48–51
Diogenes
Too much. His flavour and his looks are intolerable— a coarse worthless brute. Drop him head first over the rock, and catch another. But take care your rod does not bend to breaking point.
Parrhesiades
No fear; they are quite light—about the weight of a gudgeon.
Diogenes
About the weight and about the wit. However, up with them.
10
Parrhesiades
Look; what is this one? a sole? flat as a plate, thin as one of his own fillets; he gapes for the hook; down it goes; we have him; up he comes.
Exposure
His plateship would be a Platonist.
Platonists
You too after the gold, villain?
Parrhesiades
Well, Plato? what shall we do with him?
5
Platonists
Off with him from the same rock.
Parrhesiades
Ah, here is a lovely one coming, as far as one can judge in deep water, all the colours of the rainbow, with gold bars across the back. Do you see, Exposure? this is the sham Aristotle. There he is; no, he has shied. He is having a good look round; here he comes again; his jaws open; caught! haul up.
Aristotle
You need not apply to me; I do not know him.
Parrhesiades
Very well, Aristotle; over he goes.
Hullo! I see a whole school of them together, all one colour, and covered with spines and horny scales, as tempting to handle as a hedgehog. We want a net for these; but we have not got one. Well, it will do if we pull up one out of the lot. The boldest of them will no doubt try the hook.
Exposure
You had better sheathe a good bit of the line before you let it down; else he will gorge the gold and then saw the line through.
