Asinaria, or The Ass-Dealer (565-588b)

clever, hardened fellows[*], sturdy stripers.

Certainly I do admit, Leonida, that it is true as you say. But verily, in troth, your many misdeeds, too, may be recounted as well and truly; where wilfully you have proved faithless to the trusting, where you have been detected in theft and scourged in public,

where you have proved forsworn, where you have laid hands on sacred things, where to your masters you have full oft proved a loss, a trouble, and a disgrace, where you have stoutly denied that that was given to you which had been entrusted to you, where you have proved more faithful to your wench than to your friend, where through your hardihood you have frequently reduced to weariness eight

sturdy lictors, armed with pliant twigs of elm. (To the AUDIENCE.) Is the compliment ill repaid in the way that I’ve praised my comrade?

Just as befits both me and yourself, and our dispositions.

Now drop this, and answer me this that I ask.

Enquire of me what you please.

Have you got the twenty silver minae?

Guess —

Upon my word, the old gentleman Demaenetus, has been very obliging to us. How cleverly he pretended that I was Saurea. With the greatest difficulty did I withhold my laughter, when he rebuked the stranger, because in his absence he had been unwilling to put confidence in me; and with what readiness did he call me Saurea the chamberlain.

Stop a moment.

What’s the matter?

Isn’t this Philenium that’s coming from in-doors, and Argyrippus with her.

Keep silence, ’tis he; let’s listen quietly to them.

In tears, she holds him, weeping, by the lappet of his garment; what, I wonder, am I to say is the matter?

Let’s listen in silence.

Dear me, a thought, I’ faith, has just come into my mind; I very much wish I had a long stick here.