_ THE FROGS. 183

42, “Oh! easily enough; blow and blow about.”

The first blow was dealt to Xanthias, and received
without a sign.

“T have struck you,” said AZacus. — “ No; did you,
really?” replied the man.
_ The next came to Bacchus. — “When are you
going to begin?” said the god, after the stroke had
been administered. So it went on. The lashes
extorted, indeed, an exclamation or other sign of
pain, but the sufferers always contrived to account
for them. If Bacchus, for instance, was seen to
have tears in his eyes after a sharp stroke, “It.was
the smell of “onions,” he said. After another, he
cried, “Apollo!” but the next moment went on
as if he were repeating a favourite passage : —

“ Apollo, whether on the Delphian steep
Thou dwellest, or in Delos...”

At last Zacus gave itup. “I can’t find out,” he
cried, “ which of you is the real god. You must go
into the palace. My master and Persephone will
know, for they are gods themselves.”

“Quite right,” said re “but I wish you had
thought of it a little sooner.’

Pluto and his queen were found to epacees the
necessary power of distinguishing the ‘god from the
slave. As they also satisfied themselves that it was
not the real Hercules that had come down to Hades,
the proceedings about the carrying off of Cerberus