’Twas cleverly done by you. What after that?CHRYSALUS At nightfall they returned ashore.NICOBULUS Troth now, they intended to carry off the gold; they were attempting that plan, no doubt.CHRYSALUS It didn’t escape me; I discovered it: I was almost terrified to death by it. As I saw that a scheme was being laid against the gold, forthwith on this we came to this determination; the next day we carried away all the gold thence in their presence, openly and publicly, that they might know it was done.NICOBULUS Skilfully managed, i’ faith. Tell me, what did they?CHRYSALUS Chopfallen at once,—soon as ever they saw us leaving the harbour with the gold, shaking their heads, they hauled their bark ashore. We deposited all the gold with Theotimus, who is a priest thereA priest there: St. Paul, when he visited Ephesus, found Diana still enthroned there in the full blaze of her glory. Her temple was esteemed one of the wonders of the world. of Ephesian Diana.NICOBULUS Who is this Theotimus? CHRYSALUS The son of MegalobyzusSon of Megalobyzus: The priests of Diana at Ephesus are supposed to have been eunuchs, and the priestesses virgins. Taubmann thinks that Megabyzus, which ought to be read here, was a general name of the priests of Diana; and that the words Megabyzi filius, a son of Megabyzus, have the same import as the word Megabyzus itself. It may, however, mean that Theotimus was a priest, and not of necessity that his father was so., who is now living at Ephesus, a man most dear to the Ephesians.NICOBULUS By my troth, he’ll surely turn out very much more dear to meMore dear to me: The pun here perpetrated answers equally well in English. if he shall chouse me out of all that gold.CHRYSALUS But it is stowed away in the very temple itself of the Goddess Diana; there they keep guard at the public expenseAt the public expense: The ancients used to place a guard, at the public expense, at the gates of their temples, as great quantities of property or value were there deposited as in places of safety..