Let him come when he pleases, and so there be no delay. The money’s at home; I fear not for myself, nor do I go begging to any man; so long, at least, as this heart of mine shall be armed with its inventiveness. Go in; I’ll manage here. Do you tell them in-doors, that Mnesilochus is coming to Bacchis.PISTOCLERUS I’ll do as you request.(Goes into the house of BACCHIS.)CHRYSALUS The money business belongs to me. From Ephesus we have brought twelve hundred golden Philippeans, which our entertainer owed to our old gentleman. Hence, some contrivanceSome contrivance: Machinabor machinam is an Atticism borrowed by Plautus, probably from the original. With us it would be literally will machinate a machine will I this day contrive, to procure gold for this son of my master thus in love. But there’s a noise at our door—who’s coming out of doors, I wonder?(Stands aside.)

(Enter NICOBULUS from his house.)NICOBULUS(to himself.)To the Piraeus will I go; I’ll go see whether any merchant-ship has come into harbour from Ephesus. For my mind misgives me; my son lingers there so long, and does not return.CHRYSALUS(aside.)Now, I’ll finely unravel him, if the Gods are propitious. There must be no sleeping; gold is requisiteGold is requisite: Opus est chryso Chrysalo. He borrows the Greek word χρυσὸσ gold, and plays on his own name, which has that word for its origin. for Chrysalus. I’ll accost him, whom for sure this day I’ll make a ram of PhryxusRam of Phryxus: The Ram with the golden fleece carried Phryxus in safety over the Hellespont; but his sister Helle fell off its back on the passage, from which that arm of the sea derived its name. Jason recovered the golden fleece by the aid of Medea. The story of Helle and Phryxus is related at length in the Fasti and the Metamorphoses of Ovid. of; so, even to the quickEven to the quick: Ad vivam cutem—literally, to the living skin., will I shear him of his gold. (Accosting him.) His servant Chrysalus salutes Nicobulus.NICOBULUS O, immortal Gods! where is my son?CHRYSALUS Why don’t you return the salutation first, which I gave you?NICOBULUS Well, save you. But where on earth is Mnesilochus?CHRYSALUS He is alive and well.NICOBULUSIs he not come?CHRYSALUS He is come.NICOBULUSHurra! you’ve brought me toYou’ve brought me to: Aspersisti aquam—literally, you have sprinkled water on me, in allusion to the refreshing effects of water in cases of faintness. my senses. And has he all along been well?CHRYSALUS Aye, well as a boxerWell as a boxer: Pancratice atque athletice—literally, boxing-like and wrestler-like. and an athlete.NICOBULUS But what as to this—the business on account or which I sent him hence to Ephesus?Has he rot received the gold from his entertainer, Archidemides?CHRYSALUS Alas! my heart and my brain are cleft, Nicobulus, whenever mention is made of that fellow. Why don’t you call that entertainer of his your enemy?NICOBULUS Troth now, prithee, why so?CHRYSALUS Because, i’ faith, I know for sure, that Vulcan, the Moon, the Sun, the Day, those four Divinities, never shone upon another more wicked.NICOBULUS What, than Archidemides? Dear me!CHRYSALUS Than Archidemides, I say. NICOBULUS What has he done?CHRYSALUS What has he not done? Why don’t you ask me that? In the first place, then, he began to make denials to your son, and to assert that he didn’t owe three obolsThree obols: The obolus was a very small Greek silver coin. Its value was something more than three-halfpence of our money. to you. Forthwith, Mnesilochus summoned to himself there our ancient host, the old gentleman, Pelago; in his presence, he at once showed the fellow the tokenThe token: Symbolum was some object which a person delivered to another, in order to serve as a mark, sign, or token to a third person, that he was to do something which had been previously agreed upon., which you yourself had given to your son to deliver to him.NICOBULUS Well—when he showed him the token?CHRYSALUS He began to say that it was counterfeit, and that it was not a true token; and how many reproaches he did utter against him so undeserving of them! and he said that in other matters he had committed forgery.NICOBULUS Have you not the gold? In the first place, I want that to be told me.