Curculio, or The Forgery
- 5.2.627
Because I choose.
- 5.2.627b
Step this way you (pushes him towards the CAPTAIN); there, I’ll give him up to you. Hold your noise.
- 5.2.628
Phaedromus, prithee do save me.
- 5.2.628b
As I would myself and my own good Genius. Captain, prithee, do tell me whence you got that ring,
- 5.2.630
which this Parasite purloined from you.
- 5.2.630b
By your knees, I do entreat you to give us that information.
- 5.2.631b
What matters that to you? You might as well ask after this sabre and this scarf, how each came into my possession.
- 5.2.633
What airs the swaggerer does give himself!
- 5.2.633b
Send that fellow away (pointing to CURCULIO); then I’ll tell you all.
- 5.2.634
It’s nonsense what he says.
- 5.2.634b
Prithee, do let me know.
- 5.2.635
I’ll tell you: (to PLANESIUM) get up. Listen to this matter, and give attention. My father Periphanes used to wear it.
- 5.2.636a
Ha! Periphanes?
- 5.2.637
He, before he died, gave it to me as being his son, as it was right he should.
- 5.2.638b
O Jupiter!
- 5.2.639
And on that occasion he made me his heir.
- 5.2.639b
O filial affection, do thou preserve me, since I have carefully preserved thee. Welcome, my brother.
- 5.2.641b
How am I to believe that? Tell me, if you are speaking the truth, who was your mother?
- 5.2.643
Cleobula.
- 5.2.643b
Who was your nurse?
- 5.2.643c
Archestrata.
- 5.2.644_645
Amid the sacred rites of Bacchus she had carried me to see the sights after we had come thither, when now she had found me a place, a whirlwind arose; the scaffolding of the stage there tumbled down; I was greatly alarmed, and then some one, I know not who, seized hold of me trembling and frightened, neither alive nor dead;
- 5.2.650
and in what manner he carried me off I cannot say.
- 5.2.651
I recollect that disturbance happening; but, do you tell me, where is this person, who carried you away?
- 5.2.652b
I know not; but (showing a ring) this ring I have all along preserved by me, with it long since was I lost.
- 5.2.654b
Give it me to look at.
- 5.2.654c
Are you in your senses to be trusting it to that fellow?
- 5.2.655b
Do you only leave me alone.
- 5.2.655c
O Jupiter! This is the same that I presented you upon your birthday; I recognize it as easily as my own self. Welcome to you, my sister.
- 5.2.658
My brother, welcome to you.
- 5.2.658b
I trust the Gods will prosper this matter for you.
- 5.2.659b
And I, for all of us.
- 5.2.660
Do you, as having this day arrived, give a dinner in honor of your sister he (pointing to PHAEDROMUS), to-morrow, will give one in honor of his marriage; we promise that.
- 5.2.662
Do you hold your tongue.
- 5.2.662b
I shan’t hold my tongue, as things are turning out so well. Captain, do you promise her to him; I’ll give the marriage-portion.
- 5.2.664
What is the marriage-portion?
- 5.2.664b
What, that I give? Why, that always as long as he lives he’s to feed me.
- 5.2.665
I’ troth, he says what’s fair;
- 5.2.665b
with my consent you shall do so.
- 5.2.666
But this Procurer owes me the thirty minae.
- 5.2.667
For what reason so?
- 5.2.667b
Because he agreed with me on these terms to give it back: that if any one should assert her to be free born in due course of law, he would, without dispute, pay back all the money.
- 5.2.670
Then let’s go to the Procurer.
- 5.2.670b
I agree.
- 5.2.670c
This first I wish; to despatch my matter.
- 5.2.671b
What’s that?
- 5.2.671c
That you will betroth her to me.
- 5.2.672
Why do you hesitate, Captain, to give her as a wife to him?
- 5.2.673
If she is agreable.
- 5.2.673b
My brother, it is my wish.
- 5.2.673c
So be it then.
- 5.2.673d
You do rightly.
- 5.2.674
Captain, do you betroth me to her for my wife?
- 5.2.674b
I do betroth her.
- 5.2.675
And to him do I promise support at my expense.
- 5.2.675b
You do kindly. But
- 5.2.676
But see, here’s the Procurer coming; my treasurer, I mean.
- 5.3.679
Those who say it’s bad for bankers to be trusted, utter nonsense;
- 5.3.680
I say it’s neither good nor bad for them to be trusted, and that, I’ve fully experienced this day. They are not badly trusted, who never repay, but with whom it is lost outright. As for example, before this Lyco paid me the ten minae, he had to go to every banker’s counter. After there were no proceeds, I summoned the fellow with much noise; he appealed against me to the court. I was most confoundedly afraid that this day he’d be settling accounts with me before the Praetor;
- 5.3.685
but my friends forced him, so he paid the money at home. Now I’m resolved to make haste to my house.
- 5.3.686b
Hallo! you Procurer; I want you.
- 5.3.687
And I want you.
- 5.3.687b
But I don’t want either of you.
- 5.3.687c
Stay this instant, will you.
- 5.3.688
And make you haste to disgorge the money with all despatch.
- 5.3.688b
What have you to do with me? (To the CAPTAIN.) Or what have you?
- 5.3.689b
Because this day I shall be making a javelin of you, discharged from a catapulta,
- 5.3.690
and twist you with the string, just as the catapultas are in the habit of doing.
- 5.3.691
I’ll this day make a coxcomb of you, to be sleeping with a puppy in your bed—an iron one, I mean.
- 5.3.692b
But I’ll make you both to be rotting in a strong-barred prison.
- 5.3.693b
Seize him by the throat, and away with him to extreme torture.
- 5.3.694
However that is, he’ll be going there of his own accord.
- 5.3.694b
O Gods and men, your aid!
- 5.3.695
that I, uncondemned, and without evidence against me, should thus be dragged along! Prithee, Planesium, and you, Phaedromus, do give me assistance.
- 5.3.697
Brother, I do beseech you, don’t ruin him uncondemned; he treated me kindly and modestly at his house.
- 5.3.698b
That was through no inclination of his own; give you thanks to this Aesculapius (pointing to the Temple) that you’ve preserved your chastity;
- 5.3.700
for if he had been well, he’d long ago have packed you off wherever he could.
- 5.3.701
Now attend to me, both of you, if I can arrange between you. (To the CAPTAIN.) You let him go. Procurer, come you this way. I’ll pronounce my opinion, if indeed you are ready to abide by what I shall decide you should do.
- 5.3.703b
We leave it to you.
- 5.3.704
So long, i’ faith, as you give a decision to the effect that no one is to take the money away from me.
- 5.3.705
What, not that which you promised?
- 5.3.705b
I, promised? How?
- 5.3.705c
With your tongue.
- 5.3.705d
With that same tongue I now gainsay it; that was given me by Nature for the purpose of speaking, not of losing my property.
- 5.3.707
He’s trifling; seize the fellow by the throat.
- 5.3.707b
I’ll at once then do as you bid me.
- 5.3.708
Since you are an honest man, answer me this that I ask you.
- 5.3.708b
Ask me what you please.
- 5.3.709
Did you not promise, that if any one should show that she (pointing to PLANESIUM) was freeborn,
- 5.3.710
you would pay back all the money?
- 5.3.710b
I don’t remember saying so.
- 5.3.711
What, do you deny it?
- 5.3.711b
I’ faith, I really do deny it. In whose presence? In what place was it?
- 5.3.712
In my own presence, and that of Lyco the banker.
- 5.3.712b
Why don’t you hold your tongue?
- 5.3.713
I shan’t hold my tongue.
- 5.3.713b
I don’t care a rush for you; don’t be bullying me.
- 5.3.714
In my own presence and that of Lyco it took place.
- 5.3.714b
I quite believe you.
- 5.3.715
Now, therefore, Procurer, that you may know my judgment, (pointing to PLANESIUM) she is a free woman; he (pointing to the CAPTAIN) is her brother, and she is his sister; she is engaged to me; do you restore him the money; that’s my decision.
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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.