Diogenes and Heracles^注

Diog. Surely this is Heracles I see？ By his godhead，.tis no other！ The bow，the club，the lion.s⁃skin，the giant frame；.tis Heracles complete. Yet how should this be？ —a son of Zeus，and mortal？ I say，Mighty Conqueror，are you dead？ I used to sacrifice to you in the other world；I understood you were a God！

Her. Thou didst well. Heracles is with the Gods in Heaven，and hath white⁃ankled Hebe there to wife. I am his phantom.

Diog. His phantom！ What then，can one half of any one be a God，and the other half mortal？

Her. Even so. The God still lives ..Tis I，his counterpart，am dead.

Diog. I see. You.re a dummy；he palms you off upon Pluto，instead of coming himself. And here are you，enjoying his mortality！

Her ..Tis somewhat as thou hast said.

Diog. Well，but where were Aeacus. keen eyes，that he let a counterfeit Heracles pass under his very nose，and never knew the difference？

Her. I was made very like to him.

Diog. I believe you！ Very like indeed，no difference at all！ Why，we may find it.s the other way round，that you are Heracles，and the phantom is in Heaven，married to Hebe！

Her. Prating knave，no more of thy gibes；else thou shalt presently learn how great a God calls me phantom.

Diog. H.m. That bow looks as if it meant business. And yet，—what have I to fear now？ A man can die but once. Tell me，phantom，—by your great Substance I adjure you—did you serve him in your present capacity in the upper world？ Perhaps you were one individual during your lives，the separation taking place only at your deaths，when he，the God，soared heavenwards，and you，the phantom，very properly made your appearance here？