PHILOCLEON. Ho! ho! summon me! what old women's babble! Know that I can no longer bear to hear even the name of suits. Ha! ha! ha! this is what pleases _me_, "Down with the urns!" Won't you begone? Down with the dicasts! away with them, away with them! (_To the flute-girl._) Mount up there, my little gilded cock-chafer; seize hold of this rope's end in your hand.[152] Hold it tight, but have a care; the rope's a bit old and worn, but it loves a nice rubbing still. Do you see how opportunely I got you away from the solicitations of those fellows, who wanted to make you work their tools in your mouth? You therefore owe me this return to gratify mine by masturbating it. But will you pay the debt? Oh! I know well you will not even try; you will play with me, you will laugh heartily at my poor old weapon as you have done at many another man's. And yet, if you would not be a naughty girl, I would redeem you, when my son is dead, and you should be my concubine, my little cuntling. At present I am not my own master; I am very young and am watched very closely. My dear son never lets me out of his sight; 'tis an unbearable creature, who would quarter a thread and skin a flint; he is afraid I should get lost, for I am his only father. But here he comes running towards us. But be quick, don't stir, hold these torches. I am going to play him a young man's trick, the same as he played me before I was initiated into the mysteries. BDELYCLEON. Oh! oh! you debauched old dotard! you desire and, meseems, you love pretty baggages; but, by Apollo, it shall not be with impunity! PHILOCLEON. Ah! you would be very glad to eat a lawsuit in vinegar, you would. BDELYCLEON. 'Tis a rascally trick to steal the flute-girl away from the other guests. PHILOCLEON. What flute-girl? Are you distraught, as if you had just returned from Pluto? BDELYCLEON. By Zeus! But here is the Dardanian wench in person.[153] PHILOCLEON. Nonsense. This is a torch that I have lit in the public square in honour of the gods. BDELYCLEON. Is this a torch? PHILOCLEON. A torch? Certainly. Do you not see it is of several different colours? BDELYCLEON. And what is that black part in the middle?[154] PHILOCLEON. 'Tis the pitch running out while it burns. BDELYCLEON. And there, on the other side, surely that is a girl's bottom? PHILOCLEON. No. 'Tis a small bit of the torch, that projects. BDELYCLEON. What do you mean? what bit? Hi! you woman! come here! PHILOCLEON. Ah! ah! What do you want to do? BDELYCLEON. To take her from you and lead her away. You are too much worn out and can do nothing. PHILOCLEON. Hear me! One day, at Olympia, I saw Euphudion boxing bravely against Ascondas;[155] he was already aged, and yet with a blow from his fist he knocked down his young opponent. So beware lest I blacken _your_ eyes. BDELYCLEON. By Zeus! you have Olympia at your finger-ends!