I don’t ask you. STROBILUSTake them in-doors.STAPHYLAFollow me.(They follow her in-doors, and STROBILUS goes with the others into the house of MEGADORUS.)

(Enter PYTHODICUS, from the house of MEGADORUS.)PYTHODICUSMind you your business; I’ll step in and see what the cooks are doing, to observe whom, i’ faith, to-day it is a most laborious task.Unless I manage this one thing, for them to cook the dinner down in the dungeonIn the dungeon: By the use of the word puteus he may possibly mean the black hole or dungeon alluded to in l. 301, whence there was no means of agress but by being drawn up. He means to say that such a place will be the only one for preventing the cooks from thieving whatever comes in their way. The thievish propensities of the hired cooks are also referred to in the Pseudolus.; thence, when cooked, we might bring it up again in small baskets. But if they should eat belowShould eat below: He reflects that if they are put in the puteus to prevent their thieving, they may possibly revenge themselves by eating up the victuals as fast as they cook it. whatever they should cook, those above would go without their dinner, and those below have dined. But here am I chattering, as though I had no business, when there’s such a pack of thieves in the house.(Goes into the house.)

(Enter EUCLIO, with some chaplets of flowers in his hand.)EUCLIOI wished at length to screw up my courage to-day, so as to enjoy myself at the wedding of my daughter. I come to the market, I enquire about fish; they tell me that it is dear, that lamb is dear, beef is dear, veal, large fishLarge fish: Cetus or cete properly signifies fish of the whale or dolphin kind; it perhaps means here simply the larger and coarser fish in use among the Romans, like plaice or codfish with us. He probably would not ask the price of pisciculi, or small fish, as their dearness would terrify him out of his wits., and pork, all of them are dear. And for this reason were they still dearer; I hadn’t the money. I came away thence in a rage, since I had nothing wherewithal to make a purchase; and thus did I baulkDid I baulk: Manum adire probably signified to kiss the hand to a person when expecting something more than that, and thereby to make a fool of him. He asked the prices of all the commodities, and probably chaffered about them, then kissed his hand to the dealers, and left the market without purchasing. Some think it alludes to a feint or baulk made in wrestling. all those rascals. Then I began to think with myself upon the road, If you are guilty of any extravagance on a festive day, you may be wanting on a common day, unless you are saving. After I disclosed this reasoning to my heart and appetite, my mind came over to my opinion, that I ought to give my daughter in marriage at as little expense as possible.