THE ACHARNIANS. 17

have any trade with Athens.’ Our neighbours, being
half starved, go to the Spartans and ask them to
intercede. The Spartans beg us to repeal these
decrees. Once, twice, thrice they ask, and we refuse.
Then they go to war. But say, were these poor
people so very wrong after all? Suppose the Spar-
tans had manned a boat, and stolen a puppy-dog
from one of the islands, would you have sat quietly
down under the insult? Not so; you would have
launched three hundred ships, and all the city would
have been in an uproar with troops marching and
crews clamouring for pay and rations, and we should
have had newly gilt statues of the goddess carried
about the street, and wineskins, and strings of onions
and garlic in nets, and singing girls, and bloody
noses. No, no; they only did just what we should
have done.”

Honesty’s eloquence converted half his enemies;
the other half called the darling of the war party,
General Dobattle, to their aid. He came at once, in
full armour, wearing a helmet with an enormously
large crest, and declaiming in pompous tones,

“Whence falls this sound of battle on mine ear?
Who needs my help? The great Dobattle’s here!
Whose summons bids me to the field repair?

Who wakes my slumbering Gorgon from her lair?”

“Dear me!” cried Honesty, pretending to be
frightened ; “what an awful plume! What kind of