§721cRes itast, dici volo.
That is how things are, I want you to tell me.
§722nescis quid ego acturus sim nec facinus quantum exordiar.
You do not know what I am going to do, nor what a great enterprise I am starting.
§723Cedo manum ac subsequere propius me ad fores.
Give me your hand and follow me closer to the door.
intro inspice.
Peer inside.
§724Euax, nimis bellus átque ut esse maxume optabam locus.
Ah, a place so beautiful and just as I most wished it to be.
§726Quae imperavisti.
[Pistoclerus] Here are the things you ordered.
imperatum bene bonis factum ilicost.
An order given to good men is immediately well executed.
§727Quid parasti?
[Chrysalus] What have you prepared?
§727bQuae parari tu iussisti ómnia.
[Pistoclerus] All the things you ordered to be prepared.
§728Cape stilum propere et tabellas tu has tibi.
[Chrysalus] Take the pen quickly, and these tablets for yourself.
§728bQuid postea?
[Mnesilochus] What then?
§729Quod iubebo scribito istic.
[Chrysalus] Write what I bid you on them.
nam propterea te volo §730scribere, ut pater cognoscat litteras quando legat.
For this reason I want you to write, so that your father may recognize the handwriting when he reads it.
§731scribe.
Write.
§731bQuid scribam?
[Mnesilochus] What shall I write?
§731cSalutem tuo patri verbis tuis.
[Chrysalus] A greeting to your father in your own words.
§732Quid si potius morbum mortem scribat? id erit rectius.
[Pistoclerus] What if he should write illness and death instead? That would be more fitting.
§733Ne interturba.
[Chrysalus] Do not interrupt.
§733bIam imperatum in cera inest.
[Mnesilochus] What you ordered is already on the wax.
§733cDic quem ad modum.
[Chrysalus] Tell me how it is written.
§734Mnesilochus salutem dicit suo patri. §734bAdscribe hoc cito: §735“Chrysalus mihi usque quaque loquitur nec recte, pater, §736quia tibi aurum reddidi et quía non te fraudaverim. ” §737Mane dum scribit.
[Mnesilochus] "Mnesilochus sends greetings to his father." [Chrysalus] Add this quickly: "Father, Chrysalus is speaking to me constantly and unfavorably, because I returned the gold to you and because I did not deceive you." Wait while he writes.
§737bCelerem oportet esse amatoris manum.
[Pistoclerus] A lover's hand ought to be swift.
§738Atque † idem hercle em perdundum magis quam ad scribundumst cito.
[Chrysalus] And by Hercules, that same hand is swifter at wasting property than at writing.
§739Loquere.
[Mnesilochus] Speak on.
hoc scriptumst.
This is written.
§739b“Nunc, pater mi, proin tu ab eo ut caveas tibi, §740sycophantias componit, aurum ut abs ted auferat; §741et profecto se ablaturum dixit. ” plane adscribito.
[Chrysalus] "Now, my father, therefore look out for yourself against him, he is devising tricks to carry off the gold from you; and indeed he said he would carry it off." Add that plainly.
§742Dic modo.
[Mnesilochus] Speak then.
§742b“Atque id pollicetur se daturum aurum mihi, §743quod dem scortis quodque in lustris comedim congraecem, pater.
[Chrysalus] "And he promises that he will give that gold to me, for me to give to courtesans and to devour and live like a Greek in brothels, father.
But, father, see that he does not deceive you today: I beg you, beware." [Mnesilochus] Speak further.
§745bAdscribe dum etiam.
[Chrysalus] Add this too.
§745cLoquere quid scribam modo.
[Mnesilochus] Tell me what to write now.
§746“Sed, pater, quod promisisti mihi, te quaeso ut memineris, §747ne illum verberes; verum apud te vinctum adservato domi. ” §748cedo tu ceram ac linum actutum.
[Chrysalus] "But, father, I beg you to remember what you promised me, not to beat him; but keep him bound at your house." Give me the wax and thread immediately.
age obliga, obsigna cito.
Come, tie it, seal it quickly.
§749Obsecro, quid istís ad istunc usust conscriptis modum, §750ut tibi ne quid credat atque ut vinctum te adservet domi?
[Mnesilochus] I beseech you, what is the use of these being written in such a way, so that he may not believe you at all and may keep you bound at home?
§751Quia mi ita lubet.
[Chrysalus] Because it pleases me.
potin ut cures te atque ut ne parcas mihi?
Can you not take care of yourself and stop worrying about me?
§752mea fiducia ópus conduxi et meo periclo rem gero.
I have undertaken the task on my own confidence and I am conducting the matter at my own risk.
§753Aequom dicis.
[Mnesilochus] What you say is fair.
§753bCedo tabellas.
[Chrysalus] Give me the tablets.
§753cAccipe.
[Mnesilochus] Take them.
§753dAnimum advortite.
[Chrysalus] Pay attention.
§754Mnesiloche et tu, Pistoclere, iam facite in biclinio §755cum amica sua uterque accubitum eatis, ita negotiumst, §756atque ibidem ubi nunc sunt lecti strati potetis cito.
Mnesilochus, and you, Pistoclerus, now make sure that both of you go to lie down in the double couch, each with his own mistress, that is the business, and quickly drink in the very place where the beds are now spread.
§757Numquid aliud?
[Pistoclerus] Anything else?
§757bHoc, atque etiam: úbi erit accubitum semel, §758ne quoquam exsurgatis, donec a me erit signum datum.
[Chrysalus] This, and also: once you have lain down, do not rise up to go anywhere, until the signal is given by me.
§759O imperatorem probum!
[Pistoclerus] O excellent commander!
§759bIam bis bibisse oportuit.
[Chrysalus] You ought to have drunk twice already.
[Pistoclerus] We are off.— [Chrysalus] You look to your duty, I will perform mine.
I am planning a monstrously great piece of business, and I fear whether I can carry it through today.
§763sed nunc truculento mi atque saevo usus senest; §764nam non conducit húic sycophantiae §765senem tranquillum ésse ubi me aspexerit.
But now I have need of a fierce and angry old man; for it is not advantageous for this trickery that the old man should be calm when he sees me.
§766versabo ego illum hodie, si vivo, probe.
If I live, I will twist him thoroughly today.
§767tam frictum ego illum reddam quam frictum est cicer.
I will make him as roasted as a roasted chickpea.
I will walk to the door, so that when he comes out, I may immediately put the tablets into his hand as he approaches.
[Nicobulus] That business is too great a source of anxiety to me, that Chrysalus has thus escaped me today.
§772Salvos sum, iratus est senex.
[Chrysalus] I am safe, the old man is angry.
nunc est mihi §773adeundi ad hominem tempus.
Now is the time for me to approach the man.
§773bQuis loquitur prope?
[Nicobulus] Who is speaking nearby?
§774atque hic quidem, opinor, Chrysalust.
And indeed this is, I believe, Chrysalus.
§774bAccessero.
[Chrysalus] I will go up.
§775Bone serve, salve.
[Nicobulus] Good servant, greetings.
quid fit? quam mox navigo
What is happening?
§776in Ephesum, ut aurum repetam ab Theotimo domum?
How soon do I sail to Ephesus, to fetch the gold back home from Theotimus?
§777taces? per omnis deos adiuro, ut ni meum
Are you silent?
§778gnatum tam amem atque ei facta cupiam quae is velit, §779_780ut tua iam virgis latera lacerentur probe §781ferratusque in pistrino aetatem conteras.
I swear by all the gods, that if I did not love my son so much and wish to do for him what he desires, your sides would already be thoroughly torn with rods, and you would spend your life in chains in the mill.
§782omnia rescivi scelera ex Mnesilocho tua.
I have found out all your wicked deeds from Mnesilochus.
§783Men criminatust? optimest: ego sum malus,
[Chrysalus] Did he accuse me?
§784ego sum sacer, scelestus.
That is excellent: I am bad, I am cursed, wicked.
specta rem modo; §785ego verbum faciam nullum.
Just watch the outcome; I will speak not a single word.
§785bEtiam, carnufex,
[Nicobulus] Still talking, you scoundrel,