CLISTHENES
  Well；　be　quick　about　it；　I　shall　wait　for　you　here。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  Wait　for　her　and　examine　her　closely；　she's　the　only　one　we　do　not
  know。
  CLISTHENES
  That's　a　long　leak　you're　taking。
  MNESILOCHUS
  God；　yes；　I　am　constricted；　I　ate　some　cress　yesterday。
  CLISTHENES
  What　are　you　chattering　about　cress？　Come　here！　and　be　quick。
  （He　starts　to　pull　MNESILOCHUS　back。）
  MNESILOCHUS
  Oh！　don't　pull　a　poor　sick　woman　about　like　that。
  CLISTHENES　（looking　MNESILOCHUS　square　in　the　eye）
  Tell　me；　who　is　your　husband？
  MNESILOCHUS　（embarrassed）
  My　husband？　Do　you　know　a　certain　individual　at　Cothocidae。。。？
  CLISTHENES
  Whom　do　you　mean？　Give　his　name。
  MNESILOCHUS
  He's　an　individual　to　whom　the　son　of　a　certain　individual　one
  day。。。
  CLISTHENES
  You　are　drivelling！　Let's　see；　have　you　ever　been　here　before？
  MNESILOCHUS
  Why　certainly；　every　year。
  CLISTHENES
  Who　is　your　tent　companion？
  MNESILOCHUS
  A　certain。。。。　Oh！　my　god！
  CLISTHENES
  That's　not　an　answer！
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Withdraw；　all　of　you；　I　am　going　to　examine　her　thoroughly　about
  last　year's　mysteries。　But　move　away；　Clisthenes；　for　no　man　may
  hear　what　is　going　to　be　said。　Now　answer　my　questions！　What　was
  done　first？
  MNESILOCHUS
  Let's　see　now。　What　was　done　first？　Oh！　we　drank。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  And　then？
  MNESILOCHUS
  We　drank　to　our　healths。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  You　will　have　heard　that　from　someone。　And　then？
  MNESILOCHUS
  Xenylla　asked　for　a　cup；　there　wasn't　any　thunder…mug。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  You're　talking　nonsense。　Here；　Clisthenes；　here　This　is　the　man
  you　were　telling　us　about。
  CLISTHENES
  What　shall　we　do　with　him？
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Take　off　his　clothes；　I　can　get　nothing　out　of　him。
  MNESILOCHUS
  What！　are　you　going　to　strip　a　mother　of　nine　children　naked？
  CLISTHENES
  Come；　undo　your　girdle；　you　shameless　thing。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Ah！　what　a　sturdy　frame！　but　she　has　no　breasts　like　we　have。
  MNESILOCHUS
  That's　because　I'm　barren。　I　never　had　any　children。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Oh！　indeed！　just　now　you　were　the　mother　of　nine。
  CLISTHENES
  Stand　up　straight。　What　do　you　keep　pushing　that　thing　down　for？
  FIRST　WOMAN　（peering　from　behind）
  There's　no　mistaking　it。
  CLISTHENES　（also　peering　from　behind）
  Where　has　it　gone　to　now？
  FIRST　WOMAN
  To　the　front。
  CLISTHENES　（from　in　front）
  No。
  FIRST　WOMAN　（from　behind）
  Ah！　it's　behind　now。
  CLISTHENES
  Why；　friend；　it's　just　like　the　Isthmus；　you　keep　pulling　your
  stick　backwards　and　forwards　more　often　than　the　Corinthians　do
  their　ships
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Ah！　the　wretch！　this　is　why　he　insulted　us　and　defended　Euripides。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Aye；　wretch　indeed；　what　troubles　have　I　not　got　into　now！
  FIRST　WOMAN
  What　shall　we　do？
  CLISTHENES
  Watch　him　closely；　so　that　he　does　not　escape。　As　for　me；　I'll
  go　to　report　the　matter　to　the　magistrates。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  Let　us　kindle　our　lamps；　let　us　go　firmly　to　work　and　with
  courage；　let　us　take　off　our　cloaks　and　search　whether　some　other
  man　has　not　come　here　too；　let　us　pass　round　the　whole　Pnyx；　examine
  the　tents　and　the　passages。　Come；　be　quick；　let　us　start　off　on　a
  light　toe　and　rummage　all　round　in　silence。　Let　us　hasten；　let　us
  finish　our　round　as　soon　as　possible。
  CHORUS　（singing）
  Look　quickly　for　the　traces　that　might　show　you　a　man　hidden　here；
  let　your　glance　fall　on　every　side；　look　well　to　the　right　and　to
  the　left。　If　we　seize　some　impious　fellow；　woe　to　him！　He　will　know
  how　we　punish　the　outrage；　the　crime；　the　sacrilege。　The　criminal　will
  then　acknowledge　at　last　that　gods　exist；　his　fate　will　teach　all
  men　that　the　deities　must　be　revered；　that　justice　must　be　observed
  and　that　they　must　submit　to　the　sacred　laws。　If　not；　then　woe　to
  them！　Heaven　itself　will　punish　sacrilege；　being　aflame　with　fury
  and　mad　with　frenzy；　all　their　deeds　will　prove　to　mortals；　both　men
  and　women；　that　the　deity　punishes　injustice　and　impiety；　and　that　she
  is　not　slow　to　strike。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  But　I　think　I　have　now　searched　everywhere　and　that　no　other　man
  is　hidden　among　us。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Where　are　you　flying　to？　Stop！　stop！　Ah！　miserable　woman　that　I
  am；　he　has　torn　my　child　from　my　breast　and　has　disappeared　with　it。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Scream　as　loud　as　you　will；　but　you'll　never　feed　him　again。　If
  you　do　not　let　me　go　this　very　instant；　I　am　going　to　cut　open　the
  veins　of　his　thighs　with　this　cutlass　and　his　blood　shall　flow　over
  the　altar。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Oh！　great　gods！　oh！　friends；　help　me！　terrify　him　with　your
  shrieks；　triumph　over　this　monster；　permit　him　not　to　rob　me　of　my
  only　child。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  Oh！　oh！　venerable　Moirai；　what　fresh　attack　is　this？　It's　the
  crowning　act　of　audacity　and　shamelessness！　What　has　he　done　now；
  friends；　what　has　he　done？
  MNESILOCHUS
  Ah！　your　insolence　passes　all　bounds；　but　I　know　how　to　curb　it！
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  What　a　shameful　deed！　the　measure　of　his　iniquities　is　full！
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Aye；　it's　shameful　that　he　should　have　robbed　me　of　my　child。
  CHORUS　（singing）
  It's　past　belief　to　be　so　criminal　and　so　impudent！
  MNESILOCHUS　（singing）
  Ah！　you're　not　near　the　end　of　it　yet。
  CHORUS　（singing）
  Little　I　care　whence　you　come；　you　shall　not　return　to　boast　of
  having　acted　so　odiously　with　impunity；　for　you　shall　be　punished。
  MNESILOCHUS　（speaking）
  You　won't　do　it；　by　the　gods！
  CHORUS　（singing）
  And　what　immortal　would　protect　you　for　your　crime？
  MNESILOCHUS　（speaking）
  You　talk　in　vain！　I　shall　not　let　go　the　child。
  CHORUS　（singing）
  By　the　goddesses；　you　will　not　laugh　presently　over　your　crime　and
  your　impious　speech。　For　with　impiety；　as　'tis　meet；　shall　we　reply　to
  your　impiety。　Soon　fortune　will　turn　round　and　overwhelm　you。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  Come　there；　bring　some　firewood。　Let's　roast　the　wretch　as　quickly
  as　we　can。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Bring　faggots；　Mania！　（To　MNESILOCHUS）　You　will　be　nothing　but
  charcoal　soon。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Grill　away；　roast　me；　but　you；　my　child；　take　off　this　Cretan　robe
  and　blame　no　one　but　your　mother　for　your　death。　But　what　does　this
  mean？　The　little　girl　is　nothing　but　a　skin　filled　with　wine　and
  shod　with　Persian　slippers。　Oh！　you　wanton；　you　tippling　women；　who
  think　of　nothing　but　wine；　you　are　a　fortune　to　the　drinking…shops　and
  are　our　ruin；　for　the　sake　of　drink；　you　neglect　both　your　household
  and　your　shuttle！
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Faggots；　Mania；　plenty　of　them。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Bring　as　many　as　you　like。　But　answer　me；　are　you　the　mother　of
  this　brat？
  FIRST　WOMAN
  I　carried　it　ten　months。
  MNESILOCHUS
  You　carried　it？
  FIRST　WOMAN
  I　swear　it　by　Artemis。
  MNESILOCHUS
  How　much　does　it　hold？　Three　cotylae？　Tell　me。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Oh！　what　have　you　done？　You　have　stripped　the　poor　child　quite
  naked；　and　it　is　so　small；　so　small。
  MNESILOCHUS
  So　small？
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Yes；　quite　small；　to　be　sure。
  MNESILOCHUS
  How　old　is　it？　Has　it　seen　the　feast　of　cups　thrice　or　four　times？
  FIRST　WOMAN
  It　was　born　about　the　time　of　the　last　Dionysia。　But　give　it
  back　to　me。
  MNESILOCHUS
  No；　may　Apollo　bear　me　witness。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Well；　then　we　are　going　to　burn　him。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Burn　me；　but　then　I　shall　rip　this　open　instantly。
  FIRST　WOMAN
  No；　no；　I　adjure　you；　don't；　do　anything　you　like　to　me　rather
  than　that。
  MNESILOCHUS
  What　a　tender　mother　you　are；　but　nevertheless　I　shall　rip　it
  open。
  （He　tears　open　the　wine…skin。）
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Oh；　my　beloved　daughter！　Mania；　hand　me　the　sacred　cup；　that　I　may
  at　least　catch　the　blood　of　my　child。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Hold　it　below；　that's　the　only　favour　I　grant　you。
  （He　pours　the　wine　into　the　cup。）
  FIRST　WOMAN
  Out　upon　you；　you　pitiless　monster！
  MNESILOCHUS
  This　robe　belongs　to　the　priestess。
  SECOND　WOMAN
  What　belongs　to　the　priestess？
  MNESILOCHUS
  Here；　take　it。
  （He　throws　her　the　Cretan　robe。）
  SECOND　WOMAN
  Ah！　unfortunate　Mica！　Who　has　robbed　you　of　your　daughter；　your
  beloved　child？
  FIRST　WOMAN
  That　wretch。　But　as　you　are　here；　watch　him　well；　while　I　go
  with　Clisthenes　to　the　Magistrates　and　denounce　him　for　his　crimes。
  MNESILOCHUS
  Ah！　how　can　I　secure　safety？　what　device　can　I　hit　on？　what　can
  I　think　of？　He　whose　fault　it　is；　he　who　hurried　me　into　this　trouble；
  will　not　come　to　my　rescue。　Let