§923Quod si astu rem tractavit, Di vestram fidem, §924Quantam et quam veram laudem capiet Parmeno! §925Nam ut mittam, quod ei amorem difficillimum et §926Carissimum, ab meretrice avara virginem §927Quam amabat eam confeci sine molestia, §928Sine surtu, sine dispendio; tum hoc alterum, §929Id vero est quod ego mihi puto palmarium §930Me repperisse, quo modo adolescentulus §931Meretricum ingenia et mores posset noscere; §932Mature ut quum cognorit perpetuo oderit. §933Quae dum foris sunt, nihil videtur mundius; §934Nec magis compositum quicquam, nec magis elegans: §935Quae, cum amatore suo quum coenant, liguriunt. §936Harum videre illuviem, sordes, inopiam; §937Quam inhonestae solae sint domi, atque avidae cibi; §938Quo pacto ex iure hesterno panem atrum vorent; §939Nosse omnia haec salus est adolescentulis. §940Ego pol te pro istis dictis et factis, scelus, §941Ulciscar, ut ne impune in nos illuseris. §942Proh Deum fidem, facinus foedum! O infelicem adolescentulum!
if he has managed the matter with cleverness, O gods, by your faith, great and how true a praise Parmeno will receive! to pass over the fact that I have secured for him his most difficult and costly love, from a covetous courtesan, the virgin he loved, without trouble, theft, without expense; then there is this other thing, indeed is what I consider my masterpiece have discovered, how a young man get to know the character and manners of courtesans; that, having learned it early, he may hate them forever. they are abroad, nothing seems more neat; anything more orderly, nor more elegant:, when they dine with their lover, lick their fingers. to see their filth, their dirtiness, their squalor; unseemly they are when alone at home, and how greedy for food; what manner they devour black bread with yesterday's broth; know all these things is salvation for young men. Pollux, I will punish you, you scoundrel, for those words and deeds, that you shall not have mocked us with impunity., by the faith of the gods, what a foul deed!
§943O scelestum Parmenonem qui istum huc adduxit! §943bQuid est? §944Miseret me: itaque ut ne viderem misera huc effigi foras §945Quae futura exempla dicunt in eum indigna. §945bO Iupiter,
Oh, unhappy youth!, wicked Parmeno, who brought him here! is the matter? am pitying him: and so, unhappy as I am, I have fled out here that I might not see unworthy punishments which they say are going to be inflicted on him., Jupiter, is that tumult?
§946Quae illaec turba est? numnam ego perii? Adibo.
Am I not ruined? I will go near.
Quid istuc Pythias? §947Quid ais? in quem exempla fient?
What is that, Pythias? do you say?
§947bRogitas audacissime? §948Perdidisti istum quem adduxti pro eunucho adolescentulum, §949Dum studes dare verba nobis.
Upon whom are punishments to be inflicted? you ask, most audacious fellow? have ruined that young man whom you brought as a eunuch, you were studying to deceive us. so?
§949bQuid ita? aut quid factum est? cedo.
Or what has been done?
§950Dicam.
Tell me. will tell you.
Virginem istam Thaidi quae hodie dono data est §951Scis eam hinc civem esse, et fratrem eius esse apprime nobilem? §952Nescio. §952bAtqui sic inventa est: eam iste vitiavit miser. §953Ille ubi id rescivit factum, frater violentissimus — §954Quidnam fecit? §954bcolligavit primum eum miseris modis. §955Colligavit? §955bAtque equidem orante ut ne id faceret Thaide. §956Quid ais? §956bNunc minatur porro sese id quod moechis solet; §957Quod ego numquam vidi fieri, neque velim. §957bQua audacia §958Tantum facinus audet? §958bQuid ita tantum? §958cAn non tibi hoc maximum est? §959Quis homo pro moecho umquam vidit in domo meretricia §960Prehendi quemquam? §960bNescio. §960cAt ne hoc nesciatis, Pythias, §961Dico, edico vobis, nostrum esse illum herilem filium. §961bHem §962Obsecro, an is est? §962bNe quam in illum Thais vim fieri sinat. §963Atque adeo autem cur non egomet intro eo? §963bVide, Parmeno, §964Quid agas, ne neque illi prosis et tu pereas; nam hoc putant, §965Quicquid factum est a te esse ortum. §965bQuid igitur faciam miser? §966Quidve incipiam? ecce autem video rure redeuntem senem. §967Dicam huic, an non? dicam hercle, etsi mihi magnum malum §968Scio paratum; sed necesse est huic ut subveniat. §968bSapis. §969Ego abeo intro: tu isti narra omnem rem ordine ut factum siet. §970Ex meo propinquo rure hoc capio commodi, §971Neque agri neque urbis odium me umquam percipit. §972Ubi satias coepit fieri commuto locum. §973Sed estne ille noster Parmeno? et certe ipsus est. §974Quem praestolare, Parmeno, hic ante ostium?
That virgin who was given today as a present to Thais, you know that she is a citizen of this place, and that her brother is extremely noble? don't know. so she has been found out: and that wretched fellow has violated her. he discovered that deed, that most violent brother— indeed did he do? bound him in a wretched manner. him? indeed, although Thais entreated him not to do it. do you say? he threatens besides that he will do to him that which is customary for adulterers; I have never seen done, nor should I wish to. what audacity he dare so great an outrage? indeed so great? is this not a very great thing to you? has ever seen anyone, as an adulterer, in a house of a courtesan,? don't know. that you may not be ignorant of this, Pythias, tell you, I declare to you, that he is our master's son.!, is it he? not Thais permit any violence to be done to him. indeed, why do I not go in myself? to it, Parmeno, you are doing, lest you neither benefit him and perish yourself; for they think this, whatever has been done has arisen from you. then shall I do, wretch that I am? what shall I begin? But look, I see the old man returning from the country. I tell him, or not? I will tell him, by Hercules, although I know great mischief is prepared for me; but it is necessary that he should assist him. are wise. am going inside: you tell him the whole story in order as it happened. my neighboring estate in the country I receive this convenience, weariness neither of the country nor of the city ever seizes me. satiety begins to occur, I change my location. is not that our Parmeno? And certainly it is he. are you waiting for, Parmeno, here before the door? is that?
§975Quis homo est? ehem, salvum te advenire, here, gaudeo. §976Quem praestolare? §976bPerii: lingua haeret metu.
Oh, master, I am glad that you have arrived safe. are you waiting for? am ruined: my tongue cleaves to my mouth with fear. is it?
§977Hem, quid est? quid trepidas? satin salve? dic mihi. §978Here, primum te arbitrari quod res est velim; §979Quicquid huius factum est culpa non factum est mea. §980Quid? §980bRecte sane interrogasti: oportuit §981Rem praenarrasse me.
Why do you tremble? Is all well? Tell me., first I would wish you to think what the reality is; of this has been done was not done by my fault.? have asked quite rightly: I ought to explained the matter beforehand.