[ARISTOPHANES, the greatest of Greek comic writers,

was born about the year 448 B. C., and was a citizen of Athens, where he died about 380 B. c. His copious dramatic compositions, numbering fifty-four comedies, out of which eleven only have come down to us, are marked by great freedom of touch, keen wit, and occasional wild and riotous burlesque. Aristophanes was a censor as

well as a satirist, and his genius found scope in political,

As well as in literary, criticism. The known comedies cover nearly forty years in the most splendid period of

Greek culture, and are full of instructive illustrations

♦f the domestic, social and political life of that marvel

bus people.

burthen'd." Well, but the drollest joke of all-? B. Remember,

There's one thing I protest against

X. What is that?

B. Why, shifting off your load to the other shoulder,

And fidgeting and complaining of the gripes.

X. What then do you mean to say, that I must not say

That I'm ready to befoul myself?

B. (peremptorily) By no means, Except when I take an emetic.

The comedy of The Frogs, here given in full, with the xception of a few grosser passages, was written shortly after the death of Eschylus and Euripides, the great writers of Greek tragedy. Its object was to call off men's minds from the distractions of politics to pure literature. The plot represents Athens as destitute of poets; so Dionysus (Bacchus) goes down to Hades to bring back a poet. The play represents an emulous contest between

Aschylus and Euripides in the under-world, for the pos

ssion of the throne of tragedy, in which the victory

falls at last to Eschylus.

Our translation is by JOHN HOOKHAM FRERE.]

ful of hard usage) What's the use, then, Of my being burthen'd here with all these bundles,

If I'm to be deprived of the common jokes That Phrynichus, and Lysis, and Ameip

sias

Allow the servants always in their comedies,

Without exception, when they carry bundles?

B. Pray, leave them off-for those ingenious sallies

Have such an effect upon my health and spirits

That I feel grown old and dull when I get home.

X. (as before, or with a sort of half-mutinous whine)

It's hard for me to suffer in my limbs, To be overburthen'd and debarr'd from joking.

B. Well, this is monstrous, quite, and insupportable!

Such insolence in a servant! When your

B. (aside) Did ye mind how he was frighten'd? I. I suppose he was afraid you were going mad.

H. (aside) By Jove! I shall laugh outright; I'm ready to burst. I shall laugh in spite of myself, upon my life.

[Hercules shifts about, and turns aside to disguise his laughter; this apparent shyness confirms Bacchus in the opinion of his own ascendancy, which he manifests accordingly.

B. (with a tone of protection) Come hither, friend. What ails ye? Step this way; I want to speak to ye.

H. (with a good-humored, but unsuccessful, endeavor to suppress laughter, or to conceal it. Suppose him, for instance, speaking with his hand before his mouth.)

But I can't help laughing, To see the lion's skin with a saffron robe, And the club with the women's sandalsaltogether

What's the meaning of it all? Have you been abroad?

B. I've been aboard-in the fleet-with Cleisthenes.

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 a joke;

It's quite a serious feeling-quite distressing;

I suffer from it

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

From going after him.

H. What, to the shades below? B. Yes, to the shades below, or the shades

beneath 'em.

To the undermost shades of all. I'm quite determined.

H. But what's your object?

B. (with a ridiculous imitation of tragical action and emphasis.)

Why my object is

Is an easy-minded soul, and always was.
H. Where's Agathon?

B. He's gone and left me too,
Regretted by his friends; a worthy poet-
H. Gone! Where, poor soul?

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:)

Time"

...

But inform me briefly and plainly about my journey;