Racine: Phaedra

THE KNIGHTS 143
Demosthenes.—Bull's blood ! The blood of the grape, I say I
good wine!
Who knows? it might inspire some plan, some project,
Some notion or other, a good draught of it
NiciAS.—Wine truly ! wine !—still hankering after liquor
Can wine do anything for us ? Will your drink
Enable you to arrange a plan to save us ?
Can wisdom ever arise from wine, do ye think?
Demosthenes.—Do ye say so? You're a poor spring-water
pitcher
A silly chilly soul. I'll tell ye what:
It's a very presumptuous thing to speak of liquor,"
As an obstacle to people's understanding
It's the only thing for business and despatch.
D'ye observe how individuals thrive and flourish
By dint of drink : they prosper in proportion
They improve their properties ; they get promotion
Make speeches, and make interest, and make friends.
Come, quick now—bring me a lusty stoup of wine.
To moisten my understanding and inspire me.
NiciAS.—Oh dear ! your drink will be the ruin of us
Demosthenes.—It will be the making of ye ! Bring it here.
I'll rest me a bit; but when I've got my fill,
I'll overflow them all, with a flood of rhetoric.
With metaphors and phrases and what not.
[Exit Nicias.
[Nicias returns in a sneaking 7vay with a pot of zvine.
Nicias [in a sheepish silly tone of triumph].—How lucky for
me it was, that I escaped
With the wine that I took !
Demosthenes [carelessly and bluntly].—Well where's the
Paphlagonian ?
Nicias [as before].—He's fast asleep—within there, on his
back,
On a heap of hides—the rascal ! with his belly full,
With a hash of confiscations half-digested.
Demosthenes.—That's welll Now fill me a hearty lusty
draught.
• Though Demosthenes has not been drinking, his speech has the tone of s
drunken man.