MYRRHINA. Where did ye meet with them?

FIRST MAN. They were given to us by an embalmer of the dead who had
found them in a tomb. We served him for seven years.

MYRRHINA. The dead are terrible. I am afraid of Death.

FIRST MAN. Death is not a god. He is only the servant of the gods.

MYRRHINA. He is the only god I am afraid of. Ye have seen many of
the gods?

FIRST MAN. We have seen many of them. One sees them chiefly at
night time. They pass one by very swiftly. Once we saw some of the
gods at daybreak. They were walking across a plain.

MYRRHINA. Once as I was passing through the market place I heard a
sophist from Cilicia say that there is only one God. He said it
before many people.

FIRST MAN. That cannot be true. We have ourselves seen many,
though we are but common men and of no account. When I saw them I
hid myself in a bush. They did me no harm.

* * * * *

MYRRHINA. Tell me more about the beautiful young hermit. Talk to
me about the beautiful young hermit who will not look on the face of
woman. What is the story of his days? What mode of life has he?