THE ECCLKSIAZUSAE, 822-848

Nothing but silver must be paid or taken !

err. Then that late tax, the two-and-a-half per cent,®
Euripides devised, weren't we all vowing'
'Twould yield five hundred talents to the State ?
Then every man would gild Euripides.
But when we reckoned up, and found the thing
A Zeus's Corinth f and no good at all,
Then every man would tar Euripides.

CHR. But times have altered ; then the men bare sway,
Tis now the women.

CIT. Who, I'll take good care,

Shan't try on me their little piddling ways.

CHR. You're talking nonsense. Boy, take up the yoke.

CRIER.0 O all ye citizens (for now 'tis thus),

Come all, come quick, straight to your ehieftainess.
There cast your lots ; there fortuiie shall assign
To every man his destined feas ting-pi ace.
Come, for the tables now are all prepared
And laden heavily with all good things :
The couches all with rugs and cushions piled !
They're mixing wine : the ptTfume-selling girls
Are ranged in order : collops on the fire :
Hares on the spit; and in the oven, cakes ;
Chaplets are woven : comfits parched and dried.
The youngest girls are boiling pots of broth ;
And there amongst them, in his riding-suit.
The gallant Smoitis licks their platters clean.**
There Geron too, in dainty robe and pumps,

c T3nt?r a erlcr to summon all rltktntt in thflxinquek. He adrift
**for now 'tis thus," because under the old democracy, only
distinguished citizens were entertained in the Prylnneum.

d A double meaning- runs through lines 845-847. Of, A". I#ft5,
W. 1283; frvoi's %»';rpas representing the, faftfo of a,similar allusion
in P. 885 ; rpvpXto, for yweuKuv aidola ; ITT. oroX?K an allusion like
1iirwiov TVpcLwl8at IF. 502,