Curculio, or The Forgery

Perseus Latin · Perseus Latin · 618 sections

1.2.119b
See this light.
1.2.120
Then, prithee, do quicken your pace towards me.
1.2.121
Health to you.
1.2.121b
How can I have health, who am parched with thirst?
1.2.121c
But you shall drink in a moment.
1.2.121d
’Tis long a-coming.
1.2.122
Here’s for you, jolly old dame.
1.2.122b
Health to you, gentleman dear as my very eyes.
1.2.123
Come, toss this off quickly into your abyss; scour out your sink right speedily.
1.2.124b
Hold your tongue; I won’t have her ill spoken to.
1.2.124c
In preference, then, I’ll do her ill.
1.2.125
Venus, of this little, this very little will I give to thee—sore against my will; for all the lovers, in their cups, to propitiate thee, expend their wine upon thee: not such windfalls often fall to me.
1.2.128
Do look at that, please, how greedily the filthy hag swills down the pure wine into herself with distended gullet.
1.2.131
Ha, ha, ha
1.2.131b
How is it? Do you like it?
1.2.131c
I do like it.
1.2.131d
And I, too, should like to goad with a spur as well.
1.2.132
Don’t you—do hold your tongue.
1.2.132b
I’ll hold my tongue; (the old woman drinks) but see, the rainbow’s drinking; I’ faith, I do believe it will rain to-day.
1.2.129
Troth now, I’m quite undone; what first to say to her I know not.
1.2.129b
Why, the same thing that you said to me.
1.2.130
What’s that?
1.2.130b
Say that you’re quite undone.
1.2.130c
May the Gods confound you.
1.2.130d
Say so to her.
1.2.133
Am I to say then to her—?
1.2.133b
Say what?
1.2.133c
That I’m quite undone.
1.2.133d
Well then, say so.
1.2.133e
Old lady, do listen. I wish you to know this; to my sorrow, I’m quite undone.
1.2.135
But, i’ faith, for my part, I’m altogether brought to life. But why is it that you are pleased to say you are quite undone?
1.2.137b
Because I’m deprived of the object which I love. (Pretends to weep)
1.2.138
My dear Phaedromus, prithee, do not weep; do you take care that I’m not thirsty, I’ll at once bring out here for you the object which you love. (Goes into the house.)
1.2.140
Assuredly, if you keep faith with me, in place of a golden statue, I’ll erect for you one of wine, which shall be a memorial of your gullet Palinurus, who on earth will be so blest as myself, if she comes to me?
1.2.142b
By my faith, he who is in love, if he is in want as well, is afflicted with a dreadful malady.
1.2.143
Such is not the case with me; for I feel sure that this very day my Parasite will come hither to me with the money.
1.2.144b
You attempt something mighty, if you expect that which nowhere exists.
1.2.145
What if I approach the door, and trill a carol?
1.2.145b
If you choose; I neither bid nor request you, since, my master, I see that you are of manners and disposition thus changed.
1.2.147
Bolts, O ye bolts, with pleasure do I salute you. I love you, I court you, I seek you, and you entreat; most kindly lend your aid to me in love;
1.2.150
become, for my sake, as though play-actors from foreign climes; leap upwards pray, and send out of doors this fair one, who drains my blood for me distractedly in love. (Addressing PALINURUS.) Look at that, how those most accursed bolts sleep on, and none the quicker for my sake do they bestir themselves.
1.2.155
I see quite clearly that you don’t value my esteem at all. Hist! hush, hush!
1.2.156b
I’ troth, for my part I’m silent enough.
1.2.156c
I hear a noise; at last, i’ faith, these bolts have become complaisant to me.
1.3.158
Come softly out, and prevent the noise of the doors and the creaking of the hinges, my dear Planesium, that our master mayn’t perceive that that is going on which we are doing here.
1.3.160
Stay, I’ll pour a little water on it.
1.3.160b
Do you see how the palsied hag is giving her dose? She herself has learnt right well to drink up the wine; to the door she’s giving water for it to drink.
1.3.162
Where are you—you who have summoned me on the recognizances of Venus? To you do I present myself, and, in the same way do I call on you, on the other hand, to present yourself to me.
1.3.164
Here I am; for could I be absent, I wouldn’t repine for any misfortune to befall me, my honey.
1.3.165
My life, it is not becoming for one thus in love to be at a distance.
1.3.166
Palinurus, Palinurus!
1.3.166b
Say on; why is it that you call upon Palinurus?
1.3.167
She is a charming one.
1.3.167b
Aye, too charming.
1.3.167c
I am a God.
1.3.167d
Why, no—a mortal, of no great value.
1.3.168
What have you seen, or what will you see, more nearly to be compared with the Gods?
1.3.169
You are not in your senses, master; a thing that’s grievous to me.
1.3.169b
You are not sufficiently respectful to me: hold your tongue.
1.3.170
The person that sees the object which he loves, and enjoys not the opportunity while he may, is one who torments his own self.
1.3.171
Rightly does he rebuke me; really there’s nothing which for this long time past I have more eagerly desired.
1.3.172
Clasp me, embrace me then.
1.3.172b
This, too, is a reason for which I could wish to live; because your master restrains, you, in secret do I court you.
1.3.173b
Restrain me? He neither can restrain me, nor will he restrain me, unless death should separate my soul from you.
1.3.178
Let monarchs keep their kingdoms to themselves, the rich their riches to themselves, to themselves their honors, to themselves their prowess, to themselves their combats, to themselves their battles;
1.3.180
so long as they abstain from envying me, let each one of them keep what is his own.
1.3.175
Of a truth, I cannot refrain from giving a lecture to my master; for, really, it is good to love in a moderate degree; to distraction, it is not good; but to love to entire distraction, is the thing that my master’s doing.
1.3.181
What say you, sir? Have you made a vow, Phaedromus, you’d watch the night through for Venus? For really, upon my faith, before very long hence the dawn will be breaking.
1.3.182b
Do hold your tongue.
1.3.183
Why hold my tongue? What, are you going to sleep?
1.3.183b
I am asleep; don’t you make a noise.
1.3.184
Why, but you’re broad awake.
1.3.184b
Aye, but after my own fashion I’m asleep; this is my slumber.
1.3.185
A word with you, madam; ’tis thoughtlessness to treat amiss one who deserves it not.
1.3.186
You would be angry, if, when you are eating, he were to drive you away from your food.
1.3.186b
It’s all over with him. I see that these two are equally in love to distraction; and both of them are mad. D’ye see how intensely they hug each other? They cannot embrace enough. (Addressing them.) Are you going to part yet?
1.3.189b
No human being has blessings that last for ever. To this pleasure, then, is that plague added.
1.3.190b
What say you, you shocking hussy? What, you little tipsy ninny, are even you with your owlish eyes to be calling me a plague, you whipper-snapper?
1.3.192b
What, you abusing my own Venus? And really, is a slave well trounced with the rod to be commencing a discussion with myself? But, by the powers, you’ve surely said that to your own misfortune.
1.3.195
There, take that, by way of punishment for this abusive language, that you may be able to put a check upon your speech.
1.3.196
Your aid, I pray, you night-watching Venus.
1.3.196b
What, do you still persist, whip-scoundrel? (Strikes hint.)
1.3.197
Don’t, there’s a dear, be beating a stone, lest you should hurt your hand.
1.3.198
You perpetrate, Phaedromus, a flagitious and a shameful deed of great enormity; one who directs you aright, you pummel with your fists; her you are in love with, a mere nonentity.
1.3.200
Is it right that you should behave yourself in this unreasonable manner?
1.3.201
Find me a reasonable lover against his weight in gold; here, take the gold of me.
1.3.202
Do you find me a person for me to serve in his sound senses against his weight in double-distilled gold.
1.3.203
Kindly fare you well, apple of my eye, for I hear the sound and creaking of doors; I think the keeper is opening the temple. But, prithee, in this same manner
1.3.205
shall we always enjoy our love by stealth?
1.3.206
Far from it; for I sent my Parasite four days since to Caria to fetch some money; he’ll be here to-day.
1.3.207b
You are very long in your contriving.
1.3.208
So may Venus love me, I’ll never allow you to be three days in this house here, before I procure your liberty.
1.3.210
Take care to remember it. Once more, before I go hence, take this kiss.
1.3.211
By heavens, really if a kingdom now were offered me, I should not obtain it with greater pleasure. When shall I see you again?
1.3.212b
Why now, for that expression get ready the Praetor’s rod; if you love me, purchase my freedom; don’t make any haggling. Take care to prevail with your offer. Kindly adieu! (Goes into the house of the PROCURER.)
1.3.214b
And am I then left behind? Palinurus, I’m Lilled outright.
1.3.215
And I as well, who am dying with thumps and sleepiness.
1.3.215b
Do you follow me.
2.1.216
I am resolved to depart from this Temple out of doors forthwith, since thus I find the determination of Aesculapius, who sets me at nought, and chooses not that I should be healed. My health is declining, my weakness increases.
2.1.220
For now I walk, girded with my spleen as though with a belt; in my stomach do I seem to be holding a twin offspring. I’m afraid of nothing, but that, in my misery, I should burst asunder in the middle.

Perseus Latin. CTS URN phi0119.phi008.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.