But now-a-days, before he is seven years old, if you touch a boy with your hand, at once the child breaks his tutor’s head with his tablet. When you go to complain to the father, thus says the father to the child: Be you my own dear boy, since you can defend yourself from an injury. The tutor then is called for; Hallo! you old good-for-nothingYou old good-for-nothing: That is, in his capacity as a slave, a purchaseable commodity., don’t you be touching the child for this reason, that he has behaved so boldly. and thus the despised tutor becomes just like a lanternJust like a lantern: This passage has been much discussed by various Commentators. It is, however, most probable that the Romans used lanterns made of oiled linen cloth; and that he is comparing his head, when it has been broken by the tablets, and plaistered over with oiled linen, to one of these lanterns. In his Epistles to Atticus, B. 4, Ep. 3, Cicero makes mention of linen lanterns. with his oiled linen rags. Judgment pronounced, they go away thence. Can this preceptor then, on these terms, keep up his authority, if he himself is to be beaten the first?MNESILOCHUS(aside.)This is a severe accusation. So far as I understand his words, ’tis strange if Pistoclerus has never thumped Lydus with his fists.LYDUS(seeing MNESILOCHUS.)But who is it that I see standing here before the door? O Philoxenus, I would not prefer for myself to behold even the propitious Gods rather than him.PHILOXENUS Who’s this? LYDUS Why, he’s Mnesilochus, the friend of your son. He is not of a like turn of mind with him who reclines and takes his meals in brothels. Fortunate Nicobulus! who begot him for himself.PHILOXENUS(advancing.)My greetings to you, Mnesilochus; I’m glad that you have arrived safe.MNESILOCHUS May the Gods favour you, Philoxenus.LYDUS He, now, was born at a lucky moment for his father; he goes to sea, attends to the interests of his family, takes care of the house, is obedient and attentive to the wish and commands of his father.He, when but a boy, was the companion of Pistoclerus in his boyhood; ’tis not by three days that he is the older in age, but his disposition is more improved by thirty years than that of the other.PHILOXENUS Beware of a mischiefOf a mischief: Malo seems here to be a preferable reading to malum. He alludes to the punishment, to which Lydus, as a slave, is liable., and forbear to speak of him unjustly.LYDUS Hold your peace. You’re a foolish man, who cannot bear to have him badly spoken of who does badly.But I would rather have him draw upon my mishaps than upon my savingsUpon my savings: He seems to mean, that he had rather put up with insult, or violence even, from his pupil, than be responsible for his misdeeds in which latter case, probably, some part of his peculium, or savings, would be taken away from him, in the shape of fines..PHILOXENUS Why so? LYDUS Because, if he were to draw upon my mishaps, he would each day be making them less.MNESILOCHUS Why, Lydus, are you censuring your pupil, my friend?LYDUS Your friend is ruined. MNESILOCHUS May the Gods forbid it.LYDUS ’Tis so as I say. And further, I myself saw it when he was undone; I am not censuring him from hearsay.MNESILOCHUS What has been done by him?LYDUS He is disgracefully doting upon a harlot.MNESILOCHUS Won’t you be silent now? LYDUS She, too, like a tide, most voraciously swallows all up, whenever she has touched any one.MNESILOCHUS Where does this woman live? LYDUS Here.(Points to the house.)MNESILOCHUS Whence do they say she comes?LYDUS From Samos. MNESILOCHUS What’s her name?