§756“Alienum hóminem intro mittat neminem.
“No strange man shall she let inside.
§757quod illa aút amicum aút patronum nominet, §758aut quód illa amicae amatorem praedicet, §759fores occlusae ómnibus sint nisi tibi.
Whether she calls him a friend or a patron, or whether she declares him to be her friend’s lover, the doors must be closed to all except you.
§760in foribus scribat occupatam ésse se.
On the doors she must write that she is busy.
§761aut quod illa dicat peregre allatam epistulam, §762ne epistula quidem ulla sit in aedibus §763nec cerata adeo tabula; et si qua inutilis §764pictura sit, eam vendat: ni in quadriduo §765abalienarit, quo abs te argentum acceperit, §766tuos arbitratus sit, comburas, si velis, §767ne illi sit cera, ubi facere possit litteras.
Or if she says that a letter has been brought from abroad, let there not be even any letter in the house, nor indeed any waxed tablet; and if there is any useless painting, let her sell it; if within four days from when she received the money from you she has not disposed of it, it shall be at your disposal to burn it, if you wish, so that she may not have any wax where she can write letters.
She shall invite no guest; you shall invite them; she shall not cast her eyes upon any of them.
§770si quem alium aspexit, caeca continuo siet.
If she looks at anyone else, let her immediately become blind.
§771tecum una potet, aeque pocla potitet: §772abs ted accipiat, tibi propinet, tu bibas, §773ne illa minus aut plus quam tu sapiat. ” §773bSatis placet.
She shall drink together with you, and drink cup for cup equally: let her receive from you, pledge to you, and you drink, lest she should understand less or more than you.” It pleases me well enough.
§774“Suspiciones omnes ab se segreget.
“All suspicions she must remove from herself.
§775neque illaec ulli pede pedém homini premat, §776cum surgat, neque cum in lectum inscendat proximum, §777neque cum descendat inde, det cuiquam manum: §778spectandum ne cui ánulum det neque roget.
Nor shall she press her foot against the foot of any man, neither when she rises, nor when she climbs onto the nearest couch, nor when she comes down from there, shall she give her hand to anyone: she shall not give her ring to anyone to look at, nor ask for one.
§779talos ne cuiquam hómini admoveat nisi tibi.
She shall not move the dice to any man except you.
§780cum iaciat,
te
ne dicat: nomen nominet.
When she throws, let her not say ‘you’: let her speak your name.
§781deam invocet sibi quam libebit propitiam, §782deum nullum; si magis religiosa fuerit, §783tibi dicat: tu pro illa ores ut sit propitius.
She may invoke for herself any propitious goddess she pleases, but no god; if she is too religious, let her tell you, and you pray for her that he may be propitious.
§784neque illa ulli homini nutet, nictet, annuat.
Nor shall she nod, wink, or beckon to any man.
§785post, si lucerna exstincta sit, ne quid sui §786membri commoveat quicquam in tenebris. ” §786bOptumest.
Afterwards, if the lamp is extinguished, let her not move any part of her body at all in the darkness.” Excellent.
§787ita scilicet facturam.
Indeed she will do so.
verum in cubiculo— §788deme istuc—equidem illam moveri gestio.
But in the bedroom— take that out—I truly desire her to be moved.
§789nolo illam habere causam et votitam dicere.
I do not want her to have an excuse and say it is forbidden.
§790Scio, cáptiones metuis.
I know, you fear trickery.
§790bVerum.
True.
§791bQuid ni?
Why not?
§791cAudi relicua.
Hear the rest.
§791dLoquere, audio.
Speak, I am listening.
“Nor shall she make any ambiguous word, nor know how to speak any tongue except Attic.
If by chance she begins to cough, she shall not cough in such a way as to stick out her tongue to anyone in coughing.
§796quod illa aútem simulet, quasi gravedo profluat, §797hoc ne sic faciat: tu labellum abstergeas §798potius quam cuiquam savium faciat palam.
And if she pretends that a cold is running, she shall not do this in this way: you must wipe her lip rather than she make a kiss openly to anyone.
Nor shall the madam mother approach the wine meanwhile, nor speak ill with any word.
If she does, let this be her penalty: that for twenty days from wine she must do without.” Beautifully written.
scitum syngraphum.
A clever agreement.
§803“Tum si coronas, serta, unguenta iusserit §804ancillam ferre Veneri aút Cupidini, §805tuos servos servet, Venerine eas det an viro.
“Then if she orders wreaths, garlands, or ointments for the maid to carry to Venus or Cupid, your slave must watch whether she gives them to Venus or to a man.
§806si forte pure velle habere dixerit, §807tot noctes reddat spurcas quot pure habuerit. ” §808haec sunt non nugae, non enim mortualia.
If by chance she says she wants to keep herself pure, let her return as many impure nights as she kept pure.” These are no trifles, for they are not dirges.
§809Placent profecto leges.
Indeed the terms please me.
sequere intro.
Follow me inside.
— §809bSequor.
I follow.
— §810Sequere hac.
Follow this way.
egone haec patiar aut taceam? emori
Am I to endure these things or keep silent?
§811me malim, quam haec non eius uxori indicem.
I would rather die than not reveal this to his wife.
§812ain tu? ápud amicam munus adulescentuli
Do you say so?
§813fungare, uxori excuses te et dicas senem?
Are you to play the role of a youth at your mistress's house, and excuse yourself to your wife saying you are an old man?
§814praeripias scortum amanti atque argentum obicias
Are you to snatch the courtesan from her lover and fling money to the madam?
§815lenae? suppiles clam domi uxorem tuam?
Are you to rob your wife secretly at home?
§816suspendam potius me, quam tu haec tacita auferas.
I would rather hang myself than let you get away with these things in silence.
§817iam quidem hercle ad illam hinc ibo, quam tu propediem, §818nisi quídem illa ante occupassit te, effliges scio, §819luxuriae sumptus suppeditare ut possies.
Indeed, by Hercules, I will go from here to her now, whom you soon, unless indeed she gets the start of you, will ruin, I know, so that you may be able to supply the expenses of your luxury.
§820Ego sic faciundum censeo: me honestiust, §821quam te palam hanc rem facere, ne illa existimet §822amoris causa percitum id fecisse te §823magis quám sua caúsa.
I think it should be done this way: it is more honorable for me than for you to make this matter public, lest she should think that you did it excited by love rather than for her own sake.
§823bAt pol qui dixti rectius.
By Pollux, indeed you have spoken more correctly.
§824tu ergo fac ut illi turbas lites concias; §825cum suo sibí gnato unam ad amicam de die §826potare, illam expilare narra.
You, therefore, make sure you stir up troubles and quarrels for her; tell her that he is drinking from midday at a single mistress's house with his own son, plundering her.
— §827bAt ego te opperiar domi.
But I will wait for you at home.
—