erdure of laurels eternally green, and by Castaly's ever pure
fountains,
There found he all broken and voiceless the pipe that, in rage at these
poets profaning,
At these now-a-day sons of Marsyas, the noble old Muse had flung from her.

The subject and story of this comedy are drawn from the actual life of
the people. Spyros, a tavern-keeper in Athens, has promised his daughter
Anthusia to Kutrulis, a rich tailor. The young lady's notions are
however above tailors; her husband must wear epaulettes and orders. If
Kutrulis wants her hand, he must become minister. He despairs at first,
but as others have become ministers, there is a chance for him.
Accordingly, the needful intrigues and solicitations are set on foot.
The strophe of the chorus by the sovereign public is too characteristic
and too Attic for us not to try to render it, though perhaps only the
few who have dipped in the well of the antique drama can appreciate it:

O muse of the billiard room,
Thou that from mocha's odor-pouring steam,
And from the ringlets, white-curling from pipes on high
Thine inspiration drawest, of venal sort!
Here's a new minister must be appointed now.
Up and strike the praising strings!
Up, O muse of the mob's grace,
Put forth in the rosy pages of newspapers
Dithyrambic articles!
The hero praise aloud!

To succeed in his ambition, Kutrulis must choose a party with which to
identify himself. Accordingly the Russian, the British and the French
parties, the three into which Greek public men are divided, are
introduced, and each urges the reasons why he should become its
partisan. This gives the poet an admirable opportunity for the use of
satire, which he improves excellently. Kutrulis pledges himself to each
of these candidates for his support, but mean while his friends have
spread the report that he has actually been appointed minister. Now the
swarm of office-seekers and speculators of all sorts come to solicit his
favor and exhibit their own corruption. This part of the drama is
treated with keen effect. While the report of his appointment is
believed by himself and others, Kutrulis marries the scheming Anthusia,
who presently wakes from her illusion to find that she is only a
tailor's wife after all. She declares that by way of revenge she will
compel her husband to give her a new dress every week, and the piece
ends to the amusement of everybody.

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