It’s himself that’s dying for Casina. I’ve caught the fellows.STALINO Even now, by my troth, am I longing to embrace her; even now to be kissing her.OLYMPIO Do let her be brought out first from the house. Why the plague are you in such a hurry?STALINO I’m in love.OLYMPIO But I don’t think that this can possibly be managed to-day.STALINO It can, if, indeed, you think that you can possibly receive your freedom to-morrow.CHALINUS(apart.) Why, really, I must make still better use here of my ears; now, in one thicket, I shall be cleverly catching two boars.STALINO(pointing to the house of ALCESIMUS.)At the house of this friend and neighbour of mine there’s a place provided; I have confided to him all my amorousness: he said that he would find me a room.OLYMPIO What will his wife do? Where will she be?STALINOI’ve cleverly contrived that: my wife will invite her here, to her own house, to the wedding; to be here with her, to help her, to sleep with her. I have requested it, and my wife has said that she will do so. She’ll be sleeping here: I’ll take care her husband is away from home. You shall take your wife home into the country; that country shall be this house, for a period, until I’ve had my marriage with Casina. Hence,before daylight, you shall afterwards take her home to-morrow.Isn’t it very skilfully managed?OLYMPIO Cleverly!CHALINUS(apart.) Only do proceed; contrive away. By my troth, to your own mischance are you so clever.STALINO Do you know what you must do now?OLYMPIO Tell me.STALINO(giving him a purse.)Take this purse. Be off and buy some provisions: make haste. But I want it nicely done: delicate eatables, just as she herself is a delicate bit.OLYMPIO Very well. STALINO Buy some cuttle-fish, mussels, calamaries, barley-fishBarley-fish: Hordeias. This was the name of some fish now unknown; for want of a better name, and to express the pun contained in the original, it has been called barley-fish in the translation, as Chalinus puns on its resemblance to hordeum, barley..CHALINUS(apart.) Aye, wheaten fish, if you know what you’re about.STALINO Some sole-fishSome sole-fish: Soleas. Chalinus puns on this word, which means either sole-fish or thin shoes. He thinks sculponeae better suited. with which to bang the old fellow’s head. These were wooden shoes worn by the rustic slaves, and resembled either the clogs of the north of England, with wooden soles and upper leathers, or the sabots of the Continent, which are made entirely of wood..CHALINUS(apart.) Prithee, why those rather than soles of wood, with which your head may be banged, you most vile old fellow?OLYMPIO Should you like some tongue-fishSome tongue-fish: Lingulaca was, according to Festus, a kind of fish, or a talkative woman. To give some idea of the play on the word, it has been rendered tongue-fish. Warner says, in a Note to his Translation, that small flat-fish, or young soles, are called tongues in the west of England? STALINO What need is there, since my wife’s at home? She is our tongue-fish, for she’s never silent.OLYMPIO While I’m about it, I must make choice out of the supply of fish what to purchase.STALINO You say what’s good: be off. I don’t care to spare for cost; provide abundantly. But it’s requisite also that I should see this neighbour of mine, that he may attend to what I’ve requested.OLYMPIO Am I to go now? STALINO I wish you.(Exit OLYMPIO. STALINO goes into the house of ALCESIMUS.)CHALINUS(coming forward.)By three freedoms I could not be induced this day to do other than provide a heavy retribution for them, and at once disclose all this matter to my mistress. I’ve caught and fully detected my enemies in their guilt. But if my mistress is ready now to do her duty, the cause is all our own: I’ll cleverly be beforehand with the fellows.With omens in our favour the day proceeds: just conquered, we are the conquerors. I’ll go indoors, that that which another cook has seasoned, I now, in my turn, may season after another fashion; and that for him for whom it was prepared, it may really not be prepared; and that that may be prepared for him, which before was not preparedWas not prepared: He means that, spite of his preparations, Olympio shall not have Casina, and that he himself will; in which, however, he is disappointed in the end, as she is given to Euthynicus..