Timocles Weil, well; my ship leaves you unconvinced; I must drop my sheet-anchor, then; that at least is unbreakable.

Zeus I wonder what it is.

Timocles See whether this is a sound syllogism; can you upset it?— If there are altars, there are Gods: there are altars; therefore, there are Gods. Now then.

Damis Ha, ha, ha! I will answer as soon as I can get done with laughing.

Timocles Will you never stop? At least tell me what the joke is.

Damis Why, you don’t see that your anchor (sheet-anchor, too) hangs by a mere thread. You depend on connexion between the existence of Gods and the existence of altars, and fancy yourself Safe at anchor! As you admit that this was your sheet-anchor, there is nothing further to detain us.