What need is there of words? Through intercourse, I on the other hand began to love him, and he myself.A PROCURESS O my dear Silenium—!SILENIUM What’s the matter? A PROCURESS You ought to pretend to be in love; for if you fall in love at once, you’ll be much better consulting the interests of him whom you love than your own.SILENIUM But in solemn form he took an oath before my mother that he would take me as his wife. Now, another woman is about to be taken home by him, a Lemnian lady, his relation, who is living here hard by (pointing to DEMIPHO’S house); for his father has compelled him. Now my mother is enraged with me, because I didn’t return home to her, when I came to know of this matter, that he was about to take another as his wife.A PROCURESS Nothing’s unfair in love.SILENIUM Now, I entreat you that you’ll let her (pointing to GYMNASIUM) be here only for the next three days,and keep house for me; for I’ve been sent for to my mother’s house.A PROCURESS Although this will be a troublesome three days for me, and you’ll be causing me a loss, I’ll do so.SILENIUM You act kindly and like a friend. But you, my dear Gymnasium, if in my absence Alcesimarchus shall come, don’t you chide him roughly; however he has deserved of myself, still he has my affections; but, prithee, act gently, so that you mayn’t say anything that may cause him pain. Take the keys (giving them to her); if you have need to take out anything for use, take it out. I wish to go—GYMNASIUM(weeping.) How you have drawn tears from me.SILENIUM My dear Gymnasium, kindly, farewell.GYMNASIUM Take care of yourself, there’s a dear. Prithee, will you go in this dishabille?(Pointing to her dress.)SILENIUM It’s right that such neglect should attend upon my prospects thus disarranged.GYMNASIUM At least do lift up that outer garmentOuter garment: Amiculum was a general name for the outer garment, such as the pallium, toga, or chlamys, in contradistinction to the tunica, or under-clothing..SILENIUM Let it be dragged, while I myself am being dragged down.GYMNASIUM Since so it pleases you, fare you well and prosper.SILENIUM If I could, I would.(Exit.)GYMNASIUM Mother, do you wish anything of me, before I go indoors? Upon my faith, to me she does seem to be in love.A PROCURESS For this reason, then, it is, that I’m repeatedly dinning it into your ears, not to be in love with any man. Go in-doors.GYMNASIUM Do you wish anything of me?A PROCURESS That you may fare well. GYMNASIUM Fare you well.(GYMNASIUM goes into the house of SILENTIUM.)

(The PROCURESS, alone.)A PROCURESS(to the AUDIENCE.) It’s the same fault with myself as with a great part of us women who are following this calling; who, as soon as ever we have got our load of food, are forthwith full of talk; more than is enough do we say. Why, myself now, inasmuch as I’m filled to my heart’s content, and because I’ve charged myself quite full of the choicest of wine, it pleases me to use my tongue more at freedom; to my misfortune I can’t keep silent on that which it were necessary to be silent upon. But once upon a time, that girl, who has gone hence in tears, from a lane I carried off a little child exposed.There is here a certain youth, of the highest rank; his father, of a very high family, is living at SicyonLiving at Sicyon : This was a very ancient city in the north of the Peloponnesus, not far from Corinth. According to Pliny the Elder, it was famous for its shops, stored with all kinds of metals.;