Cistellaria, or The Casket (706-727)

Away with you, bad male; I want a good one. (To herself.) After all, he who calls knows better what he wants than I who am called; I’ll return. (Aloud.) Prithee, have you seen any person hereabouts pick up a casket with some trinkets, which I, to my misfortune, have lost here?

For when, just now, we were running into the house of Alcesimarchus, that he mightn’t put an end to his life, at that moment I think that, through terror, the casket fell down from me here.

This woman’s to our purpose; let’s then give heed to her a little, mistress.

To my sorrow, I’m utterly undone. What shall I say to my mistress, who bade me with such earnestness take care of it, through which Silenium might the more readily recognize her parents—who, when little, was adopted by my mistress as her own,

and whom a certain Courtesan gave to her?

(aside.) She’s talking about this matter of ours. According as she gives these indications by her talk, she must surely know where your daughter is.

Now is she desirous of her own accord to restore her to her father and mother, whose daughter she is; prithee, my good sir, you are attending to something else; I commend my matter to you.

I’m giving my attention to this, and this is as good as food to me, that you are talking of; but amid my attending to this matter, I was answering this mistress of mine what she was enquiring; now I return to you. If you have need of anything, say you, and give your orders. What were you looking, for?

My good sir and my good madam, I greet you.

And we you. But what are you looking for?

I’m tracing footsteps here,

the way that something has escaped me here, I don’t know how.

What is it?

What is it, pray?[*]

Something to bring a loss to another, and a calamity on our family.

A worthless baggage is this, mistress, and a crafty one.