speech；　all　she　has　just　said　is　full　of　good　sense　and　to　the
  point；　it　is　clever；　clear　and　well　calculated　to　convince。　Yes！　we
  must　have　striking　vengeance　on　the　insults　of　Euripides。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Oh；　women！　I　am　not　astonished　at　these　outbursts　of　fiery　rage；
  how　could　your　bile　not　get　inflamed　against　Euripides；　who　has　spoken
  so　ill　of　you？　As　for　myself；　I　hate　the　man；　I　swear　it　by　my
  children；　it　would　be　madness　not　to　hate　him！　Yet；　let　us　reflect　a
  little；　we　are　alone　and　our　words　will　not　be　repeated　outside。　Why
  be　so　bent　on　his　ruin？　Because　he　has　known　and　shown　up　two　or　three
  of　our　faults；　when　we　have　a　thousand？　As　for　myself；　not　to　speak　of
  other　women；　I　have　more　than　one　great　sin　upon　my　conscience；　but
  this　is　the　blackest　of　them。　I　had　been　married　three　days　and　my
  husband　was　asleep　by　my　side；　I　had　a　lover；　who　had　seduced　me
  when　I　was　seven　years　old；　impelled　by　his　passion；　he　came
  scratching　at　the　door；　I　understood　at　once　he　was　there　and　was
  going　down　noiselessly。　〃Where　are　you　going？〃　asked　my　husband。　〃I　am
  suffering　terribly　with　colic；〃　I　told　him；　〃and　am　going　to　the　can。〃
  〃Go　ahead；〃　he　replied；　and　started　pounding　together　juniper　berries；
  aniseed；　and　sage。　As　for　myself；　I　moistened　the　door…hinge　and
  went　to　find　my　lover；　who　laid　me；　half…reclining　upon　Apollo's　altar
  and　holding　on　to　the　sacred　laurel　with　one　hand。　Well　now！　Consider！
  that　is　a　thing　of　which　Euripides　has　never　spoken。　And　when　we
  bestow　our　favours　on　slaves　and　muleteers　for　want　of　better；　does　he
  mention　this？　And　when　we　eat　garlic　early　in　the　morning　after　a
  night　of　wantonness；　so　that　our　husband；　who　has　been　keeping　guard
  upon　the　city　wall；　may　be　reassured　by　the　smell　and　suspect　nothing；
  has　Euripides　ever　breathed　a　word　of　this？　Tell　me。　Neither　has　he
  spoken　of　the　woman　who　spreads　open　a　large　cloak　before　her
  husband's　eyes　to　make　him　admire　it　in　full　daylight　to　conceal　her
  lover　by　so　doing　and　afford　him　the　means　of　making　his　escape。　I
  know　another；　who　for　ten　whole　days　pretended　to　be　suffering　the
  pains　of　labour　until　she　had　secured　a　child；　the　husband　hurried
  in　all　directions　to　buy　drugs　to　hasten　her　deliverance；　and
  meanwhile　an　old　woman　brought　the　infant　in　a　stew…pot；　to　prevent
  its　crying　she　had　stopped　up　its　mouth　with　honey。　With　a　sign　she
  told　the　wife　that　she　was　bringing　a　child　for　her；　who　at　once　began
  exclaiming；　〃Go　away；　friend；　go　away；　I　think　I　am　going　to　be
  delivered；　I　can　feel　him　kicking　his　heels　in　the　belly　。。。。of　the
  stew…pot。〃　The　husband　goes　off　full　of　joy；　and　the　old　wretch
  quickly　takes　the　honey　out　of　the　child's　mouth；　which　starts　crying；
  then　she　seizes　the　baby；　runs　to　the　father　and　tells　him　with　a
  smile　on　her　face；　〃It's　a　lion；　a　lion；　that　is　born　to　you；　it's
  your　very　image。　Everything　about　it　is　like　you；　even　his　little
  tool；　curved　like　the　sky。〃　Are　these　not　our　everyday　tricks？　Why
  certainly；　by　Artemis；　and　we；　are　angry　with　Euripides；　who　assuredly
  treats　us　no　worse　than　we　deserve！
  CHORUS　（singing）
  Great　gods！　where　has　she　unearthed　all　that？　What　country　gave
  birth　to　such　an　audacious　woman？　Oh！　you　wretch！　I　should　not　have
  thought　ever　a　one　of　us　could　have　spoken　in　public　with　such
  impudence。　'Tis　clear；　however；　that　we　must　expect　everything　and；　as
  the　old　proverb　says；　must　look　beneath　every　stone；　lest　it　conceal
  some　orator　ready　to　sting　us。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  There　is　but　one　thing　in　the　world　worse　than　a　shameless
  woman；　and　that's　another　woman。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  By　Aglaurus！　you　have　lost　your　wits；　friends！　You　must　be
  bewitched　to　suffer　this　plague　to　belch　forth　insults　against　us　all。
  Is　there　no　one　has　any　spirit　at　all？　If　not；　we　and　our
  maid…servants　will　punish　her。　Run　and　fetch　coals　and　let's
  depilate　her　in　proper　style；　to　teach　her　not　to　speak　ill　of　her
  sex。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Oh　no　no！　not　that　part　of　me；　my　friends。　Have　we　not　the　right
  to　speak　frankly　at　this　gathering？　And　because　I　have　uttered　what
  I　thought　right　in　favour　of　Euripides；　do　you　want　to　depilate　me　for
  my　trouble？
  FIRST　WOMAN
  What！　we　ought　not　to　punish　you；　who　alone　have　dared　to　defend
  the　man　who　has　done　so　much　harm；　whom　it　pleases　to　put　all　the　vile
  women　that　ever　were　upon　the　stage；　who　only　shows　us　Melanippes
  and　Phaedras？　But　of　Penelope　he　has　never　said　a　word；　because　she
  was　reputed　chaste　and　good。
  MNESILOCHUS
  I　know　the　reason。　It's　because　not　a　single　Penelope　exists　among
  the　women　of　to…day；　but　all　without　exception　are　Phaedras。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Women；　you　hear　how　this　creature　still　dares　to　speak　of　us　all。
  MNESILOCHUS
  And；　Heaven　knows；　I　have　not　said　all　that　I　know。　Do　you　want
  any　more？
  FIRST　WOMAN
  You　cannot　tell　us　any　more；　you　have　crapped　out　all　you　know。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Why；　I　have　not　told　the　thousandth　part　of　what　we　women　do。　Have
  I　said　how　we　use　the　hollow　bandles　of　our　brooms　to　draw　up　wine
  unbeknown　to　our　husbands？
  FIRST　WOMAN
  The　cursed　jade！
  MNESILOCHUS
  And　how　we　give　meats　to　our　pimps　at　the　feast　of　the　Apaturia
  and　then　accuse　the　cat。。。。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  You're　crazy！
  MNESILOCHUS
  。。。。Have　I　mentioned　the　woman　who　killed　her　husband　with　a
  hatchet？　Of　another；　who　caused　hers　to　lose　his　reason　with　her
  potions？　And　of　the　Acharnian　woman。。。。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Die；　you　bitch！
  MNESILOCHUS
  。。。。who　buried　her　father　beneath　the　bath？
  FIRST　WOMAN
  And　yet　we　listen　to　such　things！
  MNESILOCHUS
  Have　I　told　how　you　attributed　to　yourself　the　male　child　your
  slave　had　just　borne　and　gave　her　your　little　daughter？
  FIRST　WOMAN
  This　insult　calls　for　vengeance。　Look　out　for　your　hair！
  MNESILOCHUS
  By　Zeus！　don't　touch　me。
  FIRST　WOMAN　（slapping　him）
  There！
  MNESILOCHUS　（hitting　back）
  There！　tit　for　tat！
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Hold　my　cloak；　Philista！
  MNESILOCHUS
  Come　on　then；　and　by　Demeter。。。。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Well！　what？
  MNESILOCHUS
  I'll　make　you　crap　forth　the　sesame…cake　you　have　eaten。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  Stop　wrangling！　I　see　a　woman　running　here　in　hot　haste。　Keep
  silent；　so　that　we　may　hear　the　better　what　she　has　to　say。
  （Enter　CLISTHENES；　dressed　as　a　woman。）
  CLISTHENES
  Friends；　whom　I　copy　in　all　things；　my　hairless　chin
  sufficiently　evidences　how　dear　you　are　to　me；　I　am　women…mad　and　make
  myself　their　champion　wherever　I　am。　Just　now　on　the　market…place　I
  heard　mention　of　a　thing　that　is　of　the　greatest　importance　to　you；
  I　come　to　tell　it　to　you；　to　let　you　know　it；　so　that　you　may　watch
  carefully　and　be　on　your　guard　against　the　danger　which　threatens　you。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  What　is　it；　my　child？　I　can　well　call　you　child；　for　you　have　so
  smooth　a　skin。
  CLISTHENES
  They　say　that　Euripides　has　sent　an　old　man　here　to…day；　one　of
  his　relations。。。。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  With　what　object？　What　is　his　idea？
  CLISTHENES
  。。。。so　that　he　may　hear　your　speeches　and　inform　him　of　your
  deliberations　and　intentions。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  But　how　would　a　man　fail　to　be　recognized　amongst　women？
  CLISTHENES
  Euripides　singed　and　depilated　him　and　disguised　him　as　a　woman。
  MNESILOCHUS
  This　is　pure　invention！　What　man　is　fool　enough　to　let　himself
  be　depilated？　As　for　myself；　I　don't　believe　a　word　of　it。
  CLISTHENES
  Nonsense！　I　should　not　have　come　here　to　tell　you；　if　I　did　not
  know　it　on　indisputable　authority。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  Great　gods！　what　is　it　you　tell　us！　Come；　women；　let　us　not　lose　a
  moment；　let　us　search　and　rummage　everywhere！　Where　can　this　man
  have　hidden　himself　to　escape　our　notice？　Help　us　to　look；　Clisthenes；
  we　shall　thus　owe　you　double　thanks；　dear　friend。
  CLISTHENES
  Well　then！　let　us　see。　To　begin　with　you；　who　are　you？
  MNESILOCHUS　（aside）
  Wherever　am　I　to　stow　myself？
  CLISTHENES
  Each　and　every　one　must　pass　the　scrutiny。
  MNESILOCHUS　（aside）
  Oh！　great　gods！
  FIRST　WOMAN
  You　ask　me　who　I　am？　I　am　the　wife　of　Cleonynus。
  CLISTHENES　（to　the　LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS）
  Do　you　know　this　woman？
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  Yes；　yes；　pass　on　to　the　rest。
  CLISTHENES
  And　she　who　carries　the　child？
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Surely；　she's　my　nurse。
  MNESILOCHUS　（aside）
  This　is　the　end。
  （He　runs　off。）
  CLISTHENES
  Hi！　you　there！　where　are　you　going？　Stop。　What　are　you　running
  away　for？
  MNESILOCHUS　（dancing　on　one　leg）
  I　want　to　take　a　pee；　you　brazen　thing。
  CLISTHENES
  Well；　be　quick　about　it；　I　shall　wait　for　you　here。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  Wait　for　her