B. You're carried yourself. X. But I carry bundles, don't I? B. But the beast bears all the bundles that you carry. I. Not those that I carry myself'tis I that carry 'em. B. You're carried yourself, I tell ye. B. Well, if the beast don't help you, take and try; Change places with the ass and carry him. X. (in a tone of mere disgust) Oh, dear! I wish I had gone for a volunteer, And left you to yourself. I wish I had. B. Dismount, you rascal! Here, we're at the house Where Hercules lives. - Hollo, there! who is within there? [Bacchus kicks outrageously at the door. B. (briskly and sillily) Yes, that we did― we gain'd a victory; And we sunk the enemies' ships-thirteen of 'em. H. "So you woke at last and found it was a dream?" B. But aboard the fleet, as I pursued my studies, I read the tragedy of Andromeda; And then such a vehement passion struck my heart, You can't imagine. H. A small one, I suppose, My little fellow-a moderate little passion? B. (ironically; the irony of imbecility.) It's just as small as Molon is-that's allMolon the wrestler, I mean-as small as he is H. Well, what was it like? what kind of a thing? what was it? B. (meaning to be very serious and interesting.) No, friend, you must not laugh; it's past It's quite a serious feeling quite distressa joke; I suffer from iting; H. (bluntly). Well, explain. What was it? B. I can't declare it at once; but I'll explain it Theatrically and enigmatically: (With a buffoonish assumption of tragic gesture and emphasis). Were you ever seized with a sudden passionate longing For a mess of porridge? H. Often enough, if that's all. B. Shall I state the matter to you plainly at once; Or put it circumlocutorily? H. Not about the porridge. I understand your instance. B. Such is the passion that possesses me For poor Euripides, that's dead and gone; And it's all in vain people trying to per suade me Why my object is H. (sharply and ironically) You fought-? | That I want a clever poet" for the good, "The gracious and the good, are dead and | To talk about "The viewless foot of him. -Besides, Euripides is a clever rascal; A sharp, contriving rogue that will make a shift To desert and steal away with me; the other Is an easy-minded soul, and always was. B. He's gone and left me too, B. To the banquets of the blest! H. But then you've Xenocles B. Yes! a plague upon him! H. Pythangelus too X. But nobody thinks of me; Standing all this while with bundles on my shoulder. H. But have you not other young, ingenious youths That are fit to out-talk Euripides ten times over; To the amount of a thousand, at least, all writing tragedy-? B. They're good for nothing-" Warblers of the Grove". -"Little foolish fluttering things ❞—poor puny wretches, That dawdle and dangle about with the tragic muse; Incapable of any serious meaningThere's not one hearty poet amongst them all That's fit to risk an adventurous valiant phrase. H. How-" hearty ?" What do you mean by "valiant phrases?" B. (the puzzle of a person who is called upon for a definition:) kind of a... doubtful I mean bold expression ... Time" ... (Tragic emphasis in the quotations.) And. 'Jupiter's Secret Chamber in the Skies". And about... A person's soul... not being perjured When... the tongue... forswears itself in spite of the soul. H. Do you like that kind of stuff? B. I'm crazy after it. H. Why, sure, it's trash and rubbish--Don't you think so? B. "Men's fancies are their own-Let mine alone H. But, in fact, it seems to me quite bad -rank nonsense. B. You'll tell me next what I ought to like for supper. X. But nobody thinks of me here, with the bundles. B. (with a careless, easy, voluble, degagé style.) But now to the business that I came upon. [Upon a footing of equality-The tone of a person who is dispatching business off-hand with readiness and unconcern.] (With the apparel that you see-the same as yours) To obtain a direction from you to your friends. (To apply to them-in case of anything— If anything should occur) the acquaint ances That received you there-the time you went before (-For the business about Cerberus)—if you'd give me Their names and their directions, and communicate Any information relative to the country, The roads the streets-the bridges and the brothels, The wharfs-the public walks,-the public houses, The fountains-aqueducts,—and inns, and taverns And lodgings,-free from bugs and fleas, if possible, If you know any such— X. But nobody thinks of me. H. What a notion! You! will you risk it? Are ye mad? I beseech you say no more—no more of B. (meaning to be very serious and manly.) that, But inform me briefly and plainly about my journey; The shortest road and the most convenient | Horrific to behold! one. H. (with a tone of easy, indolent, deliberate banter) Well-which shall I tell you first, now?— There's a good convenient road by the B. No; that's too close and stifling. H. Then there's an easy, fair, well-beaten track As you go by the Pestle and Mortar- H. To be sure- H. Should you like a speedy, rapid, downhill road? B. Indeed I should, for I'm a sorry traveller. H. Go to the Keramicus then. B. What then? H. Get up to the very top of the tower. B. What then? H. Stand there and watch when the Race of the Torch begins, And mind when you hear the people cry "Start! start!" Then start at once with 'em. B. Me? Start? Where from? H. From the top of the tower to the bot tom. B. No, not I, It's enough to dash my brains out! I'll not go Such a road upon any account. B. And what must I do to pass? H. You'll find a boat there; A little tiny boat, as big as that, And an old man that ferries you over in it, Receiving twopence as the usual fee. B. Ah! that same twopence governs everything Wherever it goes--I wonder how it managed To find its way there? H. Theseus introduced it -Next you'll meet serpents, and wild beasts and monsters, (Suddenly, and with a shout in Bacchus's ear.) B. (starting a little.) Don't try to fright me; You'll not succeed, I promise you--I'm determined. H. Then there's an abyss of mire and floating filth, In which the damn'd lie wallowing and overwhelm'd; The unjust, the cruel, and the inhospitable; And the barbarous bilking cullies that withhold The price of intercourse with fraud and wrong; The incestuous, and the parricides, and the robbers; The perjurers, and assassins, and the wretches, That wilfully and presumptuously transcribe Extracts and trash from Morsimus's plays. B. And by Jove! Synesias with his Pyrrhic dancers Ought to be there-they're worse, or quite as bad. H. But after this your sense will be saluted With a gentle breathing sound of flutes and voices, And a beautiful spreading light like ours on earth, And myrtle glades and happy quires among, Of women and men with rapid applause and mirth. B. And who are all those folks? X. (gives indications of restiveness as if ready to throw down his bundles). I won't stand here like a mule in a procession any longer, with these packages and bundles. H. (hastily in a civil hurry, as when you shake a man by the hand and shove him out of the room and give him your best wishes and advice all at once.) They'll tell you everything you want to know, For they're establish'd close upon the road, By the corner of Pluto's house so fare you well; Farewell, my little fellow. [Exit B. (pettishly.) I wish you better. (To Xanthias.) You, sirrah, take your bundles up again. X. What, before I put them down? B. Yes! now, this moment. X. Nay! don't insist, there's plenty of people going As corpses with the convenience of a carriage; They'd take it for a trifle gladly enough. B. But if we meet with nobody? X. Then I'll take 'em. B. Come, come, that's fairly spoken, and in good time, For there they're carrying a corpse out to be buried. Hullo! you there-you Deadman-can't Would you take any bundles to hell with feeble character. Strength is represented in a state of calmness and playful repose, and feebleness in a paroxysm of occasional energy, conformably with the practice of ancient artists in their serious compositions. The dialogue with the Deadman, besides its merit as an incomparable sample of humorous nonsense, has the advantage of introducing the spectators in imagination to the very suburbs of the infernal regions; for, if we look to the strict localities of the stage, nothing else intervenes between the dialogue at the door of Hercules's house (in Thebes, as the Scholiast supposes) and the passage of the Styx, which immediately follows. Ch. Hoy! bear a hand there-Heave ashore. B. What's this? X. The lake it is-the place he told us of. D. Then I must By Jove! and there's the boat-and here's old Charon. B. These. have two drachmas. B. I can't-you must take less. D. (peremptorily.) Bearers, move on. B. No, stop! We shall settle between us -you're so hasty. D. It's no use arguing; I must have two B. (Emphatically and significantly.) D. I'd best be alive again at that rate. [Exit. B. Fine airs the fellow gives himself-a rascal; I'll have him punished, I vow, for overcharging. B. Well, Charon! Welcome, Charon! Ch. Who wants the ferryman? Anybody To remove from the sorrows of life? A To Lethe's wharf?-To Cerberus's Reach? Ch. Get in then. you going? Tell me, where are I. Best give him a good beating: give Ch. (not sarcastically, but civilly, in the me the bundles, I'll carry 'em. B. You're a good, true-hearted fellow : And a willing servant-Let's move on to the ferry. way of business ) Yes, to oblige you, I will. With all my heart-Step in there. B. Have a care! Take care, good Charon !- Charon have a care! (Bacchus gets into the boat.) Come, Xanthias, come! Ch. I take no slaves aboard Except they've volunteer'd for the naval victory. I could not-I was suffering with sore eyes. The author has condescended to gratify the Ch. You must trudge away, round by the Ch. At the stone of Repentance, By the Slough of Despond, beyond the Tribulations: You understand me? X. Yes, I understand you, A lucky, promising direction, truly. And pull away. may remain in his memory, or, (more fairly Shall the Choral Quiristers of the Marsh And their chromatic essays No, let us raise afresh Our obstreperous Brekeke-kesh ; Well, so I do. B. B. But how shall I contrive? I've never served on board-I'm only a landsman; I'm quite unused to it Ch. We can manage it. As soon as you begin you shall have some music. That will teach you to keep time. B. What music's that? Ch. A chorus of Frogs-uncommon musical frogs. B. Well, give me the word and the time. Ch. Whooh up, up; whooh up, up. CHORUS OF FROGS. This Chorus, from the clatter of cognate consonants, g, k, and ch, which appears in some parts of it, should seem to have been intended by the author as a caricature of some cotemporary dramatical lyrics. With the assistance of the Northumbrian bur, some of the lines may be made to croak with very tolerable effect; others should seem intended as a contrast, and contain some pretty imagery. The spelling of the words of the Chorus is accommodated to the actual pronunciation of the Frogs, which, it is presumed has remained unaltered. The Bin Brekekekesh is very soft, and assimilates to the V. The e in kesh, is pronounced like the ei in leisure, and the last syllable prolonged and accented with a higher tone. The word as commonly pronounced by scholars with the ictus or English accent on the third syllable) bears no resemblance to the sound which it is meant to imitate; which has on the contrary a slight ictus on the first syllable. The learned reader is requested to estimate the truth of this translation, not by direct collation with the text of the original, but by those impres sions of its general spirit and effect which At the theatres In their yearly revelry. Brekeke-kesh, koash, koash. How I'm gall'd; Worn and mangled to a mash- Koash, koash !" Frogs. Brekeke-kesh, koash, koash. B. O, beshrew, All your crew; You don't consider how I smart. B. I wish you hanged with all my Frogs. We've a right, And we croak at ye for spite. heart. Phoebus and every Grace Admire and approve of the croaking race; Persisting in our plan, 1 |