complaining of age, and the long time of life: but if death come near, not one is willing to die, and old age is no longer burdensome to them.[36] CHOR. Desist, for the present calamity is sufficient; and do not, O son, provoke thy father's mind. PHE. O son, whom dost thou presume thou art gibing with thy reproaches, a Lydian or a Phrygian bought with thy money?[37] Knowest thou not that I am a Thessalian, and born from a Thessalian father, truly free? Thou art too insolent, and casting the impetuous words of youth against us, shalt not having cast them thus depart. But I begat thee the lord of my house, and brought thee up, but I am not thy debtor to die for thee; for I received no paternal law like this, nor Grecian law, that fathers should die for their children; for for thyself thou wert born, whether unfortunate or fortunate, but what from us thou oughtest to have, thou hast. Thou rulest indeed over many, and I will leave thee a large demesne of lands, for these I received from my father. In what then have I injured thee? Of what do I deprive thee? Thou joyest to see the light, and dost think thy father does not joy?[38] Surely I count the time we must spend beneath long, and life is short, but still sweet. Thou too didst shamelessly fight off from dying, and livest, having passed over thy destined fate, by slaying her; then dost thou talk of my nothingness of soul, O most vile one, when thou art surpassed by a woman who died for thee, the handsome youth? But thou hast made a clever discovery, so that thou mayst never die, if thou wilt persuade the wife that is thine from time to time to die for thee: and then reproachest thou thy friends who are not willing to do this, thyself being a coward? Hold thy peace, and consider, if thou lovest thy life, that all love theirs; but if thou shalt speak evil against us, thou shalt hear many reproaches and not false ones. CHOR. Too many evil things have been spoken both now and before, but cease, old man, from reviling thy son. ADM. Speak, for I have spoken; but if thou art grieved at hearing the truth, thou shouldst not err against me. PHE. But had I died for thee, I had erred more. ADM. What? is it the same thing for a man in his prime, and for an old man to die? PHE. We ought to live with one life, not with two. ADM. Mayst thou then live a longer time than Jove! PHE. Dost curse thy parents, having met with no injustice? ADM. _I said it_, for I perceived thou lovedst a long life. PHE. But art not thou bearing forth this corse instead of thyself? ADM. A proof this, O most vile one, of thy nothingness of soul. PHE. She died not by us at least; thou wilt not say this. ADM. Alas! Oh that you may ever come to need my aid! PHE. Wed many wives, that more may die. ADM. This is a reproach to thyself, for thou wert not willing to die. PHE. Sweet is this light of the God, sweet is it. ADM. Base is thy spirit and not that of men. PHE. Thou dost not laugh as carrying an aged corse.