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.

(Enter PHANOSTRATA, from her house.)PHANOSTRATA(to herself.) I seemed just now to be hearing the voice of my servant Lampadiscus before the house.LAMPADISCUS(stepping forward.) You are not deaf, mistress, you heard aright. PHANOSTRATA What are you doing here?LAMPADISCUS A thing for you to rejoice at.PHANOSTRATA What’s that?LAMPADISCUS(pointing to the house of SILENIUM.) A little while ago, I saw a woman coming out of that house there.PHANOSTRATA Her that took up my daughter?LAMPADISCUS You have the matter rgiht.PHANOSTRATA What after that? LAMPADISCUS 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.MELAENIS(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.PHANOSTRATA Come, prithee, do go on; my soul’s longing to hear how the matter proceeded.MELAENIS(apart.) I only wish you couldn’t hear.LAMPADISCUS I proceed sayingSaying: We are to suppose that on following the Procuress to her own house, he says this to Gymnasium, taking her for the young woman whom he is in search of. Probably a large portion of the Play is lost here., 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 modeThe Etrurian mode: The Tuscans or Etrurians, who were said to have been originally a colony from Lydia, are by some writers stated to have forced their young women to gain their marriage-portions by prostitution. Herodotus alludes to this custom of the Lydians. you are disgracefully to earn a dowry for yourself by prostitution of your person.PHANOSTRATA Is she, pray, a Courtesan, who took it up?LAMPADISCUS 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.PHANOSTRATA Preserve me, ye Gods, I do entreat you.MELAENIS(apart.) But me you are undoing!PHANOSTRATA You ought to have enquired to whom she gave it.LAMPADISCUS I did enquire, and she said to the Courtesan Melaenis.MELAENIS(apart.) He has mentioned my name? I’m utterly undone!LAMPADISCUS 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.MELAENIS He’s sprinklingHe’s sprinkling: This metaphor, which is also used in the Trinummus, is taken from the custom of throwing cold water on persons when in a fainting state a little cold water now.LAMPADISCUSWherever 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.PHANOSTRATA But you oughtn’t to have let her go.