Demipho: And, as people are slanderous nowadays, they might accuse my wife and me of keeping a brothel.
nam quid eost opus?
For what need is there of her?
§412Hercle qui tu recte dicis, et tibí adsentior.
Charinus: By Hercules, you speak rightly, and I agree with you.
§413sed quid illá nunc fiet?
But what will become of her now?
§413bRecte.
Demipho: It will be fine.
ego emero matri tuae §414ancillam viraginem aliquam non malam, forma mala, §415ut matrem addecet familias, aut Syram aut Aegyptiam: §416ea molet, coquet, conficiet pensum, pinsetur flagro, §417neque propter eam quicquam eveniet nostris foribus flagiti.
I will buy for your mother some robust maidservant, not bad, but of bad appearance, as becomes a mistress of the house, either a Syrian or an Egyptian: she will grind, cook, complete her task of spinning, and be beaten with the whip, nor because of her will any disgrace happen to our doors.
§418Quid si igitur reddatur illi unde empta est?
Charinus: What if, then, she should be returned to the one from whom she was bought?
§418bMinime gentium.
Demipho: By no means in the world.
§419Dixit se redhibere, si non placeat.
Charinus: He said he would take her back if she did not please.
§419bNihil istoc opust: §420litigari nolo ego usquam, tuam autem accusari fidem; §421multo edepol si quid faciendumst facere damni mavolo, §422quam opprobramentum aut flagitium muliebre exferri domo.
Demipho: There is no need of that: I do not want to litigate anywhere, nor your good faith to be accused; by Pollux, if anything must be done, I would much rather suffer a loss, than that disgrace or a scandal concerning a woman should be carried out of the house.
§423me tibi illam posse opinor luculente vendere.
I think I can sell her for you very profitably.
§424_425Dum quidem hercle ne minoris vendas quám ego emi, pater.
Charinus: Provided, indeed, by Hercules, that you do not sell her for less than I bought her, father.
Demipho: Just be silent: there is a certain old man who commissioned me to buy her or one of that appearance.
§427bAt mihi quidam adulescens, pater, §428mandavit ad illam faciem, ita ut illaec est, emerem sibi.
Charinus: But, father, a certain young man commissioned me to buy for him one of that appearance, just as she is.
§429Viginti minis opinor posse me illam vendere.
Demipho: I think I can sell her for twenty minae.
§430At ego si velim, iam dantur septem et viginti minae.
Charinus: But as for me, if I wished, twenty-seven minae are already offered.
Demipho: But I— Charinus: Nay, I say— Demipho: Ah, you do not know what I am going to say, be silent.
§432tris minas accudere etiam possum, ut triginta sient.
I can also add three minae, so that they may be thirty.
§433Quo vortisti?
Charinus: Whither have you turned?
§433bAd illum qui emit.
Demipho: To him who is buying.
§433cVbinamst is homo gentium?
Charinus: Where in the world is that man?
§434_435Eccillum video.
Charinus: Look, I see him there.
iubet quínque me addere etiam nunc minas.
He orders me to add five minae even now.
§436Hercle illunc divi infelicent, quisquis est.
Demipho: By Hercules, may the gods curse him, whoever he is.
Charinus: In that very same place he nods to me even now to add six minae.
§437bSeptem mihi.
Demipho: Seven for me.
§438Numquam edepol me vincet hodie.
By Pollux, he will never beat me today.
§438bCommodis poscit, pater.
Charinus: He demands on favorable terms, father.
§439Nequiquam poscit: ego habeo.
Demipho: He demands in vain: I have her.
§439bAt illic pollicitust prior.
Charinus: But he promised first.
§440Nihili facio.
Demipho: I care nothing for that.
§440bQuinquaginta poscit.
Charinus: He offers fifty minae.
§440cNon centum datur.
Demipho: She is not given for a hundred.
§441potine ut ne licitere advorsum mei animi sententiam?
Can you not bid against my mind's wish?
§442maximam hercle habebis praedam: ita ille est, quoi emitur, senex; §443sanus non est ex amore illius.
By Hercules, you will have a very great profit: such is that old man for whom she is being bought; he is not sane out of love for her.
quod posces feres.
Whatever you demand, you will get.
Charinus: Certainly, by Pollux, that young man for whom I am buying is desperately dying of love for her.
§445bMulto hercle ille magis senex, si tu scias.
Demipho: Much more, by Hercules, is that old man, if you only knew.
§446Numquam edepol fuit neque fiet ille senex insanior §447ex amore quam ille adulescens cui ego do hanc operam, pater.
By Pollux, father, that old man never was nor will be more madly in love than that young man for whom I am taking this trouble.
§448Quiesce, inquam.
Demipho: Quiet, I say.
istanc rém ego recte videro.
I will see to that matter properly myself.
§448bQuid ais?
Charinus: What do you say?
§448cQuid est?
Demipho: What is it?
§449Non ego illám mancupio accepi.
Charinus: I did not receive her by formal ownership transfer.
§449bSed ille illam accipiet.
Demipho: But he will receive her.
sine.
Let it be.
§450Non potes tu lege vendere illam.
Charinus: You cannot sell her by law.
§450bEgo aliquid videro.
Demipho: I will see to something.
§451Post autem communest illa mihi cum álio.
Charinus: Moreover, she is common to me with another.
qui scio §452quid sit ei animi, venirene eam velit an non velit?
How do I know what his mind is, whether he wants her to be sold or does not want?
§453Ego scio velle.
Demipho: I know he wants to.
§453bAt pol ego esse credo aliquem qui non velit.
Charinus: But by Pollux, I believe there is someone who does not want to.
§454Quid id mea refert?
Demipho: What does that matter to me?
§454bQuia illi suam rem esse aequomst in manu.
Charinus: Because it is right that his property should be in his own hands.
Charinus: She is common to me with him: he is not present here now.
§456Prius respondes quam rogo.
Demipho: You answer before I ask.
§456bPrius tú emis quam vendo, pater.
Charinus: You buy before I sell, father.
§457nescio, inquam, velit ille illam necne abalienarier.
Demipho: I say, I do not know whether he wants her to be alienated or not.
§458Quid? illi quoidam qui mandavit tibi si emetur, tum volet,
What?
§459sí ego emo illi qui mandavit, tum ille nolet? nihil agis.
If she is bought for that certain person who commissioned you, then he will want it, but if I buy for the one who commissioned me, then he will not want it? You accomplish nothing.
§460numquam edepol quisquam illam habebit potius quam ille quem ego volo.
By Pollux, no one shall ever have her rather than he whom I wish.
§461Certumnest?
Charinus: Is it resolved?
§461bCensen certum esse? quin ad navem iam hinc eo,
Demipho: Do you think it is not resolved?
§462ibi venibit.
Why, I am going from here to the ship right now; she shall be sold there.
§462bVin me tecum illo ire?
Charinus: Do you want me to go there with you?
§462cNolo.
Demipho: I do not want.
§462dNon places.
Charinus: You are not pleasing.
§463Meliust te, quae sunt mandatae res tibi, praevortier.
Demipho: It is better for you to attend to the things that have been entrusted to you.
§464Tu prohibes.
Charinus: You prevent me.
§464bAt me incusato: te fecisse sedulo.
Demipho: But accuse me: that you did it diligently.
§465ad portum ne bitas, dico iam tibi.
Do not go to the harbor, I tell you now.
§465bAuscultabitur.
Charinus: It shall be obeyed.
§466Ibo ad portum.
Charinus: (to himself) I will go to the harbor.
ne hic resciscat, cauto opust: non ipse emam,
There is need of caution lest he find out: I will not buy her myself,