Euripides, my excellent Euripides, my dear little Euripides,
may I die if I ask you again for the
smallest
present; only one, the
last, absolutely the last; give me some of the chervil your mother left
you in her will.
Aristophanes
DICAEOPOLIS. I am going, but, great gods! I need one thing more; unless I
have it, I am a dead man. Hearken, my little Euripides, only give me this
and I go, never to return. For pity's sake, do give me a few small herbs
for my basket.
EURIPIDES. You wish to ruin me then. Here, take what you want; but it is
all over with my pieces!
DICAEOPOLIS. I won't ask another thing; I'm going. I am too importunate
and forget that I rouse against me the hate of kings.--Ah! wretch that I
am! I am lost! I have forgotten one thing, without which all the rest is
as nothing.
Euripides, my excellent Euripides, my dear little Euripides,
may I die if I ask you again for the
smallest
present; only one, the
last, absolutely the last; give me some of the chervil your mother left
you in her will.
EURIPIDES. Insolent hound! Slave, lock the door.
DICAEOPOLIS. Oh, my soul! I must go away without the chervil. Art thou
sensible of the dangerous battle we are about to engage upon in defending
the Lacedaemonians? Courage, my soul, we must plunge into the midst of
it. Dost thou hesitate and art thou fully steeped in Euripides? That's
right! do not falter, my poor heart, and let us risk our head to say what
we hold for truth. Courage and boldly to the front. I wonder I am so
brave!
