Casina, or The Stratagem Defeated

Perseus Latin · Perseus Latin · 752 sections

4.3.812
On what grounds?
4.3.812b
You are too hard-mouthed.
4.3.812c
Have you ever found me so?
4.3.813
The Gods forbid! But the door makes a noise; they are coming out.
4.3.814
I’ troth, the Gods do will me to be preserved at last. I already smell Casina at a distance. (They move to a distance.)
4.4.815
Move on, and raise your feet a little over the threshold, newly-married bride; prosperously commence this journey, that you may always be alive for your husband, that you may be his superior in power, and the conqueror, and that your rule may gain the upper hand. Let your husband find you in clothes; you plunder your husband;
4.4.820
by night and day to be tricking your husband, prithee, do remember.
4.4.822_825
Upon my faith, at her downright peril, the instant she offends me ever so little!
4.4.826
Hold your tongue.
4.4.826b
I shall not hold my tongue.
4.4.826c
What’s the matter
4.4.826d
These wicked jades are wickedly teaching her wicked lessons.
4.4.827
Instead of being all ready, they’ll be bringing this matter all into confusion for me. They are striving at that, wishing for it, that they may have it all undone.
4.4.829
Come, Olympio, as soon as you please, receive this wife of yours from us.
4.4.831
Hand her to me then, if you are going to hand her to me at all to-day.
4.4.832
Be off in-doors.
4.4.832b
Prithee, do deal gently with her who is so young and inexperienced.
4.4.833b
It shall be so.
4.4.834b
Farewell; be off now.
4.4.834
Farewell.
4.4.835
Is my wife now gone?
4.4.835b
She’s in the house; don’t be afraid.
4.4.835c
Hurra! Now, faith, I’m free at last. (Addressing himself to CHALINUS as CASINA.) My sweetheart, my spring-flower, my little honey!
4.4.837b
But, hark you! you’ll beware, if you are wise, of some mishap: she’s mine.
4.4.839b
I know that; but mine’s the first enjoyment.
4.4.840
Hold this torch for me.
4.4.840b
Why, no, I’ll hold her in my arms in preference. All-powerful Venus, a happy existence hast thou given me in giving me the possession of her! A dear little body! a dear little honey! (Hugs CHALINUS, who pretends to struggle.)
4.4.842b
O my dear little wife! (Jumps about on one leg.)
4.4.845
What’s the matter?
4.4.845b
She has trod upon my toes.
4.4.846b
I’ll compliment her, as it were. A mist is not so soft as is— her breast.
4.4.848
A pretty little bosom, upon my faith. (CHALINUS gives him a thrust with his elbow, on which he roars out.) Woe to unfortunate me!
4.4.849
What’s the matter?
4.4.849b
She struck me in the breast with her elbow.
4.4.850
Why then, pray, do you maul her about? But she does not do so to me, who touch her gently.
4.4.852
O me!
4.4.852b
What’s the matter?
4.4.852c
Prithee, how robust she is! she has almost laid me flat with her elbow.
4.4.853b
She wishes, then, to go to bed.
4.4.854
Nay but, why don’t we be off?
4.4.854b
My pretty, pretty little dear!
5.1.855
Having been well and handsomely entertained indoors, we’ve come out here in the street to see the wedding-sports.
5.1.859
I’d like to know how Chalinus gets on—the newly-married bride with her new-made husband.
5.1.857
Never, upon my faith, any day did I laugh so much, nor in the time that’s to come do I think I shall laugh more;
5.1.860
and no poet ever did con trive a more artful plot than this was skilfully contrived by us.
5.1.862
I’d now very much like the old fellow to come out, with his face well battered, than whom there is not a more wicked old man alive.
5.1.864
Not even him do I deem to be more wicked who finds the room for him. Now, Pardalisca, do you be guard here (pointing to the door of her house); that whoever comes out from here, you may have some sport with him.
5.1.869
I’ll do it with pleasure, and in my usual way.
5.1.870
Observe from here everything that’s going on indoors.
5.1.871
Prithee, get behind me.
5.1.871b
You have liberty, too, to say freely and boldly to him anything you like.
5.1.872b
Be quiet; your door makes a noise. (They hide themselves.)
5.2.875
Neither where to fly to, nor where to conceal myself, nor how to hide this disgrace, do I know; so much have my master and myself been supereminently disgraced at these nuptials of ours. I’m now so ashamed, and now so afraid, and so ridiculous are we both. But, a simpleton, I’m now doing what’s new to me: I’m ashamed at that which has never shamed me before. (To the AUDIENCE.) Lend me your attention, while I repeat my exploits; it’s worth your while to catch them with your ears;
5.2.880
so ridiculous to be heard, to be repeated, are these mishaps which I have met with in the house. [When straightway I had led my new-made bride into the room, I fastened the bolt; but, however, the gloom there was just like the night. I placed, I propped things against the door; I struggled hard that before the old fellow with my bride.
5.2.885
Then I began to be slow in my proceedings, for I looked behind me every now and then, lest the old fellow should break in , a kiss, that provocative to lust, I asked of her first. She pushed back my hand, and allowed me not to give her a kiss in a quiet way.
5.2.889_890
But then the more anxious was I, the more desirous to assert my privilege with Casina, and I longed to do the old fellow out of that task. The door I blocked up, so that the old man might not over-power me. (from the house.)
5.2.892
Come now, you accost him. (Pointing to OLYMPIO.)
5.2.892b
Where is your newly-made bride?
5.2.893_895
By heavens, I’m utterly undone; the thing’s all out.
5.2.893_895b
It’s right, then, that you should relate the whole affair as it happened. What’s going on in-doors? How fares Casina? Is she quite obsequious to your will?
5.2.897b
I’m ashamed to tell it.
5.2.898
Relate it in its order just as you proceeded.
5.2.899_900
Upon my faith, I am ashamed.
5.2.899_900b
Proceed boldly. After you went to bed, I want you to tell what took place after that.
5.2.902
But it’s a disgraceful matter.
5.2.902b
I’ll take care that those who hear it shall be on their guard as to mentioning it.
5.2.903
That’s the principal thing.
5.2.903b
You kill me with weariness. Why don’t you proceed?
5.2.903c
—Ubi us subtus porro
5.2.906
quid.
5.2.906b
Babae!
5.2.906c
Quid?
5.2.906d
Papae!
5.2.907
quid est?
5.2.907b
Oh, erat maximum. Gladium ne haberet metui; id quaerere occœpi. Dum, gladiumne habeat, quaero, arripio capulum.
5.2.910
Sed, quom cogito, non habuit gladium; nam id esset frigidius.
5.2.911
Eloquere.
5.2.911b
At pudet.
5.2.911c
Num radix fuit?
5.2.911d
Non fuit.
5.2.911e
Num cucumis?
5.2.912
Profecto hercle non fuit quidquam olerum; Nisi quidquid erat, calamitas profecto attigerat nunquam. Ita, quidquid erat, grande erat.
5.2.915
Quid fit denique? Edisserta.
5.2.921a
—sepit veste id, quî estis. Ubi illum saltum video obseptum; Rogo, ut altero sinat ire. Ita, quidquid erat, grande erat. Tollo ut obvortam cubitissim Ullum mutire
5.2.925
Surge, ut ineam in Atque illam in
5.2.927
Perlepide narrat
5.2.915b
When I addressed Casina, Casina, said I, my dear wife, why do you slight your husband in this fashion? Really, upon my faith, you do this quite without my deserving it, inasmuch as I have given you the preference as my wife.
5.2.921
She answered not a word.
5.2.928
When I attempted a kiss, a beard pricked my lips just like briars.
5.2.930
Forthwith, as I was upon my knees, she struck my head with her feet. I tumbled headlong from the bed; she leapt down upon me and punched my face. From there in silence out of doors I came in this guise; by your leaves I say it; may the old fellow drink of the same cup that I have been drinking of.
5.2.933b
Most excellent. But where’s your cloak?
5.2.934b
I left it here in-doors.
5.2.935
Well now; hasn’t a very nice trick been played you?
5.2.935b
Yes, and deservedly. Hush! the door makes a noise. What, is she following me, I wonder? (They go to a distance.)
5.3.937
I’m branded with the greatest disgrace, nor what, under my circumstances to do, do I know. Nor yet how to look my wife in the face; so utterly undone am I! All my misdeeds are discovered.
5.3.940
In every way, to my confusion, I am ruined! So clearly am I hooked fast by the jaws! nor know I in what way to clear myself before my wife; wretch that I am, to have been stripped of my cloak! These clandestine nuptials are all discovered.
5.3.945
I judge it best for me She taught my wife the way But who is there, what person would be ready to undertake this office
5.3.950
for me? What now to do I know not, except to imitate worthless slaves, and fly from the house; for there’s no safety for my shoulder-blades if I return home. I may tell lies there; i’ faith, I shall get a basting, though much against my will, although I have earned my punishment.
5.3.955
I’ll at once betake myself in this direction in flight.
5.3.955b
Hallo there! Stop, this instant, you amorous one!

Perseus Latin. CTS URN phi0119.phi006.perseus-eng2. Via the Perseus Digital Library / Open Greek and Latin TEI corpora. Licence: Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source.