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Enter, from the house, two FEMALE SERVANTS leading CHALINUS, veiled and dressed in women's clothes, as CASINA.
TWO MAID-SERVANTS
Move on, and raise your feet a little over the threshold1, 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; by night and day to be tricking your husband, prithee, do remember. OLYMPIO
to STALINO . Upon my faith, at her downright peril, the instant she offends me ever so little! STALINO
Hold your tongue. OLYMPIO
I shall not hold my tongue. STALINO
What's the matter OLYMPIO
These wicked jades are wickedly teaching her wicked lessons. STALINO
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. TWO MAID-SERVANTS
Come, Olympio, as soon as you please, receive this wife of yours from us. They present CHALINUS to him. OLYMPIO
Hand her to me then, if you are going to hand her to me at all to-day. They hand CHALINUS to him. STALINO
to the FEMALE SERVANTS . Be off in-doors. TWO MAID-SERVANTS
Prithee, do deal gently with her who is so young and inexperienced. STALINO
It shall be so. Farewell; be off now. TWO MAID-SERVANTS
Farewell. They go into the house. STALINO
Is my wife now gone? OLYMPIO
She's in the house; don't be afraid. STALINO
Hurra! Now, faith, I'm free at last. Addressing himself to CHALINUS as CASINA. My sweetheart, my spring-flower2, my little honey! Embraces him. OLYMPIO
But, hark you! you'll beware, if you are wise, of some mishap: she's mine. STALINO
I know that; but mine's the first enjoyment. OLYMPIO
holding him the torch . Hold this torch for me. STALINO
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. OLYMPIO
shouting aloud . O my dear little wife! Jumps about on one leg. STALINO
What's the matter? OLYMPIO
She has trod upon my toes. STALINO
aside . I'll compliment her, as it were. A mist is not so soft as is---- Pulls CHALINUS about. A pretty little bosom, upon my faith. CHALINUS gives him a thrust with his elbow, on which he roars out. Woe to unfortunate me! OLYMPIO
What's the matter? STALINO
She struck me in the breast with her elbow. OLYMPIO
Why then, pray, do you maul her about? But she does not do so to me, who touch her gently. CHALINUS gives him a poke with his elbow. O me! STALINO
What's the matter? OLYMPIO
Prithee, how robust she is! she has almost laid me flat with her elbow. STALINO
She wishes, then, to go to bed3. OLYMPIO
Nay but, why don't we be off? STALINO
taking hold of CHALINUS . My pretty, pretty little dear! They go into the house of ALCESIMUS.
1 A little over the threshold: When the bridal procession left the house of the bride, and when it reached that of the husband, the bride was lifted over the threshold by "pronubi," men who had been married to only one wife, that she might not touch it with her foot, which was deemed an evil omen.
2 My spring-flower: "Verculum." Literally, "My little spring. The Roman names of endearment seem to have been generally very silly ones.
3 To go to bed: There is a childish play here on the words "cubito," "with her elbow," and "cubitum." "to go to bed."
The Comedies of Plautus. Henry Thomas Riley. London. G. Bell and Sons. 1912.
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