CHREMYLUS. Not at all, poor fool! But, thanks to me, worthy folk, intelligent and moderate men alone shall be rich henceforth. BLEPSIDEMUS. What are you saying? Have you then stolen so much as all that? CHREMYLUS. Oh! your insults will be the death of me. BLEPSIDEMUS. 'Tis rather you yourself who are courting death. CHREMYLUS. Not so, you wretch, since I have Plutus. BLEPSIDEMUS. You have Plutus? Which one? CHREMYLUS. The god himself. BLEPSIDEMUS. And where is he? CHREMYLUS. There. BLEPSIDEMUS. Where? CHREMYLUS. Indoors. BLEPSIDEMUS. Indoors? CHREMYLUS. Aye, certainly. BLEPSIDEMUS. Get you gone! Plutus in your house? CHREMYLUS. Yes, by the gods! BLEPSIDEMUS. Are you telling me the truth? CHREMYLUS. I am. BLEPSIDEMUS. Swear it by Hestia. CHREMYLUS. I swear it by Posidon. BLEPSIDEMUS. The god of the sea? CHREMYLUS. Aye, and by all the other Posidons, if such there be. BLEPSIDEMUS. And you don't send him to us, to your friends? CHREMYLUS. We've not got to that point yet. BLEPSIDEMUS. What do you say? Is there no chance of sharing? CHREMYLUS. Why, no. We must first ... BLEPSIDEMUS. Do what? CHREMYLUS. ... restore him his sight. BLEPSIDEMUS. Restore whom his sight? Speak! CHREMYLUS. Plutus. It must be done, no matter how. BLEPSIDEMUS. Is he then really blind? CHREMYLUS. Yes, undoubtedly. BLEPSIDEMUS. I am no longer surprised he never came to me. CHREMYLUS. And it please the gods, he'll come there now. BLEPSIDEMUS. Must we not go and seek a physician? CHREMYLUS. Seek physicians at Athens? Nay! there's no art where there's no fee.[768] BLEPSIDEMUS. Let's bethink ourselves well. CHREMYLUS. There is not one. BLEPSIDEMUS. 'Tis a positive fact, I don't know of one. CHREMYLUS. But I have thought the matter well over, and the best thing is to make Plutus lie in the Temple of Aesculapius.[769] BLEPSIDEMUS. Aye, unquestionably 'tis the very best thing. Be quick and lead him away to the Temple. CHREMYLUS. I am going there. BLEPSIDEMUS. Then hurry yourself. CHREMYLUS. 'Tis just what I am doing. POVERTY. Unwise, perverse, unholy men! What are you daring to do, you pitiful, wretched mortals? Whither are you flying? Stop! I command it! BLEPSIDEMUS. Oh! great gods! POVERTY. My arm shall destroy you, you infamous beings! Such an attempt is not to be borne; neither man nor god has ever dared the like. You shall die! CHREMYLUS. And who are you? Oh! what a ghastly pallor! BLEPSIDEMUS. 'Tis perchance some Erinnys, some Fury, from the theatre;[770] there's a kind of wild tragedy look in her eyes. CHREMYLUS. But she has no torch. BLEPSIDEMUS. Let's knock her down! POVERTY. Who do you think I am? CHREMYLUS. Some wine-shop keeper or egg-woman. Otherwise you would not have shrieked so loud at us, who have done nothing to you. POVERTY. Indeed? And have you not done me the most deadly injury by seeking to banish me from every country?