Indeed! I consider you to be an honest fellow.CHALINUS So I find. But if you think so, why don’t you give me my freedom?STALINO Why so I wish to do; but it’s of no use for me to wish a thing to be done, unless you aid me with your actions.CHALINUS What you wish, I only wish myself to be acquainted with it.STALINO Listen then; I’ll tell you. I’ve promised to give Casina as a wife to our bailiff. CHALINUS But your wife and your son have promised her to me.STALINO I know it; but whether now would you prefer yourself to be single and a free man, or, as a married man, to pass your lives, yourself and your children, in slavery? This choice is your own: whichever condition of these two you prefer, take it.CHALINUS If I am free, I live at my own cost; at present I live at yours. As to Casina, I’m resolved to give way to no born man.STALINO Go in-doors, and at once be quick and call my wife here, out of doors; and bring hither together with you an urnAn urn: Sitella, or situla, though usually called an urn, was a vessel shaped like a water-pitcher, from which lots were drawn. It had a wide belly and a narrow neck with a handle on each side, and stood on legs. The vessel was filled with water, and the lots, made of heavy wood, which sank, being put into it, the vessel was shaken, and as only one lot could come to the top at a time, the person who had chosen the number which was the first to come up was the winner., with some water, and the lots.CHALINUS I’m quite agreable.STALINO I’ faith, in some way or other I’ll now ward off this weapon of yours; for if, as it is, I shall not be able to prevail by persuasion, at least I’ll try it by lot. There I shall take vengeance upon you and your abettors.CHALINUS Still, for all that the lot will fall to me—STALINO Aye, faith, for you to go to perdition with direful torments.CHALINUS She shall marry me, contrive what you will, in any way you please. STALINO Won’t you away hence from my sight?CHALINUS Unwillingly you look upon me, still I shall live on. (Goes into the house.) STALINO(to himself.) Am I not a wretched man? Don’t all things go quite contrary with me? I’m now afraid that my wife will prevail upon Olympio not to marry Casina. If that’s done, why look, it’s all over with me in my old age! If she does not prevail, there is still some tiny hope in the lots. But if the lots fail me, I’ll make a pillow of a sword, and lay me down upon it. But see, most opportunely Olympio’s coming out of doors.

(Enter OLYMPIO, from the house, speaking to CLEOSTRATA, within.)OLYMPIO By my faith, all in an instant shut me up in a hot furnace, and parch me there for a hard-baked biscuitA hard-baked biscuit: Panis rubidus, literally, red bread, was probably a kind of bread or biscuit, which received its name from its being highly baked, till it was red, or of a deep-brown colour., good mistress, before you shall gain that point of me which you desire.STALINO(apart.) I’m all right. My hope’s realized, according as I hear his words.OLYMPIO(at the door, to his MISTRESS, within.)But why do you frighten me about liberty? Why, even though you should oppose it, and your son as well, against your wills and in spite of you both, for a single pennyFor a single penny: Libella, the same as the as; a small silver coin, the tenth part of the denarius. I can become free.STALINO(stepping forward.) What’s this? Who are you wrangling with, Olympio?OLYMPIO With the same person that you always are.STALINO What, with my wife? OLYMPIO What wife are you speaking of to me? Really you are a hunter, as it were: your nights and days you pass with a female curWith a female cur: Cum cane. Literally, with a bitch an expression too coarse for ears polite..