Are　we　going　to　banquet？
  PRAXAGORA
  Why；　undoubtedly！　Furthermore；　I　propose　abolishing　the　whores。
  BLEPYRUS
  And　what　for？
  PRAXAGORA
  It's　clear　enough　why；　so　that；　instead　of　them；　we　may　have　the
  first…fruits　of　the　young　men。　It　is　not　meet　that　tricked…out
  slaves　should　rob　free…born　women　of　their　pleasures。　Let　the
  courtesans　be　free　to　sleep　with　the　slaves。
  BLEPYRUS
  I　will　march　at　your　side；　so　that　I　may　be　seen　and　that　everyone
  may　say；　〃Look　at　the　Dictator's　husband！〃
  （He　follows　PRAXAGORA　into　their　house。）
  CHREMES
  As　for　me；　I　shall　arrange　my　belongings　and　take　inventory　of
  them；　in　order　that　I　may　take　them　to　the　market…place。
  （He　departs。）
  （There　is　an　interlude　of　dancing　by　the　CHORUS；　after　which
  CHREMES　returns　with　his　belongings　and　arranges　them　in　a　long
  line。）
  CHREMES
  Come　hither；　my　beautiful　sieve；　I　have　nothing　more　precious　than
  you；　come；　all　clotted　with　the　flour　of　which　I　have　poured　so　many
  sacks　through　you；　you　shall　act　the　part　of　Canephorus　in　the
  procession　of　my　chattels。　Where　is　the　sunshade　carrier？　Ah！　this
  stew…pot　shall　take　his　place。　Great　gods；　how　black　it　is！　it　could
  not　be　more　so　if　Lysicrates　had　boiled　the　drugs　in　it　with　which
  be　dyes　his　hair。　Hither；　my　beautiful　mirror。　And　you；　my　tripod；
  bear　this　urn　for　me；　you　shall　be　the　water…bearer；　and　you；　cock；
  whose　morning　song　has　so　often　roused　me　in　the　middle　of　the　night
  to　send　me　hurrying　to　the　Assembly；　you　shall　be　my　flute…girl。
  Scaphephorus；　do　you　take　the　large　basin；　place　in　it　the
  honeycombs　and　twine　the　olive…branches　over　them；　bring　the　tripods
  and　the　phial　of　perfume；　as　for　the　humble　crowd　of　little　pots；　I
  will　just　leave　them　behind。
  CITIZEN　（watching　CHREMES　from　a　distance）
  What　folly　to　carry　one's　goods　to　the　common　store；　I　have　a
  little　more　sense　than　that。　No；　no；　by　Posidon；　I　want　first　to
  ponder　and　calculate　over　the　thing　at　leisure。　I　shall　not　be　fool
  enough　to　strip　myself　of　the　fruits　of　my　toil　and　thrift；　if　it　is
  not　for　a　very　good　reason；　let　us　see　first　which　way　things　turn。
  （He　walks　over　to　CHREMES）　Hi！　friend；　what　means　this　display　of
  goods？　Are　you　moving　or　are　you　going　to　pawn　your　stuff？
  CHREMES
  Neither。
  CITIZEN
  Why　then　are　you　setting　all　these　things　out　in　line？　Is　it　a
  procession　that　you　are　starting　off　to　Hiero；　the　public　crier？
  CHREMES
  No；　but　in　accordance　with　the　new　law　that　has　been　decreed；　I　am
  going　to　carry　all　these　things　to　the　market…place　to　make　a　gift
  of　them　to　the　state。
  CITIZEN
  Oh！　bah！　you　don't　mean　that。
  CHREMES
  Certainly。
  CITIZEN
  Oh！　Zeus　the　Deliverer！　you　unfortunate　man！
  CHREMES
  Why？
  CITIZEN
  Why？　It's　as　clear　as　noonday。
  CHREMES
  Must　the　laws　not　be　obeyed　then？
  CITIZEN
  What　laws；　you　poor　fellow？
  CHREMES
  Those　that　have　been　decreed。
  CITIZEN
  Decreed！　Are　you　mad；　I　ask　you？
  CHREMES
  Am　I　mad？
  CITIZEN
  Oh！　this　is　the　height　of　folly！
  CHREMES
  Because　I　obey　the　law？
  CITIZEN
  Is　that　the　duty　of　a　smart　man？
  CHREMES
  Absolutely。
  CITIZEN
  Say　rather　of　a　ninny。
  CHREMES
  Don't　you　propose　taking　what　belongs　to　you　to　the　common　stock？
  CITIZEN
  I'll　take　good　care　I　don't　until　I　see　what　the　majority　are
  doing。
  CHREMES
  There's　but　one　opinion；　namely；　to　contribute　every　single　thing　one
  has。
  CITIZEN
  I　am　waiting　to　see　it；　before　I　believe　that。
  CHREMES
  At　least；　so　they　say　in　every　street。
  CITIZEN　（sardonically）
  And　they　will　go　on　saying　so。
  CHREMES
  Everyone　talks　of　contributing　all　he　has。
  CITIZEN　（in　the　same　tone）
  And　will　go　on　talking　of　it。
  CHREMES
  You　weary　me　with　your　doubts　and　dubitations。
  CITIZEN　（in　the　same　tone）
  Everybody　else　will　doubt　it。
  CHREMES
  The　pest　seize　you！
  CITIZEN　（in　the　same　tone）
  It　will　take　you。　（Then　seriously）　What？　give　up　your　goods！　Is
  there　a　man　of　sense　who　will　do　such　a　thing？　Giving　is　not　one　of
  our　customs。　Receiving　is　another　matter；　it's　the　way　of　the　gods
  themselves。　Look　at　the　position　of　their　hands　on　their　statues；　when
  we　ask　a　favour；　they　present　their　hands　turned　palm　up　so　as　not
  to　give；　but　to　receive。
  CHREMES
  Wretch；　let　me　do　what　is　right。　Come；　I'll　make　a　bundle　of　all
  these　things。　Where　is　my　strap？
  CITIZEN
  Are　you　really　going　to　carry　them　in？
  CHREMES
  Undoubtedly；　and　there　are　my　two　tripods　strung　together　already。
  CITIZEN
  What　folly！　Not　to　wait　to　see　what　the　others　do；　and　then。。。
  CHREMES
  Well；　and　then　what？
  CITIZEN
  。。。wait　and　put　it　off　again。
  CHREMES
  What　for？
  CITIZEN
  That　an　earthquake　may　come　or　an　ill…omened　flash　of　lightning；
  that　a　black　cat　may　run　across　the　street　and　no　one　carry　in
  anything　more；　you　fool！
  CHREMES
  It　would　be　a　fine　thing　if　I　were　to　find　no　room　left　for
  placing　all　this。
  CITIZEN
  You　are　much　more　likely　to　lose　your　stuff。　As　for　placing　it；
  you　can　be　at　ease；　for　there　will　be　room　enough　as　long　as　a　month
  hence。
  CHREMES
  Why？
  CITIZEN
  I　know　these　people；　a　decree　is　readily　passed；　but　it　is　not
  so　easily　attended　to。
  CHREMES
  All　will　contribute　their　property；　my　friend。
  CITIZEN
  But　what　if　they　don't？
  CHREMES
  But　there　is　no　doubt　that　they　will。
  CITIZEN　（insistently）
  But　anyhow；　what　if　they　don't？
  CHREMES
  Do　not　worry；　they　will。
  CITIZEN
  And　what　if　they　oppose　it？
  CHREMES
  We　shall　compel　them　to　do　so。
  CITIZEN
  And　what　if　they　prove　the　stronger？
  CHREMES
  I　shall　leave　my　goods　and　go　off。
  CITIZEN
  And　what　if　they　sell　them　for　you？
  CHREMES
  The　plague　take　you！
  CITIZEN
  And　if　it　does？
  CHREMES
  It　will　be　a　good　riddance。
  CITIZEN　（in　an　incredulous　tone）
  You　are　really　bent　on　contributing；　then？
  CHREMES
  'Pon　my　soul；　yes！　Look；　there　are　all　my　neighbours　carrying　in
  all　they　have。
  CITIZEN　（sarcastically）
  Oh　yes；　it's　Antisthenes；　he's　the　type　that　would　contribute！
  He　would　just　as　soon　spend　the　next　month　sitting　on　the　can。
  CHREMES
  The　pest　seize　you！
  CITIZEN
  Will　Callimachus；　the　chorus…master；　contribute　anything？
  CHREMES
  Why；　more　than　Callias！
  CITIZEN
  The　man　must　want　to　spend　all　his　money！
  CHREMES
  How　you　weary　me！
  CITIZEN
  Ah！　I　weary　you？　But；　wretch；　see　what　comes　of　decrees　of　this
  kind。　Don't　you　remember　the　one　reducing　the　price　of　salt？
  CHREMES
  Why；　certainly　I　do。
  CITIZEN
  And　do　you　remember　that　about　the　copper　coinage？
  CHREMES
  Ah！　that　cursed　money　did　me　enough　harm。　I　had　sold　my　grapes　and
  had　my　mouth　stuffed　with　pieces　of　copper；　indeed　I　was　going　to
  the　market　to　buy　flour；　and　was　in　the　act　of　holding　out　my　bag　wide
  open；　when　the　herald　started　shouting；　〃Let　none　in　future　accept
  pieces　of　copper；　those　of　silver　are　alone　current。〃
  CITIZEN
  And　quite　lately；　were　we　not　all　swearing　that　the　impost　of
  one…fortieth；　which　Euripides　had　conceived；　would　bring　five
  hundred　talents　to　the　state；　and　everyone　was　vaunting　Euripides　to
  the　skies？　But　when　the　thing　was　looked　at　closely；　it　was　seen
  that　this　fine　decree　was　mere　moonshine　and　would　produce　nothing；
  and　you　would　have　willingly　burnt　this　very　same　Euripides　alive。
  CHREMES
  The　cases　are　quite　different；　my　good　fellow。　We　were　the
  rulers　then；　but　now　it's　the　women。
  CITIZEN
  Whom；　by　Posidon；　I　will　never　allow　to　piss　on　my　nose。
  CHREMES
  I　don't　know　what　the　devil　you're　chattering　about。　Slave；　pick
  up　that　bundle。
  HERALD　（a　woman）
  Let　all　citizens　come；　let　them　hasten　at　our　leader's　bidding！　It
  is　the　new　law。　The　lot　will　teach　each　citizen　where　he　is　to　dine；
  the　tables　are　already　laid　and　loaded　with　the　most　exquisite　dishes；
  the　couches　are　covered　with　the　softest　of　cushions；　the　wine　and
  water　are　already　being　mixed　in　the　ewers；　the　slaves　are　standing　in
  a　row　and　waiting　to　pour　scent　over　the　guests；　the　fish　is　being
  grilled；　the　hares　are　on　the　spit　and　the　cakes　are　being　kneaded；
  chaplets　are　being　plaited　and　the　fritters　are　frying；　the　youngest
  women　are　watching　the　pea…soup　in　the　saucepans；　and　in　the　midst
  of　them　all　stands　Smoeus；　dressed　as　a　knight；　washing　the
  crockery。　And　Geron　has　come；　dressed　in　a　grand　tunic　and　finely
  shod；　he　is　joking　with　another　young　fellow　and　has　already
  divested　himself　of　his　heavy　shoes　and　his　c