How’s this? How this scoundrel, Hegio, is making sport of you now. For he’s a slave himself, and never, except his own self, had he a slave.TYNDARUS Because you yourself are destitute in your own country, and haven’t whereon to live at home, you wish all to be found like to yourself; you don’t do anything surprising. ’Tis the nature of the distressed to be ill-disposed, and to envy the fortunate. ARISTOPHONTES Hegio, take you care, please, that you don’t persist in rashly placing confidence in this man; for so far as I see, he is certainly now putting some device in execution, in saying that he is redeeming your son from captivity; that is by no means satisfactory to me.TYNDARUS I know that you don’t wish that to be done; still I shall effect it, if the Gods assist me. I shall bring him back here, and he will restore me to my father, in Elis. For that purpose have I sent Tyndarus hence to my father.ARISTOPHONTES Why, you yourself are he; nor is there any slave in Elis of that name, except yourself.TYNDARUS Do you persist in reproaching me with being a slave—a thing that has befallen me through the fortune of war?ARISTOPHONTES Really, now, I cannot contain myself.TYNDARUS(to HEGIO.)Ha! don’t you hear him? Why don’t you take to flight? He’ll be pelting us just now with stones there, unless you order him to be seized.ARISTOPHONTES I’m distracted. TYNDARUS His eyes strike fire; there’s need of a rope, Hegio. Don’t you see how his body is spotted all over with livid spots? Black bileBlack bile: A superabundance of the bile was supposed to be productive of melancholy madness. The word melancholy is from the Greek μελαγχολιὰ, black bile. is disordering the man.ARISTOPHONTES And, by my faith, if this old gentleman is wise, black pitchBlack pitch: He alludes to a frightful punishment inflicted upon malefactors by the Romans. They were either smeared over with burning pitch, or were first covered with pitch, which was then set fire to. This punishment is supposed to have been often inflicted upon the early Christians. Juvenal alludes to it in his First Satire, l. 155:Pone Tigellinum, taedâ lucebis in illâ,Quâ stantes ardent, qui fixo gutture fumant. Describe Tigellinus [an infamous minister of Nero], and you shall give a light by those torches, in which those stand and burn who send forth smoke with a stake driven into their throat. will be disordering you with the executioner, and giving a light to your head.TYNDARUS He’s now talking in his fit of delirium; sprites are in possession of the man.HEGIO By my troth, suppose I order him to be seized?TYNDARUSYou would be acting more wisely.Part of line 599 in the Latin. ARISTOPHONTES I’m vexed that I haven’t a stone, to knock out the brains of that whip-scoundrel, who’s driving me to madness by his taunts.TYNDARUS Don’t you hear that he’s looking for a stone?ARISTOPHONTES I wish to speak with you alone, separately, Hegio.HEGIO Speak from where you are, if you want anything; though at a distance, I shall hear you.TYNDARUS Yes, for, by my faith, if you approach nearer, he’ll be taking your nose off with his teeth.ARISTOPHONTES By heavens, Hegio, don’t you believe that I am mad, or that I ever was so, or that I have the malady which that fellow avers. But if you fear anything from me, order me to be bound; I wish it, so long as that fellow is bound as well.TYNDARUS Why really, Hegio, rather let him be bound that wishes it.ARISTOPHONTESNow hold your tongue! I’ll make you, you false Philocrates, to be found out this day to be a real Tyndarus. Why are you making signsWhy are you making signs: Abnutas. The verb abnuto means, to nod to a person that he may desist. Tyndarus thinks that by this time Aristophontes must surely understand the plan that has been devised for the escape of Philocrates; and, as he is about to step aside to speak with Hegio, he makes a sign, requesting him to stop short in his contradiction of what he has asserted. at me?TYNDARUS I, making signs at you? (To HEGIO.) What would he do, if you were at a greater distance off?HEGIO What do you say? What if I approach this madman?TYNDARUS Nonsense; you’ll be made a fool of; he’ll be prating stuff, to you, neither the feet nor the head of which will ever be visible.