Chapter 48
DIONYSUS. During the sacrifice? And who was the thief?
EURIPIDES. Allow him to try with this one: "Zeus, as even Truth has said[513]..."
DIONYSUS (_to Euripides_). You have lost again; he is going to say, "lost his little bottle," for that bottle sticks to your prologues like a ringworm. But, in the name of the G.o.ds, turn now to his choruses.
EURIPIDES. I will prove that he knows nothing of lyric poetry, and that he repeats himself incessantly.
CHORUS. What's he going to say now? I am itching to know what criticisms he is going to make on the poet, whose sublime songs so far outcla.s.s those of his contemporaries. I cannot imagine with what he is going to reproach the king of the Dionysia, and I tremble for the aggressor.
EURIPIDES. Oh! those wonderful songs! But watch carefully, for I am going to condense them all into a single one.
DIONYSUS. And I am going to take pebbles to count the fragments.
EURIPIDES. "Oh, Achilles, King of Phthiotis, hearken to the shout of the conquering foe and haste to sustain the a.s.sault. We dwellers in the marshes do honour to Hermes, the author of our race. Haste to sustain the a.s.sault."
DIONYSUS. There, Aeschylus, you have already two a.s.saults against you.
EURIPIDES. "Oh, son of Atreus, the most ill.u.s.trious of the Greeks, thou, who rulest so many nations, hearken to me. Haste to the a.s.sault."
DIONYSUS. A third a.s.sault. Beware, Aeschylus.
EURIPIDES. "Keep silent, for the inspired priestesses are opening the temple of Artemis. Haste to sustain the a.s.sault. I have the right to proclaim that our warriors are leaving under propitious auspices. Haste to sustain the a.s.sault."[514]
DIONYSUS. Great G.o.ds, what a number of a.s.saults! my kidneys are quite swollen with fatigue; I shall have to go to the bath after all these a.s.saults.
EURIPIDES. Not before you have heard this other song arranged for the music of the cithara.
DIONYSUS. Come then, continue; but, prithee, no more "a.s.saults."
EURIPIDES. "What! the two powerful monarchs, who reign over the Grecian youth, phlattothrattophlattothrat, are sending the Sphinx, that terrible harbinger of death, phlattothrattophlattothrat. With his avenging arm bearing a spear, phlattothrattophlattothrat, the impetuous bird delivers those who lean to the side of Ajax, phlattothrattophlattothrat, to the dogs who roam in the clouds, phlattothrattophlattothrat."[515]
DIONYSUS (_to Aeschylus_). What is this 'phlattothrat'? Does it come from Marathon or have you picked it out of some labourer's chanty?
AESCHYLUS. I took what was good and improved it still more, so that I might not be accused of gathering the same flowers as Phrynichus in the meadow of the Muse. But this man borrows from everybody, from the suggestions of prost.i.tutes, from the sons of Melitus,[516] from the Carian flute-music, from wailing women, from dancing-girls. I am going to prove it, so let a lyre be brought. But what need of a lyre in his case?
Where
DIONYSUS. This Muse has surely done f.e.l.l.a.t.i.on in her day, like a Lesbian wanton.[517]
AESCHYLUS. "Ye halcyons, who twitter over the ever-flowing billows of the sea, the damp dew of the waves glistens on your wings; and you spiders, who we-we-we-we-we-weave the long woofs of your webs in the corners of our houses with your nimble feet like the noisy shuttle, there where the dolphin by bounding in the billows, under the influence of the flute, predicts a favourable voyage; thou glorious ornaments of the vine, the slender tendrils that support the grape. Child, throw thine arms about my neck."[518] Do you note the harmonious rhythm?
DIONYSUS. Yes.
AESCHYLUS. Do you note it?
DIONYSUS. Yes, undoubtedly.
AESCHYLUS. And does the author of such rubbish dare to criticize my songs? he, who imitates the twelve postures of Cyrene in his poetry?[519]
There you have his lyric melodies, but I still want to give you a sample of his monologues. "Oh! dark shadows of the night! what horrible dream are you sending me from the depths of your sombre abysses! Oh! dream, thou bondsman of Pluto, thou inanimate soul, child of the dark night, thou dread phantom in long black garments, how bloodthirsty, bloodthirsty is thy glance! how sharp are thy claws! Handmaidens, kindle the lamp, draw up the dew of the rivers in your vases and make the water hot; I wish to purify myself of this dream sent me by the G.o.ds. Oh! king of the ocean, that's right, that's right! Oh! my comrades, behold this wonder.
Glyce has robbed me of my c.o.c.k and has fled. Oh, Nymphs of the mountains!
oh! Mania! seize her! How unhappy I am! I was full busy with my work, I was sp-sp-sp-sp-spinning the flax that was on my spindle, I was rounding off the clew that I was to go and sell in the market at dawn; and he flew off, flew off, cleaving the air with his swift wings; he left to me nothing but pain, pain! What tears, tears, poured, poured from my unfortunate eyes! Oh! Cretans, children of Ida, take your bows; help me, haste hither, surround the house. And thou, divine huntress, beautiful Artemis, come with thy hounds and search through the house. And thou also, daughter of Zeus, seize the torches in thy ready hands and go before me to Glyce's home, for I propose to go there and rummage everywhere."[520]
DIONYSUS. That's enough of choruses.
AESCHYLUS. Yes, faith, enough indeed! I wish now to see my verses weighed in the scales; 'tis the only way to end this poetic struggle.
DIONYSUS. Well then, come, I am going to sell the poet's genius the same way cheese is sold in the market.
CHORUS. Truly clever men are possessed of an inventive mind. Here again is a new idea that is marvellous and strange, and which another would not have thought of; as for myself I would not have believed anyone who had told me of it, I would have treated him as a driveller.
DIONYSUS. Come, hither to the scales.
AESCHYLUS AND EURIPIDES. Here we are.
DIONYSUS. Let each one hold one of the scales, recite a verse, and not let go until I have cried, "Cuckoo!"
AESCHYLUS AND EURIPIDES. We understand.
DIONYSUS. Well then, recite and keep your hands on the scales.
EURIPIDES. "Would it had pleased the G.o.ds that the vessel Argo had never unfurled the wings of her sails!"[521]
AESCHYLUS. "Oh! river Sperchius! oh! meadows, where the oxen graze!"[522]
DIONYSUS. Cuckoo! let go! Oh! the verse of Aeschylus sinks far the lower of the two.
EURIPIDES. And why?
DIONYSUS. Because, like the wool-merchants, who moisten their wares, he has thrown a river into his verse and has made it quite wet, whereas yours was winged and flew away.
EURIPIDES. Come, another verse! You recite, Aeschylus, and you, weigh.
DIONYSUS. Hold the scales again.
AESCHYLUS AND EURIPIDES. Ready.
DIONYSUS (_to Euripides_). You begin.
EURIPIDES. "Eloquence is Persuasion's only sanctuary."[523]
AESCHYLUS. "Death is the only G.o.d whom gifts cannot bribe."[524]
DIONYSUS. Let go! let go! Here again our friend Aeschylus' verse drags down the scale; 'tis because he has thrown in Death, the weightiest of all ills.
EURIPIDES. And I Persuasion; my verse is excellent.
DIONYSUS. Persuasion has both little weight and little sense. But hunt again for a big weighty verse and solid withal, that it may a.s.sure you the victory.
EURIPIDES. But where am I to find one--where?