Parodos
[Lyric-Scene]
Why, is any day old and new?
Strepsiades.
Yes; on which they say that they will make their deposits against me.
1180
Phidippides.
Then those that have made them will lose them; for it is not possible that two days can be one day.
Phidippides.
Certainly not; unless the same woman can be both old and young at the same time.
Strepsiades.
And yet it is the law.
1185
Phidippides.
For they do not, I think, rightly understand what the law means.
1185
Strepsiades.
And what does it mean?
Phidippides.
The ancient Solon was by nature the commons’ friend.
Strepsiades.
This surely is nothing whatever to the Old and New.
Phidippides.
He therefore made the summons for two days, for the Old and New, that the deposits might be made on the first of the month.
Strepsiades.
Why, pray, did he add the old day?
Phidippides.
In order, my good sir, that the defendants, being present a day before, might compromise the matter of their own accord; but if not,
that they might be worried on the morning of the new moon.
1195
Strepsiades.
Why, then, do the magistrates not receive the deposits on the new moon, but on the Old and New?
Phidippides.
They seem to me to do what the forestallers do: in order that they may appreciate the deposits as soon as possible, on this account they have the first pick by one day.
Strepsiades.
Bravo! Ye wretches, why do you sit senseless, the gain of us wise men, being blocks, ciphers, mere sheep, jars heaped together, wherefore I must sing an encomium upon myself and this my son,
on account of our good fortune.
1205
O happy Strepsiades! How wise you are yourself, and how excellent is the son whom you are rearing!" My friends
and fellow-tribesmen will say of me, envying me, when you prove victorious in arguing causes. But first I wish to lead you in and entertain you.
1210
Pasias.
Then, ought a man to throw away any part of his own property?
Never! But it were better then at once to put away blushes, rather than now to have trouble; since I am now dragging you to be a witness, for the sake of my own money; and further, in addition to this, I shall become an enemy to my fellow-tribesman.
1215
But never, while I live, will I disgrace my country, but will summon Strepsiades.
1220
Strepsiades.
Who’s there?
Pasias.
For the Old and New.
Strepsiades.
I call you to witness, that he has named it for two days. For what matter do you summon me?
Pasias.
For the twelve minae, which you received when you were buying the dapple-gray horse.
Strepsiades.
A horse? Do you not hear? I, whom you all know to hate horsemanship!
1225
Pasias.
And, by Jupiter! You swore by the gods too, that you would repay it.
Strepsiades.
Ay, by Jove! For then my Phidippides did not yet know the irrefragable argument.
