Cistellaria, or The Casket (540-584b)

How many inventions I’ve applied to her, how many stratagems in questioning her. With difficulty have I extorted it from her that she should tell me, because I promised to give her a cask of wine.

I seemed just now to be hearing the voice of my servant Lampadiscus before the house.

You are not deaf, mistress, you heard aright.

What are you doing here?

A thing for you to rejoice at.

What’s that?

A little while ago, I saw a woman coming out of that house there.

Her that took up my daughter?

You have the matter rgiht.

What after that?

I told her in what way I had seen her take up the daughter of my mistress from the Hippodrome.

Then she was in a fright.

(apart.) Now my body’s in a shudder, my heart is throbbing; for I recollect that from the Hippodrome the little female infant was brought to me, and that I brought it up as my own.

Come, prithee, do go on; my soul’s longing to hear

how the matter proceeded.

(apart.) I only wish you couldn’t hear.

I proceed ⋯ saying[*], This old woman calls you her daughter wrongfully. ⋯ For this woman here is your foster-mother, so don’t think she is your mother. I’m to take you back and invite you to opulence, where you may be settled in a noble family,

where your father may present you with twenty great talents for a portion. For this is not a place where after the Etrurian mode[*] you are disgracefully to earn a dowry for yourself by prostitution of your person.

Is she, pray, a Courtesan, who took it up?

Yes, she was a Courtesan. But how it happened, I’ll tell you about that matter. I was now winning her over to me by my persuasion. The old woman embraced her knees, weeping and entreating that she would not forsake her; saying that she was her own daughter; and she took a solemn oath to me that she herself had borne her.

Her, said she, whom you are in search of, I gave to a friend of mine to bring her up as her own daughter; and she is alive, said she. Where is she? immediately said I.

Preserve me, ye Gods, I do entreat you.

But me you are undoing!

You ought to have enquired to whom she gave it.

I did enquire, and she said to the Courtesan Melaenis.

He has mentioned my name? I’m utterly undone!

When she mentioned her, I straightway asked, Where does she live? said I; take and show me. She has been carried off hence, says she, to live abroad.

He’s sprinkling[*] a little cold water now.

Wherever she has been carried off, thither we will follow. Do you trifle in this fashion? You are undone, if, i’ faith, you don’t disclose this.I insisted to such a degree, that the old woman swore that she would soon inform me.

But you oughtn’t to have let her go.