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Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
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to write laws whereby the public may regulate itself. Psha! those who would be in readiness for themselves to pay obedience to his laws, would decidedly never do any good; they would be drinking night and day.
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LEONIDA
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Troth now, for sure, he wouldn’t budge a foot from her if she would let him, who is now in such haste, and is threatening that he’s going away from her.
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LIBANUS
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Now make an end of your talk, that I may catch his discourse.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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Farewell!
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PHILENIUM
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Whither are you hastening?
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ARGYRIPPUS
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Kindly fare you well! I shall see you in the other worldIn the other world: Apud Orcum. Orcus was a name of the Shades below, and was also an epithet of the God Pluto.. For indeed now, so soon as I can, I shall sever myself from life.
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PHILENIUM
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Prithee, why, while I do not deserve it, do you wish to consign me to death?
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ARGYRIPPUS
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I—you? whom, if I were to hear that you were in want of life, at once would I
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present you my own life, and from my own would add to yours.
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PHILENIUM
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Why, then, do you threaten that you will quit life? For what do you suppose that I shall do, if you do that which you are talking of? I’m determined to do everything exactly the same to myself that you do to yourself.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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O! sweeter than honey are you to me.
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PHILENIUM
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And surely you are my life. Embrace me.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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I do so with pleasure.
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PHILENIUM
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Would that thus we might be carried to the tomb.
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LEONIDA
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O Libanus, how wretched is the man that loves.
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LIBANUS
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Aye, but surely, faith, the man that’s hanging upThe man that’s hanging up: He alludes to the punishment of the thieves, which has been before referred to. is much more wretched.
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LEONIDA
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I know that, who have had experience of it. Let’s go round them: let’s accost them, one on the one side, one on the other.
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LIBANUS
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Health to you, master. But is this female, smoke, that you are embracing?
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ARGYRIPPUS
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Why so?
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LIBANUS
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Because your eyes are filled with tears; ’twas for that reason I asked.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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One who would have been a protector to you, you have lost.
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LIBANUS
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I’ faith, I surely haven’t lost one; for this reason, be cause I never had one.
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LEONIDA
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Health to you, Philenium.
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PHILENIUM
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What you desire, the Gods will give you.
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LIBANUS
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I could desire your favours, and a cask of wine, if wishes were to come to pass.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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Whip-knave, beware how you speak a word.
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LIBANUS
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Why, ’tis for you, not for myself, I wish it.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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For that reason, then, say on what you please.
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LIBANUS
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Troth, I’d like to give him a beating.
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LEONIDA
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Who, pray, would allow you to do so, you frizzle- patedYou frizzle-pated: Calamistrate means dressed with the calamistrum, a crisping-pin, or iron tube with which the hair was curled. mountebank? Could you thrash me, you, who reckon as your daily food your own thrashings?
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ARGYRIPPUS
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How far superior, Libanus, are your lots to my own,
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who never will live this day until the evening.
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LIBANUS
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For what reason, prithee?
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ARGYRIPPUS
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Because I’m in love with her, and she’s in love with me, and nowhere have I anything to bestow upon her; for that reason has her mother expelled me with all my affection from her house. The twenty minae of silver have brought me to my end, which the young man, Diabolus, declared that he would give her this day,
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in order that she mightn’t send her anywhere, for this whole year, except to himself. Don’t you see of what force are twenty minae of silver, or what they can effect? The man who parts with them is happy; I, who part not with them, am undone.
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LIBANUS
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Has he already paidHas he already paid: Jam dedit argentum? This is curiously rendered by Gueudeville, Ce Monsieur le Diable a-t-il d£ejà donn£e son argent? which, literally translated, is, Has this Mister Devil already paid his money? He appears to have taken a rather unwarranted liberty in translating the name Diabolus by the term le Diable—neither more nor less than the French name of his Satanic Majesty the money?
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ARGYRIPPUS
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He hasn’t paid it.
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LIBANUS
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Be of good courage; don’t be afraid.
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LEONIDA
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Step this way, Libanus, I want you.
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LIBANUS
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Certainly, if you want anything.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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I entreat of you,
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is it more pleasant in this same matter for you to discourse hugging one another?
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LIBANUS
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Understand, master, that all things are not equally sweet to all persons. ’Tis pleasant for you lovers to converse, hugging one another; I care nothing for his hugging (pointing to LEONIDA), and (pointing to PHILENIUM) she despises mine. Do you then yourself do that which you would be suggesting to us to do.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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Indeed I will, and really with pleasure, i’ faith. (Placing his arm round PHILENIUM’S neck.) In the meantime, if it seems good to you, do you step aside there.
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LEONIDA
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Should you like our master to be bantered a bit?
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LIBANUS
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He really is deserving of it.
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LEONIDA
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Should you like me, in his presence, to make Philenium embrace me?
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LIBANUS
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I’ faith, I should like it.
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LEONIDA
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Follow me this way.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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Is there any escape at all? Have you conversed enough?
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LEONIDA
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Listen, and give attention, and devour my words.
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First of all, that we are your slaves, we don’t deny; but if twenty silver minae are forthcoming for you, by what name will you call us?
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ARGYRIPPUS
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Freed-men.
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LEONIDA
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And not patrons?
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ARGYRIPPUS
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That in preference.
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LEONIDA
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Here are twenty minae in this bag. These, if you like, I’ll give you.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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May the Deities ever preserve you,
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protector of your master, honor to the people, treasury of resources, preserver of my inner manOf my inner man: Interioris corporis. Literally, of my inner body. This is a periphrasis signifying life, the seat of which, the vital parts, are within the body., and commander of love; place it here, put down that bag, here on the spot, at onceOn the spot, at once: In loco plane. These words seem to imply not in a hanging position, but clean or pat upon the ground. Warner, however, renders the passage, Tye the bag around my neck. It was probably the intention of Argyrippus to take it after Leonida had fairly put it down..
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LEONIDA
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I don’t like you, who are my master, to carry this load.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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Still, do you rid yourself of the trouble, and fasten that bag to myself.
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LEONIDA
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I’ll carry it, porter-like; you, as befits my master, go, without any burden, before me.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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How now?
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Why’s this?
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Why don’t you give up the bagGive up the bag: Crumenam seems a better reading than crumena, which Richter adopts. here, for your master to feel its weight?
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LEONIDA
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Bid her to whom I’m about to give it, to beg and entreat it of me. For that’s a dangerous spot where you bid me put it down at once.
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PHILENIUM
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Apple of my eye, my rose, my life, my delight,
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Leonida, do give me the money, and don’t sever us lovers asunder.
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LEONIDA
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Call me, then, your little sparrow, your chicken, your quail, your pet lamb: say that I’m your pet kid or your pet calf; take me by the ears, press your lips to my lips.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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She, kiss you, you whip-scoundrel?
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LEONIDA
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Really, how unbecoming it does seem!
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But, by the powers, you shan’t get it this day, if my knees are not embraced.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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Necessity compels to anything. (To LEONIDA.) Let them be embraced (kneels down and embraces his knees): now give what I’m asking for.
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PHILENIUM
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Come, my Leonida, prithee do bring safety to your master thus in love. Redeem yourself from him by this service, and purchase him for yourself with this money.
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LEONIDA
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You are very pretty and amiable; and if this were mine, you should never this day
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ask me for it, but I would give it you: ’tis better for you to ask it of him (pointing to LIBANUS), for ’twas he gave it me to keep for him. Approach him then prettily, my pretty one. (Delivers the bag to LIBANUS.) Take this, please, Libanus.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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Scoundrel, are you still trifling with me?
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LEONIDA
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I’ faith, I should never have done so, if you hadn’t embraced my knees so roughly. (Aside to LIBANUS.) Come, please, in your turn, do you at once have some sport with him, and give her an embrace.
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LIBANUS
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Hold your tongue; trust me for that.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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Why don’t we accost him, Philenium? (pointing to LIBANUS)—really, a very worthy fellow, upon my faith, and not like this thief (pointing to LEONIDA).
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LIBANUS
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We must walk up and down; now, in my turn, they’ll be entreating me.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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By heaven, Libanus, I do entreat you, be pleased by your deeds to come to your master’s rescue; do give me those twenty minae: you see that thus in love I stand in need of them.
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LIBANUS
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It shall be seen to; I wish it done; return here at nightfall. Now bid her, ever so little, to beg and entreat them of me.
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PHILENIUM
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Do you wish me to begin with caressing, or with kissing you?
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LIBANUS
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Why, really, with them both.
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PHILENIUM
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And do you then, I do entreat you, prove the saving of us both.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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O Libanus, my patron, do give me that; ’tis more becoming
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for the freed-manFor the freed-man: By libertus, or freed-man, he means himself, while Libanus is his patronus, or patron., than for the patron, to be carrying a burden in the street.
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PHILENIUM
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My Libanus, golden apple of my eye, the gift and the very grace of love; there’s a dear, whatever you wish, I’ll do; prithee, do give us that money.
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LIBANUS
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Call me, then, your little duck, dove, or your puppet; your swallow, jackdaw, little sparrow, your mannikin:
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make of me the reptile that crawls, so that I may have a double tongueA double tongue: An unseemly allusion is intended in this expression.; enfold me in your arms, and embrace my neck.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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She, embrace you, villain?
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LIBANUS
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Really, how undeserving I do seem. You shan’t for no purpose have uttered a speech so unseemly against me. By my troth, if indeed you expect to get this money, this day you shall carry myself on your shoulders.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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What? I, carry you?
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LIBANUS
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Otherwise, you shan’t get this money from me.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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Heavens, I’m undone! Still, if indeed it is decorous for the master to carry the servant, mount.
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LIBANUS
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In this way are proud people wont to be tamed. Stand still then, just as you were wont to do when formerly a boyWhen formerly a boy: Honi soit qui mal y pense should be said to Lambinus and the other Commentators who have imagined an indelicate allusion to be couched under these words. He clearly alludes to the boyish game of leapfrog, at which they had in childhood been accustomed to make a back.. Do you understand what I say? (He prepares to get upon the shoulders of ARGYRIPPUS.) Aye—so—move on: I praise you much; not any horse is there more clever than yourself as a horse.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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Get on, directly.
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LIBANUS
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I’ll do so. (He gets on.) Hallo!—what’s the matter? How are you going? By my troth, I’ll deprive you of your barley then, if you don’t ambleIf you don’t amble: Badizas. This is an adaptation of the Greek verb βαδίζω, to go., lifting up your feet.
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ARGYRIPPUS
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Prithee, Libanus, there’s enough now.
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LIBANUS
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Never this day, by my troth, shall you get anything by entreaty. For now up hill with the spur will I push on my steed. After that, I’ll deliver you to the millers, that there you may be tortured as you runTortured as you run: He alludes to the occupation of asses and worn-out horses in grinding at the corn-mill..