upon him. A struggle ensues, and the war faction call aloud for Lamachus—the "Great Captain" of the day. And that general, being ready within call (as every one is who is required for stage purposes), makes his appearance in grand military costume, with an enormous crest towering over his helmet, and a gorgon's head of gigantic dimensions upon his shield. He speaks in heroics, as befits him:—
"Whence falls that sound of battle on mine ear?
Who needs my help? for Lamachus is here!
Whose summons bids me to the field repair,
And wakes my slumbering gorgon from her lair?"
Dicæopolis is paralysed at the terrible vision, and humbly begs pardon of the hero for what he has said. Lamachus bids him repeat his words:—
"Dic. I—I can't remember—I'm so terrified.
The terror of that crest quite turned me dizzy:
Do take the hobgoblin away from me, I beseech you.[1]
Lam. (takes off his helmet.) There then.
Dic. Now turn it upside down.
Lam. See, there.
Dic. Now give me one of the feathers."—(F.)
And, to the general's great disgust, he pretends to use it to tickle his throat. He is so terribly frightened he
- ↑ Of course every Athenian would be amused by the parody of the well-remembered scene in the Iliad:—
"The babe clung crying to his nurse's breast,
Scared at the dazzling helm and nodding crest.
With secret pleasure each fond parent smiled,
And Hector hastened to relieve his child;
The glittering terrors from his brow unbound,
And placed the beaming helmet on the ground."
