II
Before
Pluto
:
Croesus
,
Midas
, and
Sardanapalus
against
Menippus
Croesus
Pluto, we can stand this snarling Cynic no longer in our neighbourhood; either you must transfer him to other quarters, or we are going to migrate,
Pluto, we can stand this snarling Cynic no longer in our neighbourhood; either you must transfer him to other quarters, or we are going to migrate,
Pluto
Why, what harm does he do to your ghostly community?
Why, what harm does he do to your ghostly community?
Croesus
Midas here, and Sardanapalus and I, can never get in a good cry over the old days of gold and luxury and treasure, but he must be laughing at us, and calling us rude names; ‘slaves’ and ‘garbage,’ he says we are. And then he sings; and that throws us out.—In short, he is a nuisance,
Midas here, and Sardanapalus and I, can never get in a good cry over the old days of gold and luxury and treasure, but he must be laughing at us, and calling us rude names; ‘slaves’ and ‘garbage,’ he says we are. And then he sings; and that throws us out.—In short, he is a nuisance,
Pluto
Menippus, what’s this I hear?
Menippus, what’s this I hear?
Menippus
All perfectly true, Pluto. I detest these abject rascals! Not content with having lived the abominable lives they did, they keep on talking about it now they are dead, and harping on the good old days. I take a positive pleasure in annoying them,
All perfectly true, Pluto. I detest these abject rascals! Not content with having lived the abominable lives they did, they keep on talking about it now they are dead, and harping on the good old days. I take a positive pleasure in annoying them,
Pluto
Yes, but you mustn’t. They have had terrible losses; they feel it deeply.
Yes, but you mustn’t. They have had terrible losses; they feel it deeply.
Menippus
Pluto! you are not going to lend your countenance to these whimpering fools?
Pluto! you are not going to lend your countenance to these whimpering fools?
Pluto
It isn’t that; but I won’t have you quarrelling.
It isn’t that; but I won’t have you quarrelling.
Menippus
Well, you scum of your respective nations, let there be no misunderstanding: I am going on just the same. Wherever you are, there shall I be also; worrying, jeering, singing you down.
Well, you scum of your respective nations, let there be no misunderstanding: I am going on just the same. Wherever you are, there shall I be also; worrying, jeering, singing you down.
Croesus
Presumption!
Presumption!
Menippus
Not a bit of it. Yours was the presumption, when you expected men to fall down before you, when you trampled on men’s liberty, and forgot there was such a thing as death. Now comes the weeping and gnashing of teeth: for all is lost!
Not a bit of it. Yours was the presumption, when you expected men to fall down before you, when you trampled on men’s liberty, and forgot there was such a thing as death. Now comes the weeping and gnashing of teeth: for all is lost!
Croesus
Lost! Ah God! My treasure-heapp——
Lost! Ah God! My treasure-heapp——
Midas
My gold——
My gold——
Sardanapalus
My little comforts——
My little comforts——
Menippus
That’s right: stick to it! You do the whining, and I'll chime in with a string of cnotHi-saurons, best of accompaniments,
That’s right: stick to it! You do the whining, and I'll chime in with a string of cnotHi-saurons, best of accompaniments,
Dialogi mortuorum. Lucian. Henry Watson Fowler (Translator), Francis George Fowler (Translator). Medford, MA, USA. 2023-08-01.
Sponsored by Tufts University.
Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.