Page:Comedies of Aristophanes (Hickie 1853) vol2.djvu/269

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564—583.
THE ECCLESIAZUSÆ.
645


Cho. My good sir,[1] suffer your wife to speak.

Prax. nor to steal clothes, nor to envy one's neigh- bours, nor to be naked, nor that any one be poor,[2] nor to rail at one another, nor to seize as a pledge[3] and carry off.

Cho. By Neptune, grand promises, if she shall not prove false.

Prax. But I will[4] demonstrate this, so that you shall bear me witness, and this man himself not gainsay me at all.[5]

Cho. Now it behoves you to rouse a prudent mind and deep thought friendly to the commons, who know how to defend your friends. For your inventiveness of mind comes for the public prosperity, delighting the commons[6] with innumerable aids[7] for life, showing what it is able to effect. It is time:[8] for our state has need of some clever contrivance. Come, do you only accomplish[9] what has never been done nor mentioned before as yet. For they hate, if they see the old things often. Come, you ought not to delay, but now to begin[10] your plans; for quickness enjoys the greatest share[11] of favour with the spectators.

Prax. Well now, I am confident that I shall teach what is

  1. ↑ Cf. note on Ran. 1227.
  2. ↑ Cf. Shakspeare, Henry VI. part ii. act iv. sc. 2.
  3. ↑ "No defamation, no distraint for debt." Smith. "Kein Zank der Partheien, kein Verhaft fiir fallige Schuld." Droysen. Cf. vs. 755, infra. Nub. 35, 241.
  4. ↑ "So klar beweis' Icb 's, dass du zeugen wirst fiir mich, Und meinem Mann selbst nichts zu erwiedern mcjglich ist." Droysen.
  5. ↑ Cf. Nub. 1343, and for the interchange of μοι and ἐμοὶ, cf Aves, 545.
  6. ↑ See Krüger, Gr. Gr. § 57, 1, obs. 1.
  7. ↑ For this form Reisig cites Etymol. M. 462, 20. Alpheus, Epigr. ii. vs. 6." Dindorf.
  8. ↑ Denn Zeit ist's." Droysen.
  9. ↑ Cf. Ran. 1170, 1383. Phit. 648. Plato, Protag. p. 354, B. Shilleto on Demosth. Fals. Leg. § 272.
  10. ↑ "Read ἀλλὰ πέτεσθαι. See Lys. 55."Bentley. But see Bernhardy, W. S. p. 95.
  11. ↑ "πλείστων, Toup on Suidas, iii. p. 228, but needlessly. Thucyd. i. 84, αἰδὼς σωφροσύνης πλεῖστον μετέχει. Ran. 335, χαρίτων πλεῖστον ἔχουσαν μέρος. Which sufficiently confirm the common reading. μέρος is understood." Porson. Cf. Plut. 226. Xenoph. Cyrop. vii. 2, 28. Porson, Append. Toup, iv. p. 477. Schäfer on Bos Ell. p. 279, seq. Krüger, Gr. Gr. § 47, 15, obs. 1.
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