So was Myronides one of the best-bearded of men o' this side;
his backside was all black, and he
terrified
his enemies as much as
Phormio.
Aristophanes
As chaste as Melanion,[445] we loathe the jades just as
much as he did.
AN OLD MAN. You dear old woman, I would fain kiss you.
A WOMAN. I will set you crying without onions.
OLD MAN. ... And give you a sound kicking.
OLD WOMAN. Ah, ha! what a dense forest you have there! (_Pointing._)
OLD MAN.
So was Myronides one of the best-bearded of men o' this side;
his backside was all black, and he
terrified
his enemies as much as
Phormio.
[446]
CHORUS OF WOMEN. I want to tell you a fable too, to match yours about
Melanion. Once there was a certain man called Timon,[447] a tough
customer, and a whimsical, a true son of the Furies, with a face that
seemed to glare out of a thorn-bush. He withdrew from the world because
he couldn't abide bad men, after vomiting a thousand curses at 'em. He
had a holy horror of ill-conditioned fellows, but he was mighty tender
towards women.
A WOMAN. Suppose I up and broke your jaw for you!
AN OLD MAN. I am not a bit afraid of you.
A WOMAN. Suppose I let fly a good kick at you?
OLD MAN. I should see your backside then.
WOMAN. You would see that, for all my age, it is very well attended to,
and all fresh singed smooth.
