THE TRIUMPHS OF THE GOUT. SCENE, A CHAMBER. Enter OCYPUS* lame, and leaning on the Nurse. Ocyp. WHENCE, without wound, proceeds this horrid pain, That robs me of the affiftance of my feet? Nur. * Ocypus, the fon of Podalirius and Aftafia, was eminent for his ftrength and beauty, a great lover of hunting, and all gymnaftick exercifes. This young man, having been accuftomed to infult and deride whomfoever he faw grievously afflicted with the gout, telling them at the fame time that their pains were nothing, brought upon himself the indignation of the goddess who prefides over that distemper, and was at last, by the violence of the disease, driven to a recantation. Lucian had compofed an entire drama upon this fubject; but as only the beginning of this piece remains, I have tranflated it, and, with very little alteration in either, have made it a part of his other drama, whofe fubject is the triumph of the gout over phyfic. 5 Nur. Raife thyfelf up, my fon, nor bear fo hard, Left, helpiefs as thou art, with thee I fall. For fhame it is, that youth fhould ask the aid . Nar. Forbear, vain boy, thy fcoffing infolence. Nor vaunt too much thy youth; for well thou know ft, In ficknefs youth is impotent as age. Be govern'd; for this arm hould I withdraw, Thou fall'st, while my old feet unshaken stand. Oryp. But if thou fall, through age thou fall it, not fickness: Old ageis weak, though prompt and willing everNur. Leave arguing; and tell me by what chance This pain hath got poffeffion of thy toe. Ocyp. As in the courfe I exercis'd, awry My ankle turn'd, and thence the pain ensued. Nur. Why, as the fellow faid, who careless fat Clipping his grifley beard, then run again. Ocyp. Or wrestling might I not the hurt receive, When locked together were our grappling limbs? And I myself the like difcourfe have held But now when every fwelling meriber speaks, Phy. O where is Ocypus, illuftrious youth? But fee! where, careless on the couch diffus'd, Of thy complaint: perhaps my powerful art Ocyp. Intolerable pain my foot confumes. Phy. Whence came it? how? what accident? explain, Ocyp. Or in the ftraining race, or haply while My gymnick exercifes I perform'd, Some hurt from my companions I receiv'd. Phy. Then where 's the fore and angry inflammation? And why no fomentation on the part? Ocyp. The woollen bandage I abhor. Nur. Alas! How baneful is the pride of handsome looks! Phy. What therefore must be done? fhall I lay open Thy tumid foot? But, Ocypus, be fure If once I feize upon it, I fhall drain, At many bleeding wounds, thy arteries. Ocyp. Put all thy new devices now in practice, Fly. Then, lo! my fteely inftrument I draw, This crooked, tharp, blood-thirsting intrument. Ocyp. Hey! ho! Nur.. Phyfician, what doft thou intend? For neither in the ftraining race, nor while But when the cock's fhrill-founding trump proclaims All that he told thee is a forg'd device Which now in every limb begins to rack him, Ocyp. Old age is ever arm'd with mighty words; Vaunting in fpeech, but impotent in action. Like the ftarv'd wretch that hungry maftick * -chews, But cheats himself, and fofters his disease. Phy. Thou cheatest all; now that, now faying this, Know that I fuffer pain; and that is all. But can't mistake the nature of his evil. And now hear this, howe'er unpleafing truth, That needs fuch preface to its horrid name? *Maftick is a great ftrengthener of the ftomach, and confequently promotes appetite; which to a man dying of hunger is fo far from being a relief, that it rather increases his complaint; this I take to be the meaning of this paffage. |