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Enter TOXILUS, from the house of his MASTER.
TOXILUS
to himself . I've hit upon the whole matter, so that with his own money the Procurer may this day make her his fieed-woman. But see, here's the Parasite whose assistance I have need of. I'll make believe as though I didn't see him; in that way I'll allure the fellow. Goes to the door, and calls to the SERVANTS within. Do you attend, you there, and quickly make haste, that I mayn't have any delay when I come in-doors. Mix the honied wine; get ready the quinces and the junkets1, that they may be nicely warmed upon the dishes, and throw in some scented calamus2. I' faith, that boon-companion of mine, I fancy, will be here just now. SATURIO
apart . He's meaning me--bravo! TOXILUS
I think that he'll be here just now from the baths when he has bathed. SATURIO
apart . How he does keep everything in its due order. TOXILUS
Take you care that the gravy-cakes3 and the cheese-biscuits4 are hot; don't be giving them to me unbaked. SATURIO
apart . He's speaking the very fact; they are worth nothing raw, only if you swallow them warm. Then, unless the broth for the gravy-cakes is of a thick consistency, that miserable, thin, pale, transparent stuff, is worth nothing at all. The broth for a gravy-cake ought to be like a soup. I don't want it to be going into my bladder, I want it for my stomach. TOXILUS
pretending not to see him . Some one, I know not who, is talking near me here. SATURIO
accosting him . O my earthly Jupiter, your fellow- feaster addresses you. TOXILUS
O Saturio, you've come opportunely for me. SATURIO
Upon my faith, you are telling a lie, and it becomes you not; for as Hungerio5 I'm come, not as Saturio am I come. TOXILUS
But you shall have something to eat; for now the creature-comforts for the stomach are smoking away in-doors. I've ordered the remnants to be warmed. SATURIO
Why, it's the proper thing for the gammon to be served up cold the day after. TOXILUS
I've ordered it so to be done. SATURIO
Any caviare6? TOXILUS
Get out--do you ask the question? SATURIO
You have a capital notion of what's good7. TOXILUS
But do you at all remember the matter about which I was making mention to you yesterday? SATURIO
I recollect; that the lamprey and the conger ought not to be made warm; for they are much better stripped of their meat8 when cold. But why do we delay to commence the engagement? While it's the morning, it befits all people to eat. TOXILUS
It's almost too early in the morning. SATURIO
The business that you begin to do in the morning, that same lasts on throughout the day. TOXILUS
Prithee, do give your attention to this. For yesterday I mentioned it to you, and entreated you to lend me six hundred didrachms. SATURIO
I recollect it and am aware, both that you did ask me, and that I hadn't any to lend. A Parasite's good for nothing that has got money at home; he has a longing at once to begin upon an entertainment, and to gobble away at his own expense, if he has anything at home. A Parasite ought to be a right down needy Cynic; he ought to have a leather bottle9, a strigil, an utensil10, a pair of slippers, a cloak, and a purse; and in that a little of the needful, with which he may just cheer up the existence of his own household. TOXILUS
I don't want money now; lend me your daughter. SATURIO
By my troth, never to any person whatsoever have I lent her as yet. TOXILUS
Not for that purpose which you are insinuating. SATURIO
Why do you want her then? TOXILUS
You shall know; because she's of a pretty and genteel figure. SATURIO
Such is the fact. TOXILUS
This Procurer pointing to the house of DORDALUS neither knows yourself nor your daughter. SATURIO
How should any one know me, except him who finds me food? TOXILUS
Such is the fact. This way you can find some money for me. SATURIO
I' faith, I wish I could. TOXILUS
Then do you allow me to sell her. SATURIO
You to sell her? TOXILUS
Why no, I'll depute another person to sell her, and to say that he is a foreigner; since it isn't six months since that Procurer removed hither from Megara11. SATURIO
The remnants are spoiling; this, however, can be done afterwards. TOXILUS
Do you understand on what terms it can? Never, on my word, shall you eat here this day, so don't be mistaken, before you declare to me that you'll do this that I'm requesting; and unless you bring your daughter with you hither at once as soon as you can, by my faith, I'll cashier you from this squad. What now? What's the matter? Why don't you say what you will do? SATURIO
I' troth, prithee sell even myself as well, if you like, so long as you sell me with my stomach full. TOXILUS
If you are going to do this, do it. SATURIO
For my part, I'll do what you desire, TOXILUS
You act kindly. Make haste, be off home; cleverly tutor your daughter beforehand, instruct her cunningly, what she is to say, where she is to declare she was born, who were her parents, how she was kidnapped. But let her declare that she was born at a distance from Athens; and let her shed tears when she makes mention of it. SATURIO
Now won't you hold your tongue? Three times more artful is she than you would have her be. TOXILUS
I' troth, you say what's excellent. But do you know what you are to do? Get a tunic and a girdle, and bring a scarf and a broad-brimmed hat for him to wear who is to sell her to this Procurer---- SATURIO
Well-capital! TOXILUS
As though he were a foreigner. SATURIO
I approve of it---- TOXILUS
And do you bring your daughter cleverly drest up after a foreign fashion. SAGARISTIO
"Où sont12" the dresses? TOXILUS
Borrow them of the chorus-leader13. He ought to lend them; the Ædiles14 have contracted for them to be found. SATURIO
I'll have them here just now. But I'm to be acquainted with nothing of these matters? TOXILUS
I' faith, nothing, in fact. But, when I've got the money, do you at once claim her of the Procurer. SATURIO
Let him keep her for himself, if I don't immediately carry her off from him. TOXILUS
Be off and attend to this. Exit SATURIO. In the meantime, I want to send a boy to my mistress; that she may be of good courage, and that I shall manage it to-day. I'm talking too much at length. Goes into the house.
1 The junkets: "Colutea." These, according to some, were the fruit of a tree called by the same name; others take the word to mean a large kind of quince. As there is some doubt on the subject, a general name has been adopted in the Translation. Warner thinks that the word means "myrrh;" but it is pretty clear that he is mistaken. Quinces were used in the wines of the ancients, as we learn from Columella.
2 Calamus: Supposed to be "sweet-scented rush." This was used, probably, for flavoring the wine.
3 The gravy-cakes: "Collyræ." These were cakes eaten with broth or gravy.
4 The cheese-biscuits: "Colliphia." These were made of a mixture of flour and new cheese.
5 Hungerio: In the original, "Esurio," "Hungerer." He puns on his name, which he says ought to have no relation to "satur," "full," but rather to "esuriens," "one who is hungry."
6 Any caviare: "Halec," or "alec," was a "pickle," or "salt liquor," made from fish, and, perhaps, especially herrings. It was probably used for much the same purposes as anchovy sauce with us.
7 A capital notion of what's good: "Sapis multum ad Genium;" more literally, "you have much good taste for enjoyment."
8 Stripped of their meat: "Oppectuntur." This word comes from "pecten," "a comb," and was not improbably used in especial reference to fish, as the picking the meat off of a conger or a lamprey does reduce it to somewhat of the appearance of a comb. As to eating fish cold, see the words of Periple- comenus, in the Miles Gloriosus, l. 760, and the Note.
9 A leather bottle: "Ampullam." This was probably the bottle in which unguents were kept by the Parasite for the convenience of bathers. See the soliloquy of Gelasimus the Parasite, in the Stichus, l. 228.
10 An utensil: "Scaphium." If this word has not the same meaning here as "matula," it will probably signify a bottle, which he ought to be in the habit of carrying about with him, for taking home any wine left after the entertainment. The use of the "socci" would show that his avocations were more confined to in-doors than the street, where the use of them was considered effeminate. On the "strigil," see the Notes to the Stichus, l. 228.
11 From Megara: This was a city not far from Athens, on the confines of Attica.
12 Où sont: The word "whence" is expressed in the text by the Greek πόθεν. It has been previously remarked, that the Romans interlarded their dialogue with Greek expressions, in the same way that we adopt French words and phrases.
13 The chorus-leader: "Chorego." As to the "choragus" or "master of the wardrobe," see the Curculio, Act IV., Sc. 1 (and the Note), where he is introduced as one of the Dramatic Personæ. See the Notes also to the Trinummus, l. 858.
14 The Ædiles: It has been observed in previous Notes that the Ædiles had the management of the representations on the stage; and probably they had a contract with the "choregi" that they should always have dresses and "properties" in readiness for the use of the actors.
The Comedies of Plautus. Henry Thomas Riley. London. G. Bell and Sons. 1912.
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