You would yourself be used to them if you were hanged. Strepsiades. A mischief take you! Do you abuse your teacher? Socrates. Were hanged quoth’a! How sillily he pronounced it, and with lips wide apart! How can this youth ever learn an acquittal from a trial or a legal summons, or persuasive refutation? And yet Hyperbolus learned this at the cost of a talent. Strepsiades. Never mind; teach him. He is clever by nature. Indeed, from his earliest years, when he was a little fellow only so big, he was wont to form houses and carve ships within-doors, and make little wagons of leather, and make frogs out of pomegranate-rinds, you can’t think how cleverly. But see that he learns those two causes; the better, whatever it may be; and the worse, which, by maintaining what is unjust, overturns the better. If not both, at any rate the unjust one by all means. Socrates. He shall learn it himself from the two causes in person. Exit Socrates. Strepsiades. I will take my departure. Remember this now, that he is to be able to reply to all just arguments. Exit Strepsiades and enter Just Cause and Unjust Cause. Just Cause. Come hither! Show yourself to the spectators, although being audacious. Unjust Cause. Go whither you please; for I shall far rather do for you, if I speak before a crowd. Just Cause. You destroy me? Who are you? Unjust Cause. A cause. Just Cause. Ay, the worse. Unjust Cause. But I conquer you, who say that you are better than I. Just Cause. By doing what clever trick? Unjust Cause. By discovering new contrivances. Just Cause. For these innovations flourish by the favour of these silly persons. Unjust Cause. No; but wise persons. Just Cause. I will destroy you miserably. Unjust Cause. Tell me, by doing what? Just Cause. By speaking what is just. Unjust Cause. But I will overturn them by contradicting them; for I deny that justice even exists at all. Just Cause. Do you deny that it exists? Unjust Cause. For come, where is it? Just Cause. With the gods. Unjust Cause. How, then, if justice exists, has Jupiter not perished, who bound his own father? Just Cause. Bah! This profanity now is spreading! Give me a basin. Unjust Cause. You are a dotard and absurd. Just Cause. You are debauched and shameless.