To Nephelococcugia.
Peis. A Commissioner!
What brings you here?
Com. A paltry scrap of paper.
A trifling, silly decree, that sent me away
Here to this place of yours.
Peis. Well now! suppose,
To make things easy on both sides—could not you
Just take your salary at once; and so return,
Without any further trouble?1025
Com. Truly, yes,
I've other affairs at home: a speech and a motion,
That I meant to have made in the general assembly,
About a business, that I took in hand,
On the part of my friend Pharnaces, the satrap.
Peis. Agreed then, and farewell. Here, take your salary.
Com. What's here?
[Peisthetairus has held out his left hand as if with an offer of money, he grasps the right hand of the Commissioner, and with this advantage proceeds to buffet him.
Peis. A motion on the part of Pharnaces!1030
Com. Bear witness here! I'm beaten and abused
In my character of Commissioner! [Exit Com.
Peis. Get out!
With your balloting-box and all. It's quite a shame,
Quite scandalous! They send commissioners here[1]
Before we've finished our first sacrifice.
Enter a Hawker with copies of new laws relating to the colony, which he has brought out with him for sale. Like all itinerant vendors of literature, he is trying to attract purchasers by reciting and bawling out select passages from the papers in his hand. The sale of them is his only object; and he is quite unconscious that the specimen which he recites is applicable to an incident which has just occurred. He enters on the opposite side with the monotonous chant of a vendor of a last dying speech, confronting Peisthetairus, who is returning after having driven out the Commissioner.
- ↑ Peisthetairus, in expectation of the Commissioner's return, is working himself into a proper state of wrath in order to be ready for him. Mere gratuitous complaint would not be suitable to his character.
