them　and　ourselves；　unless　it　be　that　they　do　not　propose　decrees？
  STREPSIADES
  But　if　you　imitate　the　cocks　in　all　things；　why　don't　you
  scratch　up　the　dunghill；　why　don't　you　sleep　on　a　perch？
  PHIDIPPIDES
  That　has　no　bearing　on　the　case；　good　sir；　Socrates　would　find
  no　connection；　I　assure　you。
  STREPSIADES
  Then　do　not　beat　at　all；　for　otherwise　you　have　only　yourself　to
  blame　afterwards。
  PHIDIPPIDES
  What　for？
  STREPSIADES
  I　have　the　right　to　chastise　you；　and　you　to　chastise　your　son；　if
  you　have　one。
  PHIDIPPIDES
  And　if　I　have　not；　I　shall　have　cried　in　vain；　and　you　will　die
  laughing　in　my　face。
  STREPSIADES
  What　say　you；　all　here　present？　It　seems　to　me　that　he　is　right；
  and　I　am　of　opinion　that　they　should　be　accorded　their　right。　If　we
  think　wrongly；　it　is　but　just　we　should　be　beaten。
  PHIDIPPIDES
  Again；　consider　this　other　point。
  STREPSIADES
  It　will　be　the　death　of　me。
  PHIDIPPIDES
  But　you　will　certainly　feel　no　more　anger　because　of　the　blows　I
  have　given　you。
  STREPSIADES
  Come；　show　me　what　profit　I　shall　gain　from　it。
  PHIDIPPIDES
  I　shall　beat　my　mother　just　as　I　have　you。
  STREPSIADES
  What　do　you　say？　what's　that　you　say？　Hah！　this　is　far　worse
  still。
  PHIDIPPIDES
  And　what　if　I　prove　to　you　by　our　school　reasoning；　that　one　ought
  to　beat　one's　mother？
  STREPSIADES
  Ah！　if　you　do　that；　then　you　will　only　have　to　throw　yourself；
  along　with　Socrates　and　his　reasoning；　into　the　Barathrum。　Oh！　Clouds！
  all　our　troubles　emanate　from　you；　from　you；　to　whom　I　entrusted
  myself；　body　and　soul。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  No；　you　alone　are　the　cause；　because　you　have　pursued　the　path
  of　evil。
  STREPSIADES
  Why　did　you　not　say　so　then；　instead　of　egging　on　a　poor
  ignorant　old　man？
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  We　always　act　thus；　when　we　see　a　man　conceive　a　passion　for
  what　is　evil；　we　strike　him　with　some　terrible　disgrace；　so　that　he
  may　learn　to　fear　the　gods。
  STREPSIADES
  Alas！　oh　Clouds！　that's　hard　indeed；　but　it's　just！　I　ought　not　to
  have　cheated　my　creditors。。。。But　come；　my　dear　son；　come　with　me　to
  take　vengeance　on　this　wretched　Chaerephon　and　on　Socrates；　who　have
  deceived　us　both。
  PHIDIPPIDES
  I　shall　do　nothing　against　our　masters。
  STREPSIADES
  Oh　show　some　reverence　for　ancestral　Zeus！
  PHIDIPPIDES
  Mark　him　and　his　ancestral　Zeus！　What　a　fool　you　are！　Does　any
  such　being　as　Zeus　exist？
  STREPSIADES
  Why；　assuredly。
  PHIDIPPIDES
  No；　a　thousand　times　no！　The　ruler　of　the　world　is　the
  Whirlwind；　that　has　unseated　Zeus。
  STREPSIADES
  He　has　not　dethroned　him。　I　believed　it；　because　of　this　whirligig
  here。　Unhappy　wretch　that　I　am！　I　have　taken　a　piece　of　clay　to　be　a
  god。
  PHIDIPPIDES
  Very　well！　Keep　your　stupid　nonsense　for　your　own　consumption。
  （He　goes　back　into　STREPSIADES'　house。）
  STREPSIADES
  Oh！　what　madness！　I　had　lost　my　reason　when　I　threw　over　the
  gods　through　Socrates'　seductive　phrases。　（Addressing　the　statue　of
  Hermes）　Oh！　good　Hermes；　do　not　destroy　me　in　your　wrath。　Forgive
  me；　their　babbling　had　driven　me　crazy。　Be　my　counselor。　Shall　I
  pursue　them　at　law　or　shall　I。。。。？　Order　and　I　obey。…You　are　right；　no
  law…suit；　but　up！　let　us　burn　down　the　home　of　those　praters。　Here；
  Xanthias；　here！　take　a　ladder；　come　forth　and　arm　yourself　with　an
  axe；　now　mount　upon　the　Thoughtery；　demolish　the　roof；　if　you　love
  your　master；　and　may　the　house　fall　in　upon　them。　Ho！　bring　me　a
  blazing　torch！　There　is　more　than　one　of　them；　arch…impostors　as
  they　are；　on　whom　I　am　determined　to　have　vengeance。
  A　DISCIPLE　（from　within）
  Oh！　oh！
  STREPSIADES
  Come；　torch；　do　your　duty！　Burst　into　full　flame！
  DISCIPLE
  What　are　you　up　to？
  STREPSIADES
  What　am　I　up　to？　Why；　I　am　entering　upon　a　subtle　argument　with
  the　beams　of　the　house。
  SECOND　DISCIPLE　（from　within）
  Hullo！　hullo　who　is　burning　down　our　house？
  STREPSIADES
  The　man　whose　cloak　you　have　appropriated。
  SECOND　DISCIPLE
  You　are　killing　us！
  STREPSIADES
  That　is　just　exactly　what　I　hope；　unless　my　axe　plays　me　false；　or
  I　fall　and　break　my　neck。
  SOCRATES　（appearing　at　the　window）
  Hi！　you　fellow　on　the　roof；　what　are　you　doing　up　there？
  STREPSIADES　（mocking　SOCRATES'　manner）
  I　am　traversing　the　air　and　contemplating　the　sun。
  SOCRATES
  Ah！　ah！　woe　is　upon　me！　I　am　suffocating！
  SECOND　DISCIPLE
  And　I；　alas；　shall　be　burnt　up！
  STREPSIADES
  Ah！　you　insulted　the　gods！　You　studied　the　face　of　the　moon！　Chase
  them；　strike　and　beat　them　down！　Forward！　they　have　richly　deserved
  their　fate…above　all；　by　reason　of　their　blasphemies。
  LEADER　OF　THE　CHORUS
  So　let　the　Chorus　file　off　the　stage。　Its　part　is　played。
  THE　END
  。