Dis. Nay, rather, call him yourself; for I have no leisure.[1] [Exit disciple.]
Strep. Socrates! my little Socrates!
Soc. Why callest thou me, thou creature of a day?
Strep. First tell me, I beseech you, what you are doing.
Soc. I am walking in the air,[2] and speculating about the sun.
Strep. And so you look down upon[3] the gods from your basket, and not from the earth? if, indeed, it is so.
Soc. For I should never have rightly discovered things celestial, if I had not suspended the intellect, and mixed the thought in a subtle form with its kindred air. But if, being on the ground, I speculated from below on things above, I should never have discovered them. For[4] the earth forcibly attracts to itself the meditative moisture. Water-cresses also suffer[5] the very same thing.
Strep, What do you say?—Does meditation attract the moisture to the water-cresses? Come then, my little Socrates, descend to me, that you may teach me those things, for the sake of which I have come. [Socrates lowers himself and gets out of the basket.]
Soc. And for what did you come?
Strep. Wishing to learn to speak; for, by reason of usury, and most ill-natured creditors, I am pillaged and plundered, and have my goods seized for debt.
Soc. How did you get in debt without observing it?
Strep. A horse-disease consumed me,—terrible at eating. But teach me the other one of your two causes,[6] that which
- ↑ "Quoniam nunc magister adest, discipulus, cui antea multum erat otii ad nugandum, se occupatum fingit" Wiel.
- ↑ See Süvern's Clouds, p. 6.
- ↑ "So, so! von der Flak' aus denkst du über die Götter weg,
Und nicht von ebner Erde; nicht?" Droysen."Ah, then I see you're basketed so high
That you look down upon the gods—good hope
You'll lower a peg on earth." Cumberland. - ↑ οὐ γὰρ ἀλλὰ = simpl. καὶ γάρ. See Krüger, Gr. Gr. § 67, 14, obs. 2. Viger, p. 462. Cf. Eq. 1205; Ran. 58, 192, 489. Eur. Suppl. 580; Bacch. 784; Iph. T. 1005.
- ↑ "Aristophanes alludit ad consuetudinem Socratis decreta sua exemplis vitæ communis illustrandi." Wiel.
- ↑ "Drum lehre von deinen Redenschaften die zweite mich, Die nichts bezahlende." Droysen.
