Io ARISTOPHANES.

men, the men who really keep us safe? What do
they get? Two shillings! What an iniquity! Yes,
and one of the scoundrels has stolen my garlic. Ho
there, you magistrate, are you going to see a citizen
robbed before your eyes? Well, if you won't listen,
I will put a stop to this. I protest against going on
with business. I felt a drop of rain.” !

Hereupon the herald proclaimed, “ The Thracians
must attend again on the first of next month. The
Assembly is adjourned.”

“That is all right,” said Honesty, “but I have lost
my luncheon all the same. However, here comes my
friend Demigod back. Welcome, Demigod!”

“Tt’s a very poor welcome that I’ve had,” said the
man, who was panting for breath. “As I was coming
along, some wild fellows—charcoal-burners they
seemed to be—smelt out the treaties of peace.
‘What!’ they cried, ‘you bring treaties of peace,
when our vines are cut down to the ground! Stone
him! Down with him!’ And they filled their pock-
ets with stones and ran howling after me.”

flon. “Let them howl. Have you brought the
treaties?”

“Yes, indeed,” said Demigod, producing three
wine-skins, ‘I have three samples of them. Here is
a five years’ specimen; what do you think of it?”

1 This was the Greek form of parliamentary obstruction. The As-
sembly had to be adjourned for bad weather; that it had to be done if
a single member declared that he felt a drop of rain is doubtless an
exaggeration.