Racine: Phaedra

I9S
ARISTOPHANES
Are but dancing in a net,"*'
Till I purge their stomachs clean
With the hemlock and the bean.
The Sausage-Seller a'ttd Clean re-enter separately.
Cleon.—Get out there
Sausage-Seller.— You, get out yourself ! you rascal
Cleon.—O Demus !
here have I been waiting, ready
To attend upon ye and serve ye, a long, long time.
Sausage-Seller.—And I've been waiting a longer, longer
time
Ever so long—a great long while ago.
Demus.—And I've been waiting here cursing ye both,
A thousand times, a long, long time ago.
Sausage-Seller.—You know what you're to do?
Demus.— Yes, yes, I know
But you may tell me, however, notwithstanding.
Sausage-Seller.—Make it a race, and let us start to serve
you,
And win your favor without loss of time.
Demus.—So be it. Start now—one ! two ! three
Cleon.— Heigh-day
Demus.—Why don't you start?
Cleon.— He's cheated and got before me.
[Exit.
Demus.—Well truly indeed I shall be feasted rarely
My courtiers and admirers will quite spoil me.
Cleon.—There. I'm the first you see to bring ye a chair.
Sausage-Seller.—But a table. Here I've brought it, first and
foremost.
Cleon.—See here this little half-meal cake from Pylos,
Made from the flour of victory and success.
Sausage-Seller.—But here's a cake! see here! which the
heavenly goddess
Patted and flatted herself, with her ivory hand,
For your own eating.
Demus.— Wonderful, mighty goddess!
What an awfully large hand she must have had
" Persons subject to an effectual re- unaware, were said to be dancimg in a
straint, of which they were themselves net.