I’ll compliment her, as it were. A mist is not so soft as is— her breast.(Pulls CHALINUS about.)A pretty little bosom, upon my faith. (CHALINUS gives him a thrust with his elbow, on which he roars out.) Woe to unfortunate me!OLYMPIO What’s the matter?STALINO She struck me in the breast with her elbow.OLYMPIO Why then, pray, do you maul her about? But she does not do so to me, who touch her gently.(CHALINUS gives him a poke with his elbow.)O me!STALINO What’s the matter? OLYMPIO Prithee, how robust she is! she has almost laid me flat with her elbow.STALINO She wishes, then, to go to bedTo go to bed: There is a childish play here on the words cubito,with her elbow, and cubitum. to go to bed..OLYMPIO Nay but, why don’t we be off?STALINO(taking hold of CHALINUS.)My pretty, pretty little dear!(They go into the house of ALCESIMUS.)

(Enter MYRRHINA and PARADALISCA, from the house of STALINO.)MYRRHINA Having been well and handsomely entertained indoors, we’ve come out here in the street to see the wedding-sports.I’d like to know how Chalinus gets on—the newly-married bride with her new-made husband.Never, upon my faith, any day did I laugh so much, nor in the time that’s to come do I think I shall laugh more; and no poet ever did con trive a more artful plot than this was skilfully contrived by us.I’d now very much like the old fellow to come out, with his face well battered, than whom there is not a more wicked old man alive. Not even him do I deem to be more wicked who finds the room for him. Now, Pardalisca, do you be guard here (pointing to the door of her house); that whoever comes out from here, you may have some sport with him. PARDALISCA I’ll do it with pleasure, and in my usual way.MYRRHINA Observe from here everything that’s going on indoors.PARDALISCA Prithee, get behind me. MYRRHINA You have liberty, too, to say freely and boldly to him anything you like.PARDALISCA(in a low voice.)Be quiet; your door makes a noise. (They hide themselves.)

(Enter OLYMPIO, in great alarm, from the house of ALCESIMUS.)OLYMPIO(bawling aloud.)Neither where to fly to, nor where to conceal myself, nor how to hide this disgrace, do I know; so much have my master and myself been supereminently disgraced at these nuptials of ours. I’m now so ashamed, and now so afraid, and so ridiculous are we both. But, a simpleton, I’m now doing what’s new to me: I’m ashamed at that which has never shamed me before. (To the AUDIENCE.) Lend me your attention, while I repeat my exploits; it’s worth your while to catch them with your ears; so ridiculous to be heard, to be repeated, are these mishaps which I have met with in the house. [When straightwayWhen straightway: With this line commences a part of the Play which is in a very imperfect state, and as to the reason for the appearance of which in that form the Critics are divided in opinion. As it is full of the grossest indecencies (which have precluded the possibility of translating some parts of it), it has been suggested that Plautus himself wrote it in this fragmentary form, as being sufficient to show his meaning, without displaying these indelicacies in all their amplitude. Another opinion is, that these passages are really the composition of Plautus, but that they have been reduced to their present state by lapse of time, or possibly, by reason of the MSS. having been subjected to castration by the fastidious students of the middle centuries. A third opinion is, that the portion between this line and l. 927, and some few lines in the next Scene as well, were not the composition of Plautus, but that they were composed by some of the learned in the middle ages, to fill up the hiatus which existed in this part of the Play, or was supposed to exist there. If so, the writers might certainly have employed their time and talents to better advantage, as they have fairly distanced Plautus in the very worst of his indecencies. I had led my new-made bride into the room, I fastened the bolt; but, however, the gloom there was just like the night. I placed, I propped things against the door; I struggled hardI struggled hard: This word is given as mollio,to soften, in all the Editions. Molio seems much more appropriate, and is used by Frontinus in the some sense as molior. that before the old fellow with my bride.Then I began to be slow in my proceedings, for I looked behind me every now and then, lest the old fellow should break in , a kiss, that provocative to lust, I asked of her first. She pushed back my hand, and allowed me not to give her a kiss in a quiet way. But then the more anxious was I, the more desirous to assert my privilege with Casina, and I longed to do the old fellow out of that task. The door I blocked up, so that the old man might not over-power me. (from the house.) MYRRHINA(apart to CLEOSTRATA.)Come now, you accost him. (Pointing to OLYMPIO.) CLEOSTRATA(accosting OLYMPIO.) Where is your newly-made bride?OLYMPIO(aside.) By heavens, I’m utterly undone; the thing’s all out.CLEOSTRATA(overhearing him.)It’s right, then, that you should relate the whole affair as it happened. What’s going on in-doors? How fares Casina? Is she quite obsequious to your will?