Ah! God grant we may see the blessed day. I have suffered so much;
have so oft slept with Phormio[1] on hard beds. You will no longer find
me an acid, angry, hard judge as heretofore, but will find me turned
indulgent and grown younger by twenty years through happiness.
We have been killing ourselves long enough, tiring ourselves out
with going to the Lyceum[2] and returning laden with spear and buckler.
--But what can we do to please you? Come, speak; for 'tis a good Fate
that has named you our leader.

f[1] A general of austere habits; he disposed of all his property to pay
the cost of a naval expedition, in which he beat the fleet of the foe off
the promontory of Rhium in 429 B.C.
f[2] The Lyceum was a portico ornamented with paintings and surrounded
with gardens, in which military exercises took place.

TRYGAEUS
How shall we set about removing these stones?

HERMES
Rash reprobate, what do you propose doing?

TRYGAEUS
Nothing bad, as Cillicon said.[1]

f[1] A citizen of Miletus, who betrayed his country to the people of Pirene.
When asked what he purposed, he replied, "Nothing bad," which expression
had therefore passed into a proverb.

HERMES
You are undone, you wretch.