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SPEUSIPPUS。 And you mean to imply
CALLIDEMUS。 Not I。 You are a Pericles in embryo； doubtless。 Well：
and when are you to make your first speech？ O Pallas！
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SPEUSIPPUS。 I thought of speaking； the other day； on the Sicilian
expedition； but Nicias （See Thucydides； vi。 8。） got up before me。
CALLIDEMUS。 Nicias； poor honest man； might just as well have sate
still； his speaking did but little good。 The loss of your oration is；
doubtless； an irreparable public calamity。
SPEUSIPPUS。 Why； not so； I intend to introduce it at the next
assembly； it will suit any subject。
CALLIDEMUS。 That is to say； it will suit none。 But pray； if it be not
too presumptuous a request； indulge me with a specimen。
SPEUSIPPUS。 Well； suppose the agora crowded；an important
subject under discussion；an ambassador from Argos； or from the great
king； the tributes from the islands；an impeachment；in short； anything
you please。 The crier makes proclamation。〃Any citizen above fifty
years old may speakany citizen not disqualified may speak。〃 Then I
rise：a great murmur of curiosity while I am mounting the stand。
CALLIDEMUS。 Of curiosity！ yes； and of something else too。 You
will infallibly be dragged down by main force； like poor Glaucon （See
Xenophon Memorabilia； iii。） last year。
SPEUSIPPUS。 Never fear。 I shall begin in this style： 〃When I
consider； Athenians； the importance of our city；when I consider the
extent of its power； the wisdom of its laws； the elegance of its
decorations；when I consider by what names and by what exploits its
annals are adorned； when I think on Harmodius and Aristogiton； on
Themistocles and Miltiades； on Cimon and Pericles；when I contemplate
our pre…eminence in arts and letters；when I observe so many flourishing
states and islands compelled to own the dominion； and purchase the
protection of the City of the Violet Crown〃 （A favourite epithet of Athens。
See Aristophanes； Acharn。 637。）
CALLIDEMUS。 I shall choke with rage。 Oh； all ye gods and
goddesses； what sacrilege； what perjury have I ever committed； that I
should be singled out from among all the citizens of Athens to be the
father of this fool？
SPEUSIPPUS。 What now？ By Bacchus； old man； I would not advise
you to give way to such fits of passion in the streets。 If Aristophanes
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were to see you； you would infallibly be in a comedy next spring。
CALLIDEMUS。 You have more reason to fear Aristophanes than any
fool living。 Oh； that he could but hear you trying to imitate the slang of
Straton （See Aristophanes； Equites； 1375。） and the lisp of Alcibiades！
（See Aristophanes； Vespae； 44。） You would be an inexhaustible subject。
You would console him for the loss of Cleon。
SPEUSIPPUS。 No； no。 I may perhaps figure at the dramatic
representations before long； but in a very different way。
CALLIDEMUS。 What do you mean？
SPEUSIPPUS。 What say you to a tragedy？
CALLIDEMUS。 A tragedy of yours？
SPEUSIPPUS。 Even so。
CALLIDEMUS。 Oh Hercules！ Oh Bacchus！ This is too much。
Here is an universal genius； sophist；orator；poet。 To what a three…
headed monster have I given birth！ a perfect Cerberus of intellect！ And
pray what may your piece be about？ Or will your tragedy； like your
speech； serve equally for any subject？
SPEUSIPPUS。 I thought of several plots；Oedipus；Eteocles and
Polynices； the war of Troy；the murder of Agamemnon。
CALLIDEMUS。 And what have you chosen？
SPEUSIPPUS。 You know there is a law which permits any modern
poet to retouch a play of Aeschylus； and bring it forward as his own
composition。 And； as there is an absurd prejudice； among the vulgar； in
favour of his extravagant pieces； I have selected one of them； and altered
it。
CALLIDEMUS。 Which of them？
SPEUSIPPUS。 Oh！ that mass of barbarous absurdities； the Prometheus。
But I have framed it anew upon the model of Euripides。 By Bacchus； I
shall make Sophocles and Agathon look about them。 You would not
know the play again。
CALLIDEMUS。 By Jupiter； I believe not。
SPEUSIPPUS。 I have omitted the whole of the absurd dialogue
between Vulcan and Strength； at the beginning。
CALLIDEMUS。 That may be； on the whole； an improvement。 The
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play will then open with that grand soliloquy of Prometheus； when he is
chained to the rock。
〃Oh！ ye eternal heavens！ ye rushing winds！ Ye fountains of great
streams！ Ye ocean waves； That in ten thousand sparkling dimples
wreathe Your azure smiles！ All…generating earth！ All…seeing sun！ On
you； on you； I call。〃 （See Aeschylus； Prometheus； 88。）
Well； I allow that will be striking； I did not think you capable of that
idea。 Why do you laugh？
SPEUSIPPUS。 Do you seriously suppose that one who has studied the
plays of that great man； Euripides； would ever begin a tragedy in such a
ranting style？
CALLIDEMUS。 What； does not your play open with the speech of
Prometheus？
SPEUSIPPUS。 No doubt。
CALLIDEMUS。 Then what； in the name of Bacchus； do you make
him say？
SPEUSIPPUS。 You shall hear； and； if it be not in the very style of
Euripides； call me a fool。
CALLIDEMUS。 That is a liberty which I shall venture to take；
whether it be or no。 But go on。
SPEUSIPPUS。 Prometheus begins thus：
〃Coelus begat Saturn and Briareus Cottus and Creius and Iapetus；
Gyges and Hyperion； Phoebe； Tethys； Thea and Rhea and Mnemosyne。
Then Saturn wedded Rhea； and begat Pluto and Neptune； Jupiter and
Juno。〃
CALLIDEMUS。 Very beautiful； and very natural； and； as you say； very
like Euripides。
SPEUSIPPUS。 You are sneering。 Really； father； you do not
understand these things。 You had not those advantages in your youth
CALLIDEMUS。 Which I have been fool enough to let you have。 No；
in my early days； lying had not been dignified into a science； nor politics
degraded into a trade。 I wrestled； and read Homer's battles； instead of
dressing my hair； and reciting lectures in verse out of Euripides。 But I
have some notion of what a play should be； I have seen Phrynichus； and
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lived with Aeschylus。 I saw the representation of the Persians。
SPEUSIPPUS。 A wretched play； it may amuse the fools who row the
triremes； but it is utterly unworthy to be read by any man of taste。
CALLIDEMUS。 If you had seen it acted；the whole theatre frantic
with joy； stamping； shouting； laughing； crying。 There was Cynaegeirus；
the brother of Aeschylus； who lost both his arms at Marathon； beating the
stumps against his sides with rapture。 When the crowd remarked him
But where are you going？
SPEUSIPPUS。 To sup with Alcibiades； he sails with the expedition for
Sicily in a few days； this is his farewell entertainment。
CALLIDEMUS。 So much the better； I should say； so much the worse。
That cursed Sicilian expedition！ And you were one of the young fools
（See Thucydides； vi。 13。） who stood clapping and shouting while he was
gulling the rabble； and who drowned poor Nicias's voice with your uproar。
Look to it； a day of reckoning will come