The Acharnians of Aristophanes Author:Aristophanes Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE ACHARNIANS ARISTOPHANES. Scene—The Pnyx at Athens. Diceopolis, alone. Die. There really is no end to my vexations ! My pleasures are too scanty for... more » my patience ! I've only had some four that I could swear to, While plagued with all the ills that flesh is heir to. When had I, now, a pure poetic pleasure ? Ah, yes, I know what charmed me beyond measure;— To see base Cleon, by that lawsuit shaken, Disgorging the five talents he had taken. That made me radiant! The Knights be blest! They fined the sinner, and the land had rest But then I've had a tragical disaster ! When I sat yawning, waiting for the Master, f And the man bellowed out, " Lead on the chorus, This is a parody on a verse of Euripides— " So may he perish, and the land have rest." t Dicaeopolis was sitting in the theatre, expecting to hear a drama of /F.schylus, when a play of Theognis was announced instead. The chilling effect of this poet's productions was so intense, that Aristophanes attributes Theognis !" Fancy what a shock passed o'er us ! Yet how Dexitheiis pleased me, who just now Sang the Breotian, and bore off the cow! But I'd this year a paralytic seizure— When slouching Chaeris played the stately measure ! Then never since my mother washed me first, Was the dust, smarting in my eyes, so curst As now, when the Assembly's due this minute, And there's the Pnyx without a creature in it! They're chattering in the Market-Place, and flying In all directions from the scarlet dyeing, f The very Prytanies aren't here;—they'll rush in At the eleventh hour. Pushing and crushing To get at the best seats, like streams they roll on ! For peace they never care. O town of Solon ! I'm always very first on these occasions, And take my seat alone, and try my patience; And gr...« less