the miscellaneous writings and speeches-1-第8节

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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　house；　no　doubt。

SPEUSIPPUS。　The　first　men　in　Athens；　probably。

CALLIDEMUS。　Whom　do　you　mean　by　the　first　men　in　Athens？

SPEUSIPPUS。　Callicles。　　（Callicles　plays　a　conspicuous　part　in　the　Gorgias　of　Plato。）

CALLIDEMUS。　A　sacrilegious；　impious；　unfeeling　ruffian！

SPEUSIPPUS。　Hippomachus。

CALLIDEMUS。　A　fool；　who　can　talk　of　nothing　but　his　travels　through　Persia　and　Egypt。　　Go；　go。　　The　gods　forbid　that　I　should　detain　you　from　such　choice　society！

＇Exeunt　severally。＇


II。

SCENEA　Hall　in　the　house　of　ALCIBIADES。

ALCIBIADES；　SPEUSIPPUS；　CALLICLES；　HIPPOMACHUS；　CHARICLEA；　and　others；　seated　round　a　table　feasting。

ALCIBIADES。　Bring　larger　cups。　　This　shall　be　our　gayest　revel。　　It　is　probably　the　lastfor　some　of　us　at　least。

SPEUSIPPUS。　At　all　events；　it　will　be　long　before　you　taste　such　wine　again；　Alcibiades。

CALLICLES。　Nay；　there　is　excellent　wine　in　Sicily。　　When　I　was　there　with　Eurymedon's　squadron；　I　had　many　a　long　carouse。　　You　never　saw　finer　grapes　than　those　of　Aetna。

HIPPOMACHUS。　The　Greeks　do　not　understand　the　art　of　making　wine。　　Your　Persian　is　the　man。　　So　rich；　so　fragrant；　so　sparkling！　　I　will　tell　you　what　the　Satrap　of　Caria　said　to　me　about　that　when　I　supped　with　him。

ALCIBIADES。　Nay；　sweet　Hippomachus；　not　a　word　to…night　about　satraps；　or　the　great　king；　or　the　walls　of　Babylon；　or　the　Pyramids；　or　the　mummies。　　Chariclea；　why　do　you　look　so　sad？

CHARICLEA。　Can　I　be　cheerful　when　you　are　going　to　leave　me；　Alcibiades？

ALCIBIADES。　My　life；　my　sweet　soul；　it　is　but　for　a　short　time。　　In　a　year　we　conquer　Sicily。　　In　another；　we　humble　Carthage。　　（See　Thucydides；　vi。　90。）　　I　will　bring　back　such　robes；　such　necklaces；　elephants'　teeth　by　thousands；　ay；　and　the　elephants　themselves；　if　you　wish　to　see　them。　　Nay；　smile；　my　Chariclea；　or　I　shall　talk　nonsense　to　no　purpose。

HIPPOMACHUS。　The　largest　elephant　that　I　ever　saw　was　in　the　grounds　of　Teribazus；　near　Susa。　　I　wish　that　I　had　measured　him。

ALCIBIADES。　I　wish　that　he　had　trod　upon　you。　　Come；　come；