§424bEcastor haud invita fecero.
By Castor, I shall do it not unwillingly.
§425sed scin quid te amabo ut facias?
But do you know what I would like you to do, please?
§425bImpera quid vis modo.
Just command what you wish.
§426Pallam illam, quam dudum dederas, ad phrygionem ut deferas, §427ut reconcinnetur atque ut opera addantur quae volo.
That you take that mantle, which you gave just now, to the embroiderer, so that it may be refitted and the ornaments which I want may be added.
§428Hercle qui tu recte dicis: eádem ignorabitur, §429ne uxor cognoscat te habere, si in via conspexerit.
By Hercules, indeed you speak rightly: by the same means it will be made unrecognizable, lest my wife recognize that you have it, if she catches sight of it in the street.
§430Ergo mox auferto tecum, quando abibis.
Therefore take it away with you presently, when you depart.
§430bMaxime.
Most certainly.
§431Eamus intro
Let's go inside.
§431bIam sequar te.
I will follow you at once.
húnc volo etiam conloqui.
I wish to speak with this fellow too.
§432eho Messenio, accede huc.
Hey, Messenio, come here.
§432bQuid negoti est?
What's the business?
§432c†sussciri.
†Take it away secretly†.
§433Quid eo opust?
Why is there need of that?
§433bOpus est.
There is need.
scio ut me dices.
I know what you will say of me.
§433cTanto nequior.
So much the more worthless are you.
§434_435Habeo praedam: tantum incepi óperis.
I have the booty: so great a work have I begun.
ei quantum potes, §436abduc istos in tabernam actutum devorsoriam.
Go as fast as you can, lead those fellows away immediately to the inn.
§437tum facito ante solem occasum ut venias advorsum mihi.
Then see to it that you come to meet me before sunset.
§438Non tu istas meretrices novisti, ere.
You don't know these courtesans, master.
§438bTace, inquam
Keep quiet, I say.
§439mihi dolebit, non tibi, si quid ego stulte fecero.
It will hurt me, not you, if I do anything foolishly.
This woman is foolish and ignorant; as far as I have just perceived, there is booty here for us.
— §441bPerii, iamne abis? periit probe:
I'm ruined, are you already going?
§442ducit lembum dierectum navis praedatoria.
He is completely ruined: the pirate ship is leading the small boat straight to destruction.
§443sed ego inscitus qui domino me postulem moderarier: §444dicto me emit audientem, haud imperatorem sibi.
But I am foolish to expect to control my master: he bought me to obey his word, not to be a commander to him.
§445sequimini, ut, quod imperatum est, veniam advorsum temperi. —
Follow me, so that, as has been ordered, I may come to meet him in time.
§446Plus triginta ánnis natus sum, quom ínterea loci, §447numquam quicquam facinus feci peius neque scelestius, §448quám hodie, quom in contionem mediam me immersi miser.
I am more than thirty years old, and during all this time, never have I done any deed worse or more wicked, than today, when, wretched me, I plunged into the midst of the assembly.
§449ubi ego dúm hieto, Menaechmus se subterduxit mihi §450atque abiit ad amicam, credo, neque me voluit ducere.
Where, while I was gaping, Menaechmus stole away from me, and went off to his mistress, I believe, nor did he wish to take me.
§451qui illum di omnes perduint, qui primus commentust §452contionem habere, qui homines occupatos occupat.
May all the gods destroy him, who first devised having an assembly, who occupies occupied men.
§453non ad eam rem ótiosos homines decuit deligi, §454qui nisi adsint quom citentur, census capiat ilico?
Ought not idle men to have been chosen for that business, who, if they are not present when summoned, the census would fine them on the spot?
§457adfatim est hominum, in dies qui singulas escas edint, §458quibus negoti nihil est, qui essum neque vocantur neque vocant: §459eos oportet contioni dare operam atque comitiis.
There are plenty of men who eat only one meal a day, who have no business, who are neither invited to eat nor invite others: it is proper for them to devote their attention to the assembly and the elections.
§460sí id ita esset, non ego hodie perdidissem prandium, §461quoi tam credo † datum voluisse quam me video vivere.
If it were so, I should not have lost my lunch today, which I believe was as certainly intended to be given to me as I see that I am alive.
§462ibo: etiamnum reliquiarum spes animum oblectat meum.
I will go: even now the hope of leftovers delights my mind.
§463sed quid ego video? Menaechmus cum corona exit foras.
But what do I see? Menaechmus is coming out with a garland.
§464sublatum est convivium, edepol venio adversum temperi.
The banquet is over; by Pollux, I have come to meet him just in time.
§465observabo, quid agat, hominem.
I will watch what the fellow is doing.
post adibo atque adloquar.
Afterwards I will approach and speak to him.
§466Potine ut quiescas? ego tibi hanc hodie probe
Can't you be quiet?
§467lepideque concinnatam referam temperi.
I will return this to you today properly and elegantly refitted in good time.
§468non faxo eam esse dices: íta ignorabitur.
I'll make sure you won't say it's the same one: so unrecognizable will it be.
He is carrying the mantle to the embroiderer, lunch being finished, and the wine drunk up, the parasite shut out of doors.
By Hercules, I am not the man I am, unless I avenge this injury and myself beautifully.
observa quid dabo.
Watch what I will give him.
Oh, immortal gods, to what man have you ever given more good fortune in a single day, who expected it less?
I had lunch, I drank, I lay with a courtesan, I carried off this mantle, of which she will never be the possessor after this day.
I cannot hear clearly from my hiding place what he is saying; full as he is now, he is speaking about me and about my share.
She said that I gave this to her, and that I stole it from my wife.
quoniam sentio §482errare, extemplo, quasi res cúm ea esset mihi, §483coepi adsentari: mulier quidquid dixerat, §484idem ego dicebam.
Since I perceive that she is mistaken, immediately, as if the business was between me and her, I began to agree: whatever the woman had said, I said the same.
quid multis verbis opust?
What need is there of many words?
§485minore nusquam bene fui dispendio.
Never have I had a better time with less expense.
§486Adibo ad hominem, nam turbare gestio.
I will approach the fellow, for I long to make trouble.
§487Quis hic ést, qui adversus it mihi?
Who is this, who is coming to meet me?
§487bQuid ais, homo §488levior quam pluma, pessime et nequissime, §489flagitium hominis, subdole ac minimi preti?
What do you say, you fellow, lighter than a feather, most wicked and worthless, disgrace of mankind, crafty and of the least value?
§490quid de te merui, qua me causa perderes?
What did I deserve from you, for what reason should you ruin me?
§491ut surrupuisti te mihi dudum de foro!
How you stole yourself away from me just now from the forum!
§492fecisti funus med absente prandio.
You have celebrated the funeral of the lunch in my absence.
§493cur ausu's facere, quoi ego aeque heres eram?
Why did you dare to do it, of which I was equally the heir?