A servant ought to have his eyes, hands, and speech kept under control.
§565bEgone si post hunc diem §566muttivero, etiam quod egomet certo sciam, §567dato excruciandum me: egomet me dedam tibi; §568nunc hoc mi ignosce quaeso.
If I, after this day, mutter even what I myself know for certain, hand me over to be tortured; I will surrender myself to you; for now, please forgive me this.
I will conquer my feelings, so that I may not think that was done maliciously by you.
§570ignoscam tibi istuc.
I will forgive you that.
§570bAt tibi di faciant bene.
May the gods do well to you.
§571Ne tu hercle, si te di ament, linguam comprimes §572posthac, etiam illud quod scies nesciveris §573nec videris quod videris.
Indeed, by Hercules, if the gods love you, you will restrain your tongue hereafter; even what you know, you will not have known, nor will you have seen what you saw.
sed satine oratus esoratu's?
But have I begged enough?
§574bAbi.
Go.
§575Numquid nunc aliud me vis?
Do you want anything else from me now?
§575bNe me noveris.
Do not know me.
§576Dedit híc mihi verba.
This man has deceived me.
quam benigne gratiam §577fecit, ne iratus esset.
How kindly he granted favor, that he might not be angry.
I know what plot he is carrying out: as soon as the soldier comes home from the forum, I may be arrested at home.
una hic et Palaestrio §580me habent venalem: sensi et iam dudum scio.
He and Palaestrio together have me up for sale; I perceived it and have known it for a long time.
§581numquam hercle ex ista nassa ego hodie escam petam; §582nam iam aliquo aufugiam et me occultabo aliquot dies, §583dum haec consilescunt turbae atque irae leniunt.
Never, by Hercules, will I seek bait from that fish-trap today; for I will flee somewhere now and hide myself for a few days, while these troubles quiet down and angers soften.
§584nam uni satis populo impio merui mali.
For I alone have deserved enough evil for a whole wicked nation.
— §586Illic hínc abscessit.
That guy has departed from here.
sat edepol certo scio, §587occisam saepe sapere plus multo suem: §588quoin id adimatur ne id quod vidit viderit.
By Pollux, I know for certain enough that a slaughtered pig often has much more sense, since even that is taken away from him, so that he hasn't seen what he saw.
For his eyes, ears, and opinion have deserted to us.
usque adhuc actum est probe; §591nimium festivam mulier operam praehibuit.
So far, it has been done superbly; the woman has provided a very delightful performance.
§592redeo in senatum rusum; nam Palaestrio §593domi nunc apud me est, Sceledrus nunc autemst foris: §594frequens senatus poterit nunc haberier.
I return to our senate again; for Palaestrio is now at home with me, and Sceledrus is now outside; a full senate can now be held.
§595ibo intro, ne, dum absum, alter sorti defuat. —
I will go inside, lest, while I am away, the other should be missing from his duty.
§596Cóhibete intra limen etiam vos parumper, Pleusicles, §597sinite me prius pérspectare, ne uspiam insidiae sient §598concilium quod habere volumus.
Keep yourselves within the threshold still for a little while, Pleusicles, allow me first to look around, lest there be an ambush anywhere for the council we wish to hold.
nam ópus est nunc tuto loco, §599unde inimicus ne quis nostri spolia capiat consili.
For now there is need of a safe place, from where no enemy may capture the spoils of our plan.
§600nam bene consultum inconsultum est, si id inimicis usuist, §601neque potest quin, si id inimicis usuist, obsit tibi; §604quippe qui, si rescivere inimici consilium tuom, §605tuopte tibi consilio occludunt linguam et constringunt manus, §606atque eadem quae illis voluisti facere, illi faciunt tibi.
For a well-planned thing is un-planned if it is of use to enemies, nor can it fail, if it is of use to enemies, to harm you; since indeed, if the enemies have found out your plan, they shut your tongue and bind your hands with your very own plan, and they do to you the very things you wished to do to them.
§607sed speculabor, ne quis aut hinc aut ab laeva aut dextera §608nostro consilio venator adsit cum auritis plagis.
But I will watch, lest any hunter, either from here or from the left or right, should be present for our plan with long-eared nets.
§609sterilis hinc prospectus usque ad ultumam est plateam probe.
The view from here all the way to the end of the street is perfectly empty.
§610evocabo.
I will call them out.
heus Periplectomene et Pleusicles, progredimini.
Ho, Periplectomenus and Pleusicles, come forward!
§611Ecce nos tibi oboedientes.
Behold us, obedient to you.
§611bFacilest imperium in bonis.
Command is easy over good men.
But I wish to know: are we carrying out the business with the same plan that we devised inside?
§613bMagis nón potest esse ad rem utibile.
It cannot be more useful for the matter.
§614bQuodne vóbis placeat, displiceat mihi?
Should what pleases you displease me?
§615quis homo sit magis meus quam tu es?
What man is more mine than you are?
§615bLoquere lepide et commode.
You speak charmingly and properly.
§616Pol ita decet hunc facere.
By Pollux, so it is fitting for him to do.
But this deed torments me, wretched, and tortures my heart and body.
§617bQuid id est quod cruciat? cedo.
What is it that tortures you? Tell me.
§618Me tibi istúc aetatis homini facinora puerilia §619obicere, neque te decora neque tuis virtutibus; §620ea te expetere ex opibus summis mei honoris gratia §621mihique amanti ire opitulatum atque ea te facere facinora, §622quae istaec aetas fugere facta magis quam sectari solet: §623eam pudet me tíbi in senecta obicere sollicitudinem.
That I should impose childish deeds on a man of your age, deeds neither fitting for you nor for your virtues; that you should seek those things with all your resources for the sake of my honor, and go to help me in my love, and do those deeds which that age of yours is accustomed to flee rather than pursue; I am ashamed to impose such anxiety on you in your old age.