Icaromenippus

Hermes What a smooth, slippery, unstable, evasive fellow you are, Plutus! there is no getting a firm hold of you; you wriggle through one’s fingers somehow, like an eel or a snake. Poverty is so different—sticky, clinging, all over hooks; any one who comes near her is caught directly, and finds it no simple matter to get clear. But all this gossip has put business out of our heads.

Plutus Business? What business?

Hermes We have forgotten to bring Thesaurus, and we cannot do without him.

Plutus Oh, never mind him. When I come up to see you, I leave him on earth, with strict orders to stay indoors, and open to no one unless he hears my voice.

Hermes Then we may make our way into Attica; hold on to my cloak till I find Timon’s retreat.

Plutus It is just as well to keep touch; if you let me drop behind, I am as likely as not to be snapped up by Hyperbolus or Cleon. But what is that noise? it sounds like iron on stone.

Hermes Ah, here is Timon close to us; what a steep stony little plot he has got to dig! Good gracious, I see Poverty and Toil in attendance, Endurance, Wisdom, Courage, and Hunger’s whole company in full force—much more efficient than your guards, Plutus.

Plutus Oh dear, let us make the best of our way home, Hermes. We shall never produce any impression on a man surrounded by such troops.

Hermes Zeus thought otherwise; so no cowardice.

Poverty Slayer of Argus, whither away, you two hand in hand?

Hermes Zeus has sent us to Timon here,

Poverty Now? What has Plutus todo with Timon now? I found him suffering under Luxury’s treatment, put him in the charge of Wisdom and Toil (whom you see here), and made a good worthy man of him. Do you take me for such a contemptible helpless creature that you can rob me of my little all? have I perfected him in virtue, only to see Plutus take him, trust him to Insolence and Arrogance, make him as soft and limp and silly as before, and return him to me a worn-out rag again?

Hermes It is Zeus’s will.