what the second line of the first page of the wax tablet means; whether you are the sole heir or a co-heir with many others, run over it with a rapid eye.
plerumque recoctus §2.5.56scriba ex quinqueviro corvum deludet hiantem §2.5.57captatorque dabit risus Nasica Corano.
Often a secretary, refashioned from a minor magistrate, will mock the gaping raven, and Nasica, the legacy-hunter, will afford laughter to Coranus.' 'Are you mad?
’ §2.5.58‘num furis? an prudens ludis me obscura canendo?’ §2.5.59‘o Laertiade, quidquid dicam, aut erit aut non: §2.5.60divinare etenim magnus mihi donat Apollo. ’ §2.5.61‘quid tamen ista velit sibi fabula, si licet, ede. ’ §2.5.62‘tempore quo iuvenis Parthis horrendus, ab alto §2.5.63demissum genus Aenea, tellure marique §2.5.64magnus erit, forti nubet procera Corano §2.5.65filia Nasicae, metuentis reddere soldum.
Or do you deliberately mock me by chanting obscurities?' 'O son of Laertes, whatever I say will either happen or not; for great Apollo grants me the power of prophecy.' 'Yet tell me, if I may, what that story of yours means.' 'At the time when a youth, dreaded by the Parthians, sprung from the lofty lineage of Aeneas, shall be great by land and sea, the tall daughter of Nasica, who dreads paying his debts in full, will marry brave Coranus.
§2.5.66tum gener hoc faciet: tabulas socero dabit atque §2.5.67ut legat orabit; multum Nasica negatas §2.5.68accipiet tandem et tacitus leget invenietque §2.5.69nil sibi legatum praeter plorare suisque.
Then the son-in-law will do this: he will give the tablets to his father-in-law and entreat him to read them; after many refusals, Nasica will at last accept them and read silently, only to find nothing bequeathed to him and his but to weep.
§2.5.70illud ad haec iubeo: mulier si forte dolosa §2.5.71libertusve senem delirum temperet, illis §2.5.72accedas socius: laudes, lauderis ut absens.
In addition to this, I command you: if by chance a crafty woman or a freedman rules the dotard, join them as an ally: praise them, so that you may be praised by them when absent.
This too helps, but it is far better to storm the main citadel itself.
scribet mala carmina vecors: §2.5.75laudato.
If the fool writes bad verses, praise them.
scortator erit: cave te roget; ultro §2.5.76Penelopam facilis potiori trade. ’ ‘putasne §2.5.77perduci poterit tam frugi tamque pudica, §2.5.78quam nequiere proci recto depellere cursu?’ §2.5.79‘venit enim magnum donandi parca iuventus §2.5.80nec tantum Veneris quantum studiosa culinae.
If he is a womanizer, do not wait for him to ask; voluntarily hand Penelope over, compliant, to your betters.' 'Do you think she can be corrupted, she who is so frugal and so chaste, whom the suitors could not turn from her right course?' 'Yes, because the youth who came were stingy with great gifts, and not so much eager for Venus as for the kitchen.
§2.5.81sic tibi Penelope frugi est; quae si semel uno §2.5.82de sene gustarit tecum partita lucellum, §2.5.83ut canis a corio numquam absterrebitur uncto.
That is why Penelope is chaste for you; but if she once tastes a tiny profit from one old man, shared with you, she will never be scared away, like a dog from a greasy hide.
§2.5.84me sene quod dicam factum est.
What I am about to say happened when I was an old man.
anus inproba Thebis §2.5.85ex testamento sic est elata: cadaver §2.5.86unctum oleo largo nudis umeris tulit heres, §2.5.87scilicet elabi si posset mortua; credo, §2.5.88quod nimium institerat viventi.
A wicked old woman at Thebes was carried out for burial according to her will in this way: her corpse, anointed with abundant oil, her heir carried on his bare shoulders, to see, of course, if she could slip away from him even when dead; I suppose, because he had pressed her too hard while she lived.
cautus adito §2.5.89neu desis operae neve immoderatus abundes.
Approach cautiously, neither fail in your diligence nor be immoderately excessive.
§2.5.90difficilem et morosum offendet garrulus: ultra §2.5.91‘non’ ‘etiam’ sileas; Davus sis comicus atque §2.5.92stes capite obstipo, multum similis metuenti.
A chatterbox will offend a difficult and morose man; beyond 'No' and 'Yes' keep silent; be like Davus in the comedy and stand with your head bent, looking much like one who is afraid.
§2.5.93obsequio grassare; mone, si increbruit aura, §2.5.94cautus uti velet carum caput; extrahe turba §2.5.95oppositis umeris; aurem substringe loquaci.
Attack with obsequiousness; advise him, if the breeze freshens, to cover his precious head carefully; extricate him from the crowd by opposing your shoulders; prick up your ear for him when he is talkative.
§2.5.96inportunus amat laudari: donec ‘ohe iam’ §2.5.97ad Caelum manibus sublatis dixerit, urge: §2.5.98crescentem tumidis infla sermonibus utrem.
If he is importunate and loves to be praised, press him until, with hands raised to heaven, he says 'Enough now!'; inflate the swelling bladder with your bombastic words.
§2.5.99cum te servitio longo curaque levarit, §2.5.100et certum vigilans “quartae sit partis Ulixes” §2.5.101audieris “heres”: “ergo nunc Dama sodalis
When he has released you from your long service and care, and being wide awake you hear: 'Let Ulysses be heir to a fourth part': 'Is then my companion Dama now no more?
§2.5.102nusquam est? unde mihi tam fortem tamque fidelem?” §2.5.103sparge subinde et, si paulum potes inlacrimare, est §2.5.104gaudia prodentem voltum celare.
Whence shall I find one so brave and so faithful?' Scatter such words now and then, and if you can weep a little, it is easy to conceal the face that would betray your joy.
sepulcrum §2.5.105permissum arbitrio sine sordibus exstrue: funus §2.5.106egregie factum laudet vicinia.
Let his tomb, if left to your discretion, be built without stinginess; let the funeral, handsomely performed, be praised by the neighborhood.
siquis §2.5.107forte coheredum senior male tussiet, huic tu §2.5.108dic, ex parte tua seu fundi sive domus sit §2.5.109emptor, gaudentem nummo te addicere.
If by chance any of your co-heirs, who is older, has a bad cough, say to him that if he wishes to be the buyer of any land or house from your share, you will gladly knock it down to him for a single coin.
sed me §2.5.110imperiosa trahit Proserpina: vive valeque. ’
But imperious Proserpina drags me away; live and farewell.'