§1Vt vos in vostris voltis mercimoniis §2emundis vendundisque me laetum lucris §3adficere atque adiuvare in rebus omnibus §4et ut res rationesque vostrorum omnium §5bene me expedire voltis peregrique et domi §6bonoque atque amplo auctare perpetuo lucro §7quasque incepistis res quasque inceptabitis, §8et uti bonis vos vostrosque omnis nuntiis §9me adficere voltis, ea adferam, ea uti nuntiem §10quae maxime in rem vostram communem sient §11(nam vos quidem id iam scitis concessum et datum §12mi esse ab dis aliis, nuntiis praesim et lucro): §13haec ut me voltis adprobare adnitier, §15ita huic facietis fabulae silentium §16itaque aequi et iusti hic eritis omnes arbitri.
As you wish me to bless you in buying and selling your merchandise with joyful profits, and to help you in all affairs, and as you wish me to manage successfully the business and accounts of you all, both abroad and at home, and to increase with constant, good, and ample gain the enterprises which you have begun and those you will begin, and as you wish me to bring good news to you and all yours, and that I bring and announce those things which may be most to your common advantage (for you indeed already know that this has been granted and given to me by the other gods, that I should preside over messages and profit): as you wish me to approve and strive for these things, so shall you keep silence for this play, and so shall you all be fair and just judges here.
Now I shall tell by whose command I come, and why I have come, and at the same time I shall declare my own name.
§19Iovis iússu venio, nomen Mercurio est mihi.
I come by command of Jove; my name is Mercury.
§20pater huc me misit ad vos oratum meus, §21tam etsi, pro imperio vobis quod dictum foret, §22scibat facturos, quippe qui intellexerat §23vereri vos se et metuere, ita ut aequom est Iovem; §24verum profecto hoc petere me precario §25a vobis iussit, leniter, dictis bonis.
My father sent me here to entreat you, although he knew that whatever was said to you by way of command you would do, since he had understood that you respect and fear him, just as it is right to fear Jove; but indeed he ordered me to ask this from you as a favor, gently, with kind words.
§26etenim ille, cuius huc iussu venio, Iuppiter §27non minus quam vostrum quivis formidat malum: §28humana matre natus, humano patre, §29mirari non est aequom, sibi si praetimet; §30atque ego quoque etiam, qui Iovis sum filius, §31contagione mei patris metuo malum.
For that Jove, by whose command I come here, fears trouble no less than any one of you: being born of a human mother and a human father, it is not fair to wonder if he fears for himself beforehand; and I too, who am the son of Jove, fear trouble through contagion from my father.
§32propterea pace advenio et pacem ad vos affero:† §33iustam rem et facilem esse oratam a vobis volo, §34nam iusta ab iustis iustus sum orator datus.
Therefore I arrive in peace and bring peace to you: I wish a just and easy thing to be asked of you, for I am given as a just speaker to ask just things from just people.
§35nam iniusta ab iustis impetrari non decet, §36iusta autem ab iniustis petere insipientia est; §37quippe illi iniqui ius ignorant neque tenent.
For it is not fitting to obtain unjust things from just people, while to ask just things from unjust people is foolishness; for those unjust people do not know justice, nor do they keep it.
§38nunc iam huc animum omnes quae loquar advortite.
Now then, all of you, turn your attention to what I shall say.
§39debetis velle quae velimus: meruimus §40et ego et pater de vobis et re publica; §41nam quid ego memorem (ut alios in tragoediis §42vidi, Neptunum Virtutem Victoriam §43Martem Bellonam, commemorare quae bona §44vobis fecissent) quis bene factis meus pater, §45deorum regnator architectus omnibus?
You ought to wish what we wish: both I and my father have deserved well of you and your republic; for why should I mention (as I have seen others in tragedies, Neptune, Virtue, Victory, Mars, Bellona, recounting what good things they had done for you) with what good deeds my father, the ruler of the gods, the architect of all, has blessed you?
§46sed mos numquam illi fuit patri meo,† §47ut exprobraret quod bonis faceret boni; §48gratum arbitratur esse id a vobis sibi §49meritoque vobis bona se facere quae facit.
But it was never the custom of my father to reproach good men with the good he did for them; he believes that this is appreciated by you, and that he deservedly does the good things he does for you.
Now, first I shall declare what matter I have come here to request, and afterwards I shall relate the plot of this tragedy.
§52quid? contraxistis frontem, quia tragoediam
What? Did you wrinkle your brow because I said this would be a tragedy?
§53dixi futuram hanc? deus sum, commutavero.
I am a god, I will have it changed.
This very same play, if you wish, I shall make a comedy out of a tragedy, with all the same verses.
Do you wish it to be so or not? But I am rather foolish, as if I did not know that you want it, being a god.
I understand what your mind is on this matter: I shall make it mixed: let it be a tragicomedy.
For I do not think it appropriate to make it entirely a comedy, where kings and gods appear.
§62quid igitur? quoniam hic servos quoque partes habet, §63faciam sit, proinde ut dixi, tragicomoedia.
What then? Since a slave also has a part here, I shall make it, just as I said, a tragicomedy.
§64nunc hoc me orare a vobis iussit Iuppiter, §65ut conquaestores singula in subsellia §66eant per totam caveam spectatoribus, §67si cui favitores delegatos viderint, §68ut is in cavea pignus capiantur togae; §69sive quí ambissint palmam histrionibus §70sive cuíquam artifici, si per scriptas litteras §71sive qui ípse ambissit seu per internuntium, §72sive adeo aediles perfidiose cui duint, §73sirempse legem iussit esse Iuppiter, §74quasi mágistratum sibi alterive ambiverit.
Now Jupiter has ordered me to request this of you: that the inspectors go through each row of seats throughout the whole theater among the spectators, and if they see any hired supporters for anyone, let their togas be taken as a pledge in the theater; or if any have canvassed for the palm for actors, or for any artist, whether by written letters, or if anyone has canvassed in person or through an intermediary, or if the aediles should treasonably award it to anyone, Jupiter has ordered that the law be exactly the same as if he had canvassed for a magistracy for himself or for another.