drink, eat, and squander away your property!STALINO Hold, wife; there’s now enough of it; you din me too much. Do leave a little of your talk, that you may wrangle with me to-morrow. But what say you? Have you by this time subdued your temper, so as to do that in preference which your husband wishes to be done, rather than strive against him?CLEOSTRATA About what matter are you speaking?STALINO Do you ask me? About the handmaid Casina—that she may be given in marriage to our bailiff, an honest servant, where she’ll be well off, in wood, warm water, food, and clothing, and where she may properly bring up the children which she may have, in preference to that rascally servant of an armour-bearerAn armour-bearer: The armiger was a general campservant, who was ready to hold the arms, pitch the tent, or run on the messages of his master., a good-for-nothing and dishonest, a fellow that hasn’t this day a leaden dump of money his own.CLEOSTRATA Upon my faith, I am surprised that in your old age you do not remember your duty.STALINO How so? CLEOSTRATA Because if you were to act rightly or becomingly, you’d let me manage the maid-servants, which is my own province. STALINO Why the plague do you wish to give her to a fellow that carries a shield?CLEOSTRATA Because it’s our duty to gratify our only son.STALINO But although he is an only one, not a bit the more is he my only son than I am his only father. It’s more becoming for him to conform to me, than for me to him.CLEOSTRATA By my troth, sir, you’re providing for yourself a serious piece of trouble.STALINO(aside.) She suspects it, I find that. (To his wife.) What, I, do you mean?CLEOSTRATA You; but why do. you stammer so? Why do you wish for this with such anxiety?STALINO Why, that she may rather be given to a servant that’s honest, than to a servant that’s dishonest.CLEOSTRATA What if I prevail upon, and obtain of the bailiff, that for my sake he’ll give her up to the other one?STALINO But what if I prevail upon the armour-bearer to give her up to the other one? And I think that I can prevail upon him in this.CLEOSTRATA That’s agreed upon. Should you like that, in your name, I should call Chalinus hither out of doors? Do you beg of him, and I’ll beg of the bailiff.STALINO I’m quite willing.CLEOSTRATA He’ll be here just now. Now we’ll make trial which of us two is the most persuasive. (She goes into the house.) STALINO(to himself.) May Hercules and the Gods confound her!—a thing that now I’m at liberty to say. I’m wretchedly distracted with love; but she, as though on purpose, thwarts me. My wife has some suspicion now of this that I’m planning; for that reason is she purposely lending her assistance to the armour-bearer.

(Enter CHALINUS, from the house.)STALINO(aside, on seeing him.)May all the Gods and Goddesses confound him!CHALINUS(addressing him.) Your wife said that you were calling me.STALINO Why yes, I did order you to be sent for.CHALINUS Tell me what you want.STALINO In the first place, I want you to speak to me with a more cheerful countenance. CHALINUS It would be folly for me to be morose toward you whose rule is the strongest.