_Pro._ But the rocks, sir, are mainly constructed of stone, upon which if a wooden-constructed ship be driven, there’s no man that would not pay his fortune down to set one foot on the most quakeful or boggy ground ’twixt Ganges and Gades. And there be monsters, too, which, though I have never seen them, will swallow, they say, your whole ship at a gulp, as you do your wine. (_The house trembles, some jars fall: all run to centre._) _Se^{o.}_ There ’tis again! Oh! oh! (_A great crash heard._) _Mar._ Belay there! _Se^{o.}_ Oh! oh! ye gods in heaven! _1st Off._ Steady, my men, steady! _Mar._ Ay, ay, sir. _1st Off._ Order! To your seats! _Ep._ Sit and drink, gentlemen. Wine shall be cheap to-day. The life in the earth will crack my jars. A few more rumbles like that will drain the cellars. _1st Off._ (_to men_). We’re safe here as anywhere, lads; if you keep an eye to the main-walls. It’s all plasterwork aloft. _Enter Clitus._ _CLITUS._ Epicharis! Art thou here, Epicharis? 225 _Pro._ (_to Epicharis_). Who is this scared fellow? _Cli._ Epicharis, ’tis come: the day is come! Fly from this place! _Ep._ (_to Proc._). ’Tis my poor brother, sir: heed him not; he is simple. _Cli._ (_come to Epi._). Seest thou not, ’tis the end, the day of wrath? The earth shakes and the dead rise from their tombs. _Pro._ (_to 1st Off._). By Pluto, if he be not one of them! _Ep._ (_to Clit._). Sit down quietly, Clitus, for a minute: I can speak with you presently. _Cli._ O Madness! Come from this hell: fly while thou mayst! _Mar._ Ay, sit, mate, sit! be not afeard! sit with us! _Cli._ Woe to you, slaves of Babylon! woe cometh To the queen that sits upon the seven hills. _1st Mar._ That is Rome: the seven hills is Rome. What of Babylon? _Cli._ Rome shall be burned with fire, Babylon burned, Her smoke shall curl to heaven. _Enter Gripus, out of breath._ _GRIPUS._ Gone, she’s gone down! _Pro._ What’s gone, man? _Gri._ The theater; foundered, sir, gone clean down. I had just got well clear of her, when she gave a lurch, and plumped under starn-foremost in a cloud of dust. _Cli._ (_to Epic._). Come, come, Epicharis, I pray thee! _Se^{o.}_ Is this the gods, or is it not the gods? (_drinks._) _Pro._ That was the crash. 252 _Cli._ (_dragging at Epic._). Thou shalt, thou must. _Ep._ (_freeing herself_). One moment, Clitus, please! _Gri._ (_to Proc._). I ran to know, my lord, if you’ll have the boats. _Ep._ Were any killed, Gripus? tell us. _Gri._ ’Twas a wonder; all the folk had just left her, I near the last; I felt dizzy-like, and saw the street seem anyhow: then I looked at the theater, and she was full of crinks and chinks, when down she went all to pieces. A little sooner and we had been buried alive. _1st Off._ Emperor and all. _Se^{o.}_ O ye gods! (_drinking_) I drink to thee, old dustman (_to Gripus_).