THE KNIGHTS. 43

bellowed to the magistrate to dismiss the Senate, and
leapt over the railings. But meanwhile I got down
to the market and bought up all the fennel, and gave
it to them for sauce, when they were at their wits’
end where to find any. How much they'made of
me, to be sure! I bought the whole Senate, you
may believe me, for three ha’porth of fennel!”

His backers, delighted at the story, greeted him
with a song of triumph: —

“You have managed our task on an excellent plan,

You certainly are a most fortunate man;

Soon the villain shall meet

A more excellent cheat,

Of devices more various,

Of tricks more nefarious.
But gird up your loins for another endeavour,
And be sure you will find us as faithful as ever.”

And, indeed, the man had need of all his courage ;
for the next moment Bluster arrived, furious at his
defeat, and swelling, as his adversaries said, like a
wave of the sea. “Ah!” he cried, “you contrived
to get the better of me in the Senate; but come
along to the Assembly, and you shall see. — Pray come
‘out, my dear Demos,” he went on, for they were just
in front of Demos’s house; “pray come out for a
moment.” The sausage-seller joined in, “Yes, father,
come out by all means.” — “Come, dearest Demos,”
said Bluster, “come and see how they are insulting
me.”