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Exit Strepsiades and enter Just Cause and Unjust Cause.
Just Cause.
Come hither! Show yourself to the spectators, although being audacious.
Come hither! Show yourself to the spectators, although being audacious.
Unjust Cause.
Go whither you please; for I shall far rather do for you, if I speak before a crowd.
Go whither you please; for I shall far rather do for you, if I speak before a crowd.
Just Cause.
You destroy me? Who are you?
You destroy me? Who are you?
Unjust Cause.
A cause.
A cause.
Just Cause.
Ay, the worse.
Ay, the worse.
Unjust Cause.
But I conquer you, who say that you are better than I.
But I conquer you, who say that you are better than I.
Just Cause.
By doing what clever trick?
By doing what clever trick?
Unjust Cause.
By discovering new contrivances.
By discovering new contrivances.
Just Cause.
For these innovations flourish by the favour of these silly persons.
For these innovations flourish by the favour of these silly persons.
Unjust Cause.
No; but wise persons.
No; but wise persons.
Just Cause.
I will destroy you miserably.
I will destroy you miserably.
Unjust Cause.
Tell me, by doing what?
900
Tell me, by doing what?
900
Just Cause.
By speaking what is just.
By speaking what is just.
Unjust Cause.
But I will overturn them by contradicting them; for I deny that justice even exists at all.
But I will overturn them by contradicting them; for I deny that justice even exists at all.
Just Cause.
Do you deny that it exists?
Do you deny that it exists?
Unjust Cause.
For come, where is it?
For come, where is it?
Just Cause.
With the gods.
With the gods.
Unjust Cause.
How, then, if justice exists, has Jupiter not perished, who bound his own father?
How, then, if justice exists, has Jupiter not perished, who bound his own father?
Just Cause.
Bah! This profanity now is spreading! Give me a basin.
Bah! This profanity now is spreading! Give me a basin.
Unjust Cause.
You are a dotard and absurd.
You are a dotard and absurd.
Just Cause.
You are debauched and shameless.
You are debauched and shameless.
Unjust Cause.
You have spoken roses of me.
910
You have spoken roses of me.
910
Just Cause.
And a dirty lickspittle.
And a dirty lickspittle.
Unjust Cause.
You crown me with lilies.
You crown me with lilies.
Just Cause.
And a parricide.
And a parricide.
Unjust Cause.
You don’t know that you are sprinkling me with gold.
You don’t know that you are sprinkling me with gold.
Just Cause.
Certainly not so formerly, but with lead.
Certainly not so formerly, but with lead.
Unjust Cause.
But now this is an ornament to me.
But now this is an ornament to me.
Just Cause.
You are very impudent.
915
You are very impudent.
915
Unjust Cause.
And you are antiquated.
And you are antiquated.
Just Cause.
And through you, no one of our youths is willing to go to school; and you will be found out some time or other by the Athenians, what sort of doctrines you teach the simple-minded.
And through you, no one of our youths is willing to go to school; and you will be found out some time or other by the Athenians, what sort of doctrines you teach the simple-minded.
Clouds. Aristophanes. William James Hickie (Translator). London. 1853.
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