cess has been imputed to this fact. Mr.
Browning, however, treats it as a proof that the author's ingrained
habit of coarse fun had unfitted him for the more serious treatment of
human life.]

[Footnote 38: Figures placed above the entrance of Athenian houses, and
symbolizing the double life. It was held as sacrilege to deface them, as
had been recently and mysteriously done.]

[Footnote 39: Introducing him into the play, as in the disguise of a
disreputable woman.]

[Footnote 40: Aristophanes' comedy of the "Clouds" was written
especially at Socrates, who stood up unconcernedly in the theatre that
the many strangers present might understand what was intended.]

[Footnote 41: Mr. Mahaffy's description of the "Clouds" contains an
account of this defeat, which sets forth the amusing conceit and
sophistry of Aristophanes' explanation of it. He alludes here to the
prevailing custom of several dramatic writers competing for a prize.]

[Footnote 42: Whirligig is a parody of the word "vortex." Vortex itself
is used in derision of Socrates, who is represented in the "Clouds" as
setting up this non-rational force in the place of Zeus--the clouds
themselves being subordinate divinities.]

[Footnote 43: Saperdion was a famous Hetaira, the Empousa, a
mythological monster. Kimberic or Cimberic means transparent.]

[Footnote 44: A pure libel on this play, which is noted for its novel
and successful attempt to represent humour without indecency.
Aristophanes here alludes to the prevailing custom of concluding every
group of three tragedies with a play in which the chorus consisted of
Satyrs: a custom which Euripides broke through.]

[Footnote 45: The inverted commas include here, as elsewhere in the
Apology, only the very condensed substance of Mr. Browning's words.]

[Footnote 46: Tin-islands. Scilly Islands, loosely speaking, Great
Britain.]

[Footnote 47: A demagogue of bad character attacked by Aristophanes: a
big fellow and great coward.]

[Footnote 48: White was the Greek colour of victory. This passage, not
easily paraphrased, is a poetic recognition of the latent sympathy of
Aristophanes with the good cause.]

[Footnote 49: A game said to be of Sicilian origin and played in many
ways. Details of it may be found in Becker's "Charikles," vol. ii.]

[Footnote 50: Thamyris of Thrace, said to have been blinded by the Muses
for contending with them in song. The incident is given in the "Iliad,"
and was treated again