inventive genius in this direction.

In the "Three Coins," Charmides asks the sharper's name.

_Sh._ You demand an arduous task.

_Charmides._ How so?

_Sh._ Because if you were to begin before daylight at the first
part of my name 'twould be dead of night before you could reach the
end of it. I have another somewhat less, about the size of a wine
cask.

In the "Persian," Toxilus gives his name as follows,

"Vaniloquidorus Virginisvendonides
Nugipolyloquides Argentiexterebronides
Tedigniloquides Nummorumexpalponides
Quodsemelarripides
Nunquamposteareddides."

There are a few other cases in which there is a playing upon sound, as
where Demipho remarks that if he had such a good-looking girl as
Pasicompsa for a servant, all the people would be "staring, gazing,
nodding, winking, hissing, twitching, crying, annoying, and serenading."

The failings of the fair seems always to have been a favourite subject
for men's attack, but reflections of this kind have decreased in number
and acerbity since the days of Aristophanes. We find, however, some in
Plautus, such as the following:--