LYSISTRATA. Forward, my gallant companions; march forth, ye vendors of grain and eggs, garlic and vegetables, keepers of taverns and bakeries, wrench and strike and tear; come, a torrent of invective and insult! (_They beat the officers._) Enough, enough! now retire, never rob the vanquished! MAGISTRATE. Here's a fine exploit for my officers! LYSISTRATA. Ah, ha! so you thought you had only to do with a set of slave-women! you did not know the ardour that fills the bosom of free-born dames. MAGISTRATE. Ardour! yes, by Apollo, ardour enough--especially for the wine-cup! CHORUS OF OLD MEN. Sir, sir! what use of words? they are of no avail with wild beasts of this sort. Don't you know how they have just washed us down--and with no very fragrant soap! CHORUS OF WOMEN. What would you have? You should never have laid rash hands on us. If you start afresh, I'll knock your eyes out. My delight is to stay at home as coy as a young maid, without hurting anybody or moving any more than a milestone; but 'ware the wasps, if you go stirring up the wasps' nest! CHORUS OF OLD MEN. Ah! great gods! how get the better of these ferocious creatures? 'tis past all bearing! But come, let us try to find out the reason of the dreadful scourge. With what end in view have they seized the citadel of Cranaus,[425] the sacred shrine that is raised upon the inaccessible rock of the Acropolis? Question them; be cautious and not too credulous. 'Twould be culpable negligence not to pierce the mystery, if we may. MAGISTRATE (_addressing the women_). I would ask you first why ye have barred our gates. LYSISTRATA. To seize the treasury; no more money, no more war. MAGISTRATE. Then money is the cause of the War? LYSISTRATA. And of all our troubles. 'Twas to find occasion to steal that Pisander[426] and all the other agitators were for ever raising revolutions. Well and good! but they'll never get another drachma here. MAGISTRATE. What do you propose to do then, pray? LYSISTRATA. You ask me that! Why, we propose to administer the treasury ourselves. MAGISTRATE. _You_ do? LYSISTRATA. What is there in that to surprise you? Do we not administer the budget of household expenses? MAGISTRATE. But that is not the same thing. LYSISTRATA How so--not the same thing? MAGISTRATE. It is the treasury supplies the expenses of the War. LYSISTRATA. That's our first principle--no War! MAGISTRATE. What! and the safety of the city? LYSISTRATA. We will provide for that. MAGISTRATE You? LYSISTRATA Yes, just we. MAGISTRATE. What a sorry business! LYSISTRATA. Yes, we're going to save you, whether you will or no. MAGISTRATE. Oh! the impudence of the creatures! LYSISTRATA. You seem annoyed! but there, you've got to come to it. MAGISTRATE. But 'tis the very height of iniquity! LYSISTRATA. We're going to save you, my man. MAGISTRATE. But if I don't want to be saved? LYSISTRATA. Why, all the more reason!