Why, the same thing that you said to me. PHAEDROMUS What’s that? PALINURUS Say that you’re quite undone. PHAEDROMUS May the Gods confound you. PALINURUS Say so to her. PHAEDROMUS Am I to say then to her—? PALINURUS Say what? PHAEDROMUS That I’m quite undone. PALINURUS Well then, say so. PHAEDROMUS Old lady, do listen. I wish you to know this; to my sorrow, I’m quite undone. PROCURESS But, i’ faith, for my part, I’m altogether brought to life. But why is it that you are pleased to say you are quite undone? PHAEDROMUS Because I’m deprived of the object which I love. (Pretends to weep) PROCURESS My dear Phaedromus, prithee, do not weep; do you take care that I’m not thirsty, I’ll at once bring out here for you the object which you love. (Goes into the house.) PHAEDROMUS Assuredly, if you keep faith with me, in place of a golden statue, I’ll erect for you one of wine One of wine : Vineam. There is more humour in taking this to mean a statue of wine, than merely a vine-tree, as Warner has transated it. , which shall be a memorial of your gullet Palinurus, who on earth will be so blest as myself, if she comes to me? PALINURUS By my faith, he who is in love, if he is in want as well, is afflicted with a dreadful malady. PHAEDROMUS Such is not the case with me; for I feel sure that this very day my Parasite will come hither to me with the money. PALINURUS You attempt something mighty, if you expect that which nowhere exists. PHAEDROMUS What if I approach the door, and trill a carol Trill a carol : Occentem. This word has probably much the time meaning here as our word serenade. ? PALINURUS If you choose; I neither bid nor request you, since, my master, I see that you are of manners and disposition thus changed. PHAEDROMUS (sings.) Bolts, O ye bolts, with pleasure do I salute you. I love you, I court you, I seek you, and you entreat; most kindly lend your aid to me in love; become, for my sake, as though play-actors Play-actors : The Lydians, or rather their descendants, the Etrurians, were the earliest actors at Rome; hence the term used here, barbari, foreigners. The metaphor is borrowed from the fact that dancing, leaping, and gestures, were the especial features of their performances. from foreign climes; leap upwards pray, and send out of doors this fair one, who drains my blood for me distractedly in love. (Addressing PALINURUS.) Look at that, how those most accursed bolts sleep on, and none the quicker for my sake do they bestir themselves. (Addressing the door.) I see quite clearly that you don’t value my esteem at all. Hist! hush, hush! PALINURUS I’ troth, for my part I’m silent enough. PHAEDROMUS I hear a noise; at last, i’ faith, these bolts have become complaisant to me. (Re-enter the PROCURESS, with PLANESIUM, from the house of CAPPADOX.) PROCURESS (to PLANESIUM, while opening the door.) Come softly out, and prevent the noise of the doors and the creaking of the hinges, my dear Planesium, that our master mayn’t perceive that that is going on which we are doing here. Stay, I’ll pour a little water Pour a little water : To prevent their creaking, so that Cappadox may not hear them. on it. (Pours water on the hinges.) PALINURUS (to PHAEDROMUS.) Do you see how the palsied hag is giving her dose? She herself has learnt right well to drink up the wine; to the door she’s giving water for it to drink. PLANESIUM (looking around.) Where are you—you who have summoned me on the recognizances of Venus Recognizances of Venus : Veneriis vadimoniis. She borrows a legal phrase here. Vadimonium legere was, to call a person on his bail or recognizances. When the Praetor had granted an action, the plaintiff required the defendant to give security for his appearance on the day named. The defendant, on finding a surety, was said vadem dare, or vadimonium facere; and the vas, or surety, was said spondere. The plaintiff, if satisfied with the surety, was said vadari reum, to let the defendant go on his sureties. Planesium probably means that she considers herself summoned on pain of forfeiting the love of Phaedromus. ? To you do I present myself, and, in the same way do I call on you, on the other hand, to present yourself to me. PHAEDROMUS (stepping forward.) Here I am; for could I be absent, I wouldn’t repine for any misfortune to befall me, my honey. PLANESIUM My life, it is not becoming for one thus in love to be at a distance.