Book 6
98
And why need I quote in addition to this the passages from the Tagenistæ of the incomparable Aristophanes? And as to the passage in the Acharnenses, you are all of you full of it. And when I have just repeated the passage out of the Thurio-Persse of Metagenes I will say no more, and discard all notice of the Sirens of Nicophon, in which we find the following lines— Let it now snow white cakes of pulse; Let loaves arise like dew; let it rain soup; Let gravy roll down lumps of meat i' the roads, And cheese-cakes beg the wayfarer to eat them. But Metagenes says this— The river Crathis bears down unto us Huge barley-cakes, self-kneaded and self-baked. The other river, called the Sybaris, Rolls on large waves of meat and sausages, And boiled rays all wriggling the same way. And all these lesser streamlets flow along With roasted cuttle-fish, and crabs, and lobsters; And, on the other side, with rich black-puddings And forced-meat stuffings; on the other side Are herbs and lettuces, and fried bits of pastry. Above, fish cut in slices and self-boil'd Rush to the mouth; some fall before one's feet, And dainty cheese-cakes swim around us everywhere. And I know too that the Thurio-Persæ and the play of Nicophon were never exhibited at all; on which account I mentioned them last.
