase　the　protection　of　the　City　of　the　Violet　Crown〃　（A　favourite　epithet　of　Athens。　　See　Aristophanes；　Acharn。　637。）

CALLIDEMUS。　I　shall　choke　with　rage。　　Oh；　all　ye　gods　and　goddesses；　what　sacrilege；　what　perjury　have　I　ever　committed；　that　I　should　be　singled　out　from　among　all　the　citizens　of　Athens　to　be　the　father　of　this　fool？

SPEUSIPPUS。　What　now？　　By　Bacchus；　old　man；　I　would　not　advise　you　to　give　way　to　such　fits　of　passion　in　the　streets。　　If　Aristophanes　were　to　see　you；　you　would　infallibly　be　in　a　comedy　next　spring。

CALLIDEMUS。　You　have　more　reason　to　fear　Aristophanes　than　any　fool　living。　Oh；　that　he　could　but　hear　you　trying　to　imitate　the　slang　of　Straton　（See　Aristophanes；　Equites；　1375。）　and　the　lisp　of　Alcibiades！　　（See　Aristophanes；　Vespae；　44。）　　You　would　be　an　inexhaustible　subject。　　You　would　console　him　for　the　loss　of　Cleon。

SPEUSIPPUS。　No；　no。　　I　may　perhaps　figure　at　the　dramatic　representations　before　long；　but　in　a　very　different　way。

CALLIDEMUS。　What　do　you　mean？

SPEUSIPPUS。　What　say　you　to　a　tragedy？

CALLIDEMUS。　A　tragedy　of　yours？

SPEUSIPPUS。　Even　so。

CALLIDEMUS。　Oh　Hercules！　　Oh　Bacchus！　　This　is　too　much。　　Here　is　an　universal　genius；　sophist；orator；poet。　　To　what　a　three…　headed　monster　have　I　given　birth！　a　perfect　Cerberus　of　intellect！　　And　pray　what　may　your　piece　be　about？　　Or　will　your　tragedy；　like　your　speech；　serve　equally　for　any　subject？

SPEUSIPPUS。　I　thought　of　several　plots；Oedipus；Eteocles　and　Polynices；　the　war　of　Troy；the　murder　of　Agamemnon。

CALLIDEMUS。　And　what　have　you　chosen？

SPEUSIPPUS。　You　know　there　is　a　law　which　permits　any　modern　poet　to　retouch　a　play　of　Aeschylus；　and　bring　it　forward　as　his　own　composition。　And；　as　there　is　an　absurd　prejudice；　among　the　vulgar；　in　favour　of　his　extravagant　pieces；　I　have　selected　one　of　them；　and　altered　it。

CALLIDEMUS。　Which　of　them？

SPEUSIPPUS。　Oh！　that　mass　of　barbarous　absurdities；　the　Prometheus。　　But　I　have　framed　it　anew　upon　the　model　of　Euripides。　　By　Bacchus；　I　shall　make　Sophocles　and　Agathon　look　about　them。　　You　would　not　know　the　play　again。

CALLIDEMUS。　By　Jupiter；　I　believe　not。

SPEUSIPPUS。　I　have　omitted　the　whole　of　the　absurd　dialogue　between　Vulcan　and　Strength；　at　the　beginning。

CALLIDEMUS。　That　may　be；　on　the　whole；　an　improvement。　　The　play　will　then　open　with　that　grand　soliloquy　of　Prometheus；　when　he　is　chained　to　the　rock。

〃Oh！　ye　eternal　heavens！　ye　rushing　winds！　Ye　fountains　of　great　streams！　　Ye　ocean　waves；　That　in　ten　thousand　sparkling　dimples　wreathe　Your　azure　smiles！　　All…generating　earth！　All…seeing　sun！　　On　you；　on　you；　I　call。〃　　（See　Aeschylus；　Prometheus；　88。）

Well；　I　allow　that　will　be　striking；　I　did　not　think　you　capable　of　that　idea。　　Why　do　you　laugh？

SPEUSIPPUS。　Do　you　seriously　suppose　that　one　who　has　studied　the　plays　of　that　great　man；　Euripides；　would　ever　begin　a　tragedy　in　such　a　ranting　style？

CALLIDEMUS。　What；　does　not　your　play　open　with　the　speech　of　Prometheus？

SPEUSIPPUS。　No　doubt。

CALLIDEMUS。　Then　what；　in　the　name　of　Bacchus；　do　you　make　him　say？

SPEUSIPPUS。　You　shall　hear；　and；　if　it　be　not　in　the　very　style　of　Euripides；　call　me　a　fool。

CALLIDEMUS。　That　is　a　liberty　which　I　shall　venture　to　take；　whether　it　be　or　no。　　But　go　on。

SPEUSIPPUS。　Prometheus　begins　thus：

〃Coelus　begat　Saturn　and　Briareus　Cottus　and　Creius　and　Iapetus；　Gyges　and　Hyperion；　Phoebe；　Tethys；　Thea　and　Rhea　and　Mnemosyne。　Then　Saturn　wedded　Rhea；　and　begat　Pluto　and　Neptune；　Jupiter　and　Juno。〃

CALLIDEMUS。　Very　beautiful；　and　very　natural；　and；　as　you　say；　very　like　Euripides。

SPEUSIPPUS。　You　are　sneering。　　Really；　father；　you　do　not　understand　these　things。　　You　had　not　those　advantages　in　your　youth

CALLIDEMUS。　Which　I　have　been　fool　enough　to　let　you　have。　　No；　in　my　early　days；　lying　had　not　been　dignified　into　a　science；　nor　politics　degraded　into　a　trade。　　I　wrestled；　and　read　Homer's　battles；　instead　of　dressing　my　hair；　and　reciting　lectures　in　verse　out　of　Euripides。　　But　I　have　some　notion　of　what　a　play　should　be；　I　have　seen　Phrynichus；　and　lived　with　Aeschylus。　　I　saw　the　representation　of　the　Persians。

SPEUSIPPUS。　A　wretched　play；　it　may　amuse　the　fools　who　row　the　triremes；　but　it　is　utterly　unworthy　to　be　read　by　any　man　of　taste。

CALLIDEMUS。　If　you　had　seen　it　acted；the　whole　theatre　frantic　with　joy；　stamping；　shouting；　laughing；　crying。　　There　was　Cynaegeirus；　the　brother　of　Aeschylus；　who　lost　both　his　arms　at　Marathon；　beating　the　stumps　against　his　sides　with　rapture。　　When　the　crowd　remarked　himBut　where　are　you　going？

SPEUSIPPUS。　To　sup　with　Alcibiades；　he　sails　with　the　expedition　for　Sicily　in　a　few　days；　this　is　his　farewell　entertainment。

CALLIDEMUS。　So　much　the　better；　I　should　say；　so　much　the　worse。　　That　cursed　Sicilian　expedition！　　And　you　were　one　of　the　young　fools　（See　Thucydides；　vi。　13。）　who　stood　clapping　and　shouting　while　he　was　gulling　the　rabble；　and　who　drowned　poor　Nicias's　voice　with　your　uproar。　　Look　to　it；　a　day　of　reckoning　will　come。　　As　to　Alcibiades　himself

SPEUSIPPUS。　What　can　you　say　against　him？　　His　enemies　themselves　acknowledge　his　merit。

CALLIDEMUS。　They　acknowledge　that　he　is　clever；　and　handsome；　and　that　he　was　crowned　at　the　Olympic　games。　　And　what　other　merits　do　his　friends　claim　for　him？　　A　precious　assembly　you　will　meet　at　his