Dic. Perhaps—
But here's the scene-shifter can wheel you round.
Eur. It cannot be.
Dic. But, however, notwithstanding.
Eur. Well, there then, I'm wheeled round; for I had not time
For coming down.
Dic. Euripides, I say!
Eur. What say ye?
Dic. Euripides! Euripides!
Good lawk, you're there! up-stairs! you write up-stairs,
Instead of the ground-floor? always up-stairs?
Well now, that's odd! But, dear Euripides,
If you had but a suit of rags that you could lend me!
You're he that brings out cripples in your tragedies,
A'nt ye?[1] You're the new Poet, he that writes
Those characters of beggars and blind people?
Well, dear Euripides, if could you but lend me
A suit of tatters from a cast-off tragedy;
For mercy's sake, for I'm obliged to make
A speech in my own defence before the Chorus,
A long pathetic speech, this very day;
And if it fails, the doom of death betides me.
Eur. Say, what d'ye seek? is it the woful garb
In which the wretched aged Æneus acted?
Dic. No, 'twas a wretcheder man than Æneus, much.
Eur. Was it blind Phœnix?
Dic. No, not Phœnix; no,
A fellow a great deal wretcheder than Phœnix."—(F.)
After some further suggestions on the part of Euripides of other tragic characters, whose piteous
- ↑ Telephus, Philoctetes, Bellerophon, and probably other tragedy heroes, were all represented by Euripides as lame. But no one could possibly have made greater capital out of the physical sufferings of Philoctetes from his lame foot than the author's favourite Sophocles.
