From myself and from my son. ERGASILUS Do you promise that? HEGIO I do promise it. ERGASILUS But I, in return, promise I, in return, promise : Ergasilus says, Do you really promise me this fine entertainment? To which, Hegio answers, Spondeo, I do promise. On this, Ergasilus replies, that your son really has returned, I answer you, respondeo, or, as he intends it to be meant, I promise you once again, or in return for your promise. you that your son has arrived. HEGIO Manage as well as ever you can. ERGASILUS A happy walk there to you, and a happy walk back. (Exit HEGIO.) (ERGASILUS, alone) ERGASILUS He has gone away from here, and has entrusted to me the most important concern of catering. Immortal Gods how I shall now be slicing necks off of sides; how vast a downfall will befall the gammon Befall the gammon : An alliteration is employed in these two lines, which cannot be well kept up in a literal translation. As, however, in the translation an attempt is made to give the spirit of the passage, the literal meaning may be here stated. Pernis pestis, a plague to the gammons; labes larido, a fail for the bacon; sumini absumedo, a consumption of udder; callo calamitas, destruction to the brawn; and laniis lassitudo, weariness to the butchers. Sows’ udder, with the milk in it, first dried, and then cooked in some peculiar manner, was considered a great delicacy by the Roman epicures. ; how vast a belabouring the bacon! How great a using-up of udders, how vast a bewailing for the brawn! How great a bestirring for the butchers, how great a preparation for the porksellers! But if I were to enumerate the rest of the things which minister to the supply of the stomach, ‘twould be sheer delay. Now will I go off to my government, to give laws to the bacon, and, those gammons that are hanging uncondemned, Hanging uncondemned : He’ll commute the punishment of the gammons and hams, for they shall hang no longer. to give aid to them. (Goes into the house.) (Enter a LAD, a servant of HEGIO.) A LAD May Jupiter and the Deities confound you, Ergasilus, and your stomach, and all Parasites, and every one who henceforth shall give a dinner to Parasites. Destruction and devastation and ruin have just now entered our house. I was afraid that he would be making an attack on me, as though he had been an hungry wolf. And very dreadfully, upon my faith, was I frightened at him; he made such a gnashing with his teeth. On his arrival, the whole larder, with the meat, he turned upside down. He seized a knife, and first cut off the kernels of the neck The kernels of the neck : The glandia were the kernels or tonsils of the throat, situate just below the root of the tongue. These portions of the dead pig seem to have been much prized as delicate eating. Judging from the present passage, the whole side of the pig, including the half-head, was salted and dried in one piece. The first thing that the Parasite does, is to cut the kernels from off of three sides, which he has relieved from the punishment of hanging. from three sides. All the pots and cups he broke, except those that held a couple of gallons A couple of gallons : Modiales. Literally, containing a modius, which contained sixteen sextarii, something more than a peck of drymeasure English. ; of the cook he made enquiry whether the salting pans could be set on the fire to be made hot. All the cellars in the house he has broken into, and has laid the store-closet The store-closet : Armarium was so called because it was originally a place for keeping arms. It afterwards came to signify a cupboard in a wall, in which clothes, books, money, and other articles of value, were placed. It was generally in the atrium, or principal room of the house. In this instance it evidently means the store-closet, distinguished from the arder and the cellars. open. 
 (At the door.) Watch him, servants, if you please; I’ll go to meet the old gentleman. I’ll tell him to get ready some provisions for his own self, if, indeed, he wishes himself to make use of any. For in this place, as this man, indeed, is managing, either there’s nothing already, or very soon there will be nothing. (Exit.) (Enter HEGIO, PHILOPOLEMUS, PHILOCRATES, and behind them, STALAGMUS.) HEGIO To Jove and to the Deities I return with reason hearty thanks, inasmuch as they have restored you to your father, and inasmuch as they have delivered me from very many afflictions, which, while I was obliged to be here without you, I was enduring, and inasmuch as I see that that fellow (pointing to STALAGMUS) is in my power, and inasmuch as his word (pointing to PHILOCIATES) has been found true to me. PHILOPOLEMUS Enough now have I grieved from my very soul, and enough with care and tears have I disquieted myself. Enough now have I heard of your woes, which at the harbour you told me of. Let us now to this business. PHILOCRATES What now, since I’ve kept my word with you, and have caused him to be restored back again to freedom? HEGIO Philocrates, you have acted so that I can never return you thanks enough, in the degree that you merit from myself and my son. PHILOPOLEMUS Nay, but you can, father, and you will be able, and I shall be able; and the Divinities will give the means for you to return the kindness he merits to one who deserves so highly of us; as, my father, you are able to do to this person who so especially deserves it. HEGIO What need is there of words? I have no tongue with which to deny whatever you may ask of me. PHILOCRATES I ask of you to restore to me that servant whom I left here as a surety for myself; who has always proved more faithful to me than to himself; in order that for his services I may be enabled to give him a reward. HEGIO Because you have acted thus kindly, the favour shall be returned, the thing that you ask; both that and anything else that you shall ask of me, you shall obtain. And I would not have you blame me, because in my anger I have treated him harshly. PHILOCRATES What have you done? HEGIO I confined him in fetters at the stone-quarries, when I found out that I had been imposed upon. PHILOCRATES Ah wretched me! That for my safety misfortunes should have happened to that best of men. HEGIO Now, on this account, you need not give me even one groat of silver One groat of silver : Libella was the name of the smallest silver coin with the Romans, being the tenth part of a denarius. Hegio seems to make something of a favour of this, and to give his liberty to Tyndarus in consideration of his punishment; whereas he had originally agreed with Philocrates that, if Philopolemus was liberated, both he and Tyndarus should be set at liberty. for him. Receive him of me without cost that he may be free. PHILOCRATES On my word, Hegio, you act with kindness; but I entreat that you will order this man to be sent for.