TRYGAEUS A beetle-horse.
HERMES O shameless miscreant, vagabond, and rogue; O miscreant, utter miscreant, worst of miscreants, How came you here, you worst of all the miscreants? Your name? what is it? speak!
TRYGAEUS The worst of miscreants,
HERMES Your race? your country? answer!
TRYGAEUS Worst of miscreants.
HERMES And who’s your father?
TRYGAEUS Mine? the worst of miscreants.
HERMES O by the Earth but you shall die the death Unless you tell me who and what you are.
TRYGAEUS Trygaeus, an Athmonian, skilled in vines; No sycophant, no lover of disputes.
HERMES Why are you come?
TRYGAEUS To offer you this meat.
HERMES How did you get here, Wheedling?
TRYGAEUS Oho, Greedling! Then I’m not quite the worst of miscreants now. So just step in and summon Zeus.
HERMES O! O! When you’re not likely to come near the Gods! They’re gone: they left these quarters yesterday.
TRYGAEUS Where on Earth are they?
HERMES Earth, indeed!
TRYGAEUS But where?
HERMES Far, far away, close to Heaven’s highest dome.
TRYGAEUS How came they then to leave you here alone?
HERMES I have to watch the little things they left, Pipkins and pannikins and trencherlets,
TRYGAEUS And what’s the reason that they went away?
HERMES They were so vexed with Hellas: therefore here Where they were dwelling, they’ve established War, And given you up entirely to his will. But they themselves have settled up aloft,
HERMES As high as they can go; that they no more May see your fightings or receive your prayers.
TRYGAEUS Why have they treated us like that? do tell me.
HERMES Because, though They were oftentimes for Peace, You always would have War. If the Laconians Achieved some slight advantage, they would say, “Noo by the Twa sall master Attic catch it;” Or if the Attics had their turn of luck, And the Laconians came to treat for peace, At once ye cried, “We’ve being taken in, Athené! Zeus! we can’t consent to this; They’re sure to come again if we keep Pylus.”
TRYGAEUS Yes; that’s exactly how we talked: exactly.
HERMES So that I know not if ye e’er again Will see the face of Peace.
TRYGAEUS Why, where’s she gone to?
HERMES War has immured her in a deep deep pit.
TRYGAEUS Where?
HERMES Here, beneath our feet. And you may see The heavy stones he piled about its mouth, That none should take her out.
TRYGAEUS I wish you’d tell me How he proposes now to deal with us.
HERMES I only know that yester eve he brought Into this house a most gigantic mortar.
TRYGAEUS What is he going to do with that, wonder!
HERMES He means to put the cities in and pound them. But I shall go, He’s making such a din I think he’s coming out.
TRYGAEUS Shoo! let me run Out of his way: methought that I myself Heard a great mortar’s war-inspiring blast.
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