or anywhere else, there ever where such funny games as these ridiculous games that are going on in-doors here with our old gentleman and our bailiff Olympio. In-doors, all over the house, all are in a bustle; the old man is bawling away in the kitchen, and urging on the cooks.Why don’t you go to work at once? Why don’t you serve up, if you are going to serve up? Make haste; the dinner ought to have been cooked by this. And then this bailiff is strutting about with his chapletWith his chaplet: Among the Romans the bridegroom wore a wreath or chaplet of flowers on his head., clothed in white and finely rigged out. And then these women are dressing up the armour-bearer in the bedroom, to give him to be married to our bailiff in place of Casina; but the artful baggages very cleverly conceal what the upshot of thisThe upshot of this: The meaning of this passage is obscure. It perhaps, however, means that they conceal from Chalinus how far they intend him to go in the joke, for fear lest he should refuse his services. is really to be. Then too, in a manner quite worthy of them, the cooks are very cleverly doing their best to the end that the old gentleman mayn’t get his dinner. They are upsetting the pots, and putting out the fire with the water. At the request of these ladies they are so doing; they, too, are determined to bundle the old fellow dinnerless out of doors, that they by themselves may blow out their own stomachs. I know these female gluttons; a merchant-shipA merchant-ship: Corbitam,a merchant-ship. This word gave rise to the French word corvette. Merchant-ships are said to have been so called from their carrying a corbis, or basket, at the mast-head; probably to show at a distance that they were traders, and not ships of war. full of victuals they can devour. But the door is opening.

(Enter STALINO, from the house.)STALINO(speaking to CLEOSTRATA, within.)If you are wise, wife, you’ll dine, after all, when the dinner’s cooked. I shall dine in the country, for I’m desirous to attend the new-made husband and the newly-made bride into the country (I know the mischievous habits of persons), that no one may carry her off. Do you people indulge your appetite. But do make haste and send him and her out immediately, that at least we may get there in daylight. I shall be here tomorrow; to-morrow, wife, I’ll be having a banquet still.PARDALISCA(aside.) ’Tis as I said it would be; the women are packing the old fellow dinnerless out of doors.STALINO(to PARDALISCA.)What are you doing here?PARDALISCA I’m going whither she sent me.STALINO Really? PARDALISCA Seriously.STALINO What are you looking for here?PARDALISCA Really I’m looking for nothing at all.STALINO Be off; you are loitering here; the others are bustling about in-doors.PARDALISCA I’m off.STALINO Be off, then, will you, away from here, you jade of jades. (PARDALISCA goes into the house.) Is she gone then? I may now say here anything I please. He that’s in love, i’ faith, even if he is hungry, isn’t hungry at all. But see, the bailiff, my associateMy associate: Socius,associate, seems certainly a much more rational reading than socerus, father-in-law, which Weise adopts. Amid all his folly, we can hardly imagine Stalino calling Olympio his father- in-law. From the present passage it would appear that the bridegroom was one of those who held the torches before the bride when she was led to his house., companion, and husband-in-copartnership, is coming out of doors with wreath and torch.

(Enter OLYMPIO, dressed in white, with a wreath on his head, and a torch in his hand, accompanied by MUSICIANS)OLYMPIO(to one of the MUSICIANS.)Come, piper, while they are escorting the new-made bride out of doors, make the whole of this street resound with a sweet wedding-tuneWedding-tune: Hymenaeo. The nuptial-song was called Hymenaeus, in honor of Hymen, the God of Marriage. The above words were probably the refrain, or Chorus of the song..(He sings aloud.)Io Hymen hymenaee! Io Hymen!STALINO(accosting him.) How fare you, my preserver?OLYMPIO I’m very hungry, faith; and, in fact, I’m not thirsty a little.STALINO But I’m in love. OLYMPIO Still, upon my faith, love, I shan’t be making any trial of you. For some time past my inside has been grumbling with emptiness.STALINO But why is she now delaying so long in-doors, just as though on purpose? The greater the haste I’m in, in so much the less is she.OLYMPIO What if I were even to trill an hymeneal lay?STALINO I agree to that; and I’ll help you at these our common nuptials.OLYMPIO(STALINO joining, they sing.) Hymen hymenaee! Io Hymen!STALINOUpon my faith, I’m dreadfully done up; one may burst one’s self with singing this hymeneal lay; if I do burst this wayIf I do burst this way: The meaning of this passage is obscure, but there is no doubt that it is of an indecent nature. The translation is consequently somewhat modified., I can’t burst any other, that I may make sure of.OLYMPIO Upon my faith, for sure, if you were a horse, you’d never be broken in.