Palaestrio: But Periplectomenus is bringing the woman I commissioned him to get, of an exceedingly charming form.
di hercle hanc rem adiuvant.
By Hercules, the gods are helping this matter.
§872quam digne ornata incedit, haud meretricie.
How worthily adorned she walks along, not at all like a courtesan.
§873lepide hoc succedit sub manus negotium.
Charmingically does this business succeed under my hands.
Periplectomenus: I have explained the whole matter to you, Acroteleutium, and at the same time to you, Milphidippa, at home in order.
hanc fabricam fallaciasque §876minus sí tenetis, denuo volo percipiatis plane; §877satis si íntellegitis, aliud est quod potius fabulemur.
If you understand this device and these tricks less than fully, I want you to grasp them clearly again; if you understand enough, there is something else that we should rather chat about.
§878Stultitia atque insipientia mea istaec sit, mi patrone, §879me ire in opus alienum aut ibi meam operam pollicitari, §880si ea in ópificina nesciam aut mala esse aut fraudulenta.
Acroteleutium: That would be my foolishness and silliness, my patron, for me to go into another's business or to promise my service there, if I did not know that things in that workshop were either mischievous or deceitful.
§881At melius est monerier.
Periplectomenus: But it is better to be advised.
Acroteleutium: That a courtesan be advised, how indeed of great importance it is, is not a secret to anyone.
quin egomet ultro, §883postquam adbibere auris meae tuae oram orationis, §884tibi dixi, miles quem ad modum potis sit deasciari.
Nay, of my own accord, after my ears drank in the edge of your speech, I told you how the soldier could be trimmed.
§885At nemo solus satis sapit.
Periplectomenus: But no one is wise enough by himself.
nam ego multos saepe vidi §886regionem fugere consili prius quam repertam haberent.
For I have often seen many people flee the region of counsel before they had found it.
§887Si quid faciendum est mulieri male atque malitiose, §888ea síbi immortalis memoriast meminisse et sempiterna; §889sin bene quid aut fideliter faciundum eisdem veniat, §890obliviosae extempulo fiunt, meminisse nequeunt.
If something bad and malicious has to be done by a woman, she has an immortal and everlasting memory to remember it; but if it happens to the same women that something good or faithful must be done, they immediately become forgetful, and cannot remember.
§891Ergo istuc metuo, quom venit vobis faciundum utrumque: §892nam id proderit mihi, militi male quod facietis ambae.
Therefore I fear that point, when both must be done by you: for that will benefit me, which you both do badly to the soldier.
§893Dum nescientes quod bonum faciamus, ne formida.
Acroteleutium: As long as we do what is good without knowing it, do not fear.
§894_895Mala mulier mers est.
Periplectomenus: A bad woman is a bad ware.
§894_895bNe pave, peioribus conveniunt.
Milphidippa: Do not fear, they match with worse things.
§896Ita vos decet.
Periplectomenus: So it becomes you.
consequimini.
Follow.
§896bCesso égo illis obviam ire?
Palaestrio: Am I hesitating to go to meet them?
§897venire salvom gaudeo, lepide hercle ornatus incedis.
I am glad that you arrive safely; by Hercules, you walk along charmingly adorned.
§898Bene opportuneque obviam es, Palaestrio.
Periplectomenus: You are in the way well and opportunely, Palaestrio.
em tibi adsunt §899quas me iussisti adducere et quo ornatu.
Look, here are those whom you ordered me to bring, and in that adornment.
§899beu, noster esto.
Palaestrio: Excellent! Be on our side.
§900Palaestrio Acroteleutium salutat.
Palaestrio greets Acroteleutium.
Acroteleutium: Who is this, pray, who names me so like an acquaintance?
§901bHic noster architectust.
Periplectomenus: This is our architect.
§902Salve, architecte.
Acroteleutium: Hail, architect.
§902bSalva sis.
Palaestrio: Hail to you.
sed dic mihi, ecquid hic te §903oneravit praeceptis?
But tell me, did he load you with instructions here?
§903bProbe meditatam utramque duco.
Acroteleutium: I bring both of us excellently rehearsed.
§904Audire cupio, quem ad modum; ne quid peccetis paveo.
Palaestrio: I desire to hear how; I fear lest you commit some mistake.
§905Ad tua praecepta de meo nihil his novom adposivi.
Periplectomenus: I have added nothing new of my own for them to your instructions.
§906Nempe lúdificari militem tuom erum vis?
Acroteleutium: Surely you want your master, the soldier, to be made a fool of?
§906bExlocuta es.
Palaestrio: You have spoken it out.
§907Lepide et sapienter, commode et facete res paratast.
Acroteleutium: Charmingly and wisely, conveniently and wittily the business is prepared.
§908Atque huius uxorem volo te esse adsimulare.
Palaestrio: And I want you to pretend to be his wife.
§908bFiet.
Acroteleutium: It shall be done.
§909Quasi militi animum adieceris, simulare.
Palaestrio: Pretend as if you have set your mind on the soldier.
§909bSic futurum est.
Acroteleutium: So it shall be.
§910Quasique ea res per me interpretem et tuam ancillam ei curetur.
Palaestrio: And as if that business is cared for him through me as intermediary and through your maid.
§911Bonus vátes poteras esse, nam quae sunt futura dicis.
Acroteleutium: You could have been a good prophet, for you speak what things are to be.
§912Quasique anulum hunc ancillula tua abs té detulerit ad me, §913quem ego militi porro darem tuis verbis.
Palaestrio: And as if your little maid had brought this ring from you to me, which I was then to give to the soldier in your name.
§913bVera dicis.
Acroteleutium: You speak the truth.
§914Quid istís nunc memoratis opust quae commeminere?
What need is there now of mentioning those things which they well remember?
§914bMeliust.
Palaestrio: It is better.
§915nam, mi patrone, hoc cogitato, ubi probus est architectus, §916bene lineatam si semel carinam conlocavit, §917facile esse navem facere, ubi fundata, constitutast.
Acroteleutium: For, my patron, think of this: when the architect is good, if once he has laid down a well-aligned keel, it is easy to build the ship, when it is founded and established.
§918nunc haec carina satis probe fundata, bene statutast, §919atque architecto adsunt fabri ad eam rem haud imperiti.
Now this keel is founded well enough, and well set up, and the architect has workmen for this business who are by no means unskilled.
§920si non nos materiarius remoratur, quod opus qui det §921(novi indolem nostri ingeni), cito erit parata navis.
If the timber-merchant does not delay us in giving what the work needs (I know the quality of our talent), the ship will soon be ready.
§922Nempe tú novisti militem meum erum?
Palaestrio: Surely you know my master, the soldier?
§922bRogare mirumst.
Acroteleutium: It is a wonder to ask.
Why should I not know the hatred of the people, the boastful, curly-haired, perfumed adulterer?
§924bNum ille te nam novit?
Palaestrio: But does he indeed know you?
Acroteleutium: He has never seen me; how should he know me, who I am?
Palaestrio: You talk exceedingly charmingly; for that reason, by Pollux, it could be done all the more charmingly.
Acroteleutium: Can you deliver the man to me, and remain quiet as to the rest?
§928ero, cúlpam omnem in me imponito.
If I do not make a fool of him charmingly, lay all the blame on me.
Palaestrio: Come then, go inside; pursue this business wisely.
§929bAlia cura.
Acroteleutium: Worry about other things.