Dem. Harkye, thou trifling, bubbling water-drinker, Nic. Who darest speak treason thus against good liquor! Most life to bus'ness?-wine! What masters all A mantling bowl!-hand me a pitcher then :- A-lack a-day! What will that drunkenness of thine engender! (goes in doors.) Such dainty little schemes-such tit-bit thoughts- The next, from the last scene of the play, gives a spirited sketch of the young political coxcombs of Athens.-Demus is recounting to Agoracritus the Sausage-seller, who has succeeded to his favour in the place of the degraded Cleon, his projected reformations in the state: Dem. I'll have no speeches in the Agora Agor. From those whose chins have not yet budded. And Straton then must use despatch, and straight Dem. My meaning rather points to those same sparks, For ever haunting the perfumer's shops, Who sit and chatter to this tune- Commend me (mimicking) Agor. (mimicking) A rape! a rape! thou'rt gone, thou'rt lost-this phrase maker Hath ta'en thy very senses-split my wind-pipe!' We must return to the first Act to give the scene between the Knights or Chorus, the Sausage-seller, who is to contend against Cleon for the mastery in impudence, and Cleon himself. Mr Mitchell has translated it with amazing fire and vi gour. Nothing can be better than the burst of double trochaics, in which the Knights commence their attack : * CHORUS. Stripes and torment, whips and scourges, for the toll-collecting knave! Knighthood wounded, troops confounded, chastisement and vengeance crave. Taxes sinking, tributes shrinking, mark his appetite for plunder; Fraudful funning, force and cunning, who with him in these compete? He can cheat and eke repeat twenty times his felon feat, All before yon blessed sun has quench'd his lamp of glowing heat. Then to him-pursue him—strike, shiver, and hew him; Confound him and pound him, and storm all around him '-&c. Cleon trembles at so furious an assault, and calls for aid upon his favourites and abettors, the dicasts of the courts, under a curious combination of characters. It is a combination which we had not expected to see imitated by any assembly of the present day: but as Claudio says, Oh! what men dare do! what men may do! what men daily do! not knowing what they do!' + Cl. Judges, jurymen, and pleaders, you whose soul is in You that in a three-piec'd obol, father, mother, brother see; You, whose food I'm still providing, straining voice through right and wrong Mark and see-Conspiracy drives and buffets me along! your fee; Chor. 'Tis with reason- 'tis in season- 'tis as you yourself have done: Thou fang, thou claw-thou gulph, thou maw! yielding partage fair to none. Where's the officer at audit but has felt your cursed gripe? Squeez'd and tried with nice discernment, whether yet the wretch be ripe. Cl. (fawning.) Ill from you comes this irruption, you for whom my cares provide, To reward old deeds of valour, stone and monumental pride. * The want of some English metre similar to the trochaic and anapastic metres in Greek, formed one great deficiency in all former translations of this poet. Mr M. has entirely supplied this defect. + Much Ado about Nothing, Act iv. sc. 1. Nov. 'Twas my purpose to deliver words and speech to that intentAnd for such my good intentions must I thus be tempest-rent? Chor. Fawning braggart, proud deceiver, yielding like a pliant thong! We are not old men to cozen and to gull with lying tongue. Fraud or force-assault or parry-at all points will we pursue thee: And the course which first exalted, knave, that same shall now undo thee. Cl. (to the audience.) Town and weal-I make appeal-back and breast these monsters feel. Chor. Have we wrung a clamour from thee, pest and ruin of our town? But to pass in face and brass-that were triumph all complete. Cl. (to the audience.) Allegation-affirmation—I am here prepar'd to make That this man, (pointing to the Sausage-vender) shipp'd spars and timber and sausages for Sparta's sake. Saus. Head and oath, I stake them both, and free before this pre sence say, That the Hall a guest most hungry sees in this man (pointing to Cleon) ev'ry day; He walks in with belly empty and with full one goes away,' &c. Chor. 6 Wretch without a parallel Son of thunder-child of hell,- Nature stinks of that and thee,' &c. But thou, (turning to the Sausage-vender) whose breeding and whose feeding were in those schools and masters, From whence proceed all those who breed our present state-disasters, Unfold thy speech-direct and teach in eloquent oration That they are naught who'd have us taught a virtuous education. Saus. Then at a word must first be heard my rival's estimation. Cl. (eagerly.) I claim precedence in my speech-nor you my right deny, Sir. Saus. Your reason,-plea?-mere knavery! (proudly) marry and what am I, Sir? I stake my fame and this way claim a right to prior speaking. Be it replied that you're a knave, and not of new creation, Cl. O I shall choke Saus. You shall not choke-myself am your prevention. Chor. (to Saus.) Forbear, forbear, my friend, nor mar so useful an intention! Cl. (to Saus.) Discuss-propound your eause-your ground for these your words nefarious. Saus. My pow'rs of speech-my art to reach phrase season'd high and various Cl. (contemptuously.) Your pow'rs of speech!-ill fare the cause beneath your hands e'er falling Batter'd and rent, 'twill soon present a sample of your calling. It may be fair to give an example of Mr M.'s powers in rendering those touches of poetry which so often illuminate the pages of Aristophanes. The following lines are very pretty : CHORAL HYMN. Oh thou, whom Patroness we call That circling seas admire; The land where Power delights to dwell, Attunes her voice and lyre; Come, blue-ey'd Maid, and with thee bring To help our bold endeavour: Long have our armies own'd thy aid, Now other deeds befits thee tell A much deeper spirit breathes in the following extract, which is the last we can afford room for, from the Parabasis. The poet, through the lips of his Chorus, is alluding to the fortunes of his precursors in the art: Could it 'scape observing sight what was Magnes' wretched plight, when his hairs and his temples were hoary; Yet who battled with more zeal or more trophies left to tell of his former achievements and glory? [clapping, He came piping, § dancing, tapping,-fig-gnatting and wingfrog-besmeard and with Lydian grimaces: Yet he too had his date, nor could wit nor merit great preserve him, unchang'd, in your graces. Youth pass'd brilliantly and bright;-when his head was old and white, strange reverse and hard fortune confronted; What boots taste and tact forsooth, if they've lost their nicest truth, or a wit where the edge has grown blunted! Who Cratinus may forget, or the storm of whim and wit which shook theatres under his guiding? When Panegyric's song pour'd her flood of praise along, who but he on the top wave was riding? Foe nor rival might him meet; plane and oak ta'en by the feet did him instant and humble prostration; For his step was as the tread of a flood that leaves its bed, and his march it was rude desolation. Who but he the foremost guest then on gala-day and feast? what strain fell from harp or musicians, But" Doro, Doro sweet, nymph with fig-beslipper'd feet or—“ Ye verse-smiths and bard-mechanicians. 99 Thus in glory was he seen, while his years as yet were green; but now that his dotage is on him, God help him! for no eye, of all those who pass him by, throws a look of compassion upon him. 'Tis a couch, but with the loss of its garnish and its gloss ;— 'tis a harp that hath lost all its cunning, 'Tis a pipe where deftest hand may the stops no more command, nor on its divisions be running. Connas-like, he's chaplet-crown'd, and he paces round and round in a circle which never is ended; On his head a chaplet hangs, but the curses and the pangs of a drought on his lips are suspended. We would not willingly interrupt the current of strong feeling, so simply and yet so beautifully expressed as in these latter lines especially, but we must remark, that in the verses printed in The poet alludes in his peculiar manner to the titles of some of the dramatic works of Magnes. |