Because, when in my drunken fit I’ve gone to sleep, I summaneI summane: Summano Literally, I keep my hands upon. For the purpose of keeping up the spirit of the passage, the liberty has been taken of coining a word. The Parasite seems to allude, somewhat obscurely, to the trick he has played the Captain Therapontigonus. the garments; for that reason do all people call me Summanus.LYCO ’Twere better for you to look out for entertainment for you somewhere else; really in my own house I have no room for a Summanus. But I am the person that you are looking for.CURCULIO Prithee, are you he, Lyco the banker?LYCO I am. CURCULIO Therapontigonus requested me to give you a hearty greeting, and to deliver this letter.LYCO What, to me? CURCULIO Just so. Take it, recognize the seal. Do you know it? (LYCO takes the letter.) LYCO Why should I not know it? On which, a man, holding a shield, is cleaving an elephant asunder with a sword.CURCULIO What’s written there he bade me request you to do immediately, if you wished for his esteem.LYCO Step aside; I’ll look what’s written in it.CURCULIO(stepping aside.) By all means, at your pleasure, so long as I receive of you that which I’m come for.LYCO(reads.)Therapontigonus Platagidorus, the Captain, his guest, sends to his host Lyco, at Epidaurus,right hearty greeting.CURCULIO(aside.) This fellow’s my own; he’s swallowing the hook.LYCO(going on.)I beg and request of you that, the person who delivers this letter to you, to him be given up the girl whom I purchased there (which I did there in your presence, and you being the negotiator),and the golden trinkets and clothes as well. You know already how it was agreed upon. You give the money to the Procurer, and give the young woman to this person.(To CURCULIO.) Where is he himself? Why doesn’t he come?CURCULIO I’ll tell you; because it is but four days since we arrived in Caria, from India; there he now intends to order a solid golden statue to be made of Philippean gold, which is to be seven feet high—a memorial of his exploits.LYCO For what reason this? CURCULIO I’ll tell you; why, because within twenty days he singly has subdued the Persians, Paphlagonians, Sinopians, Arabians, Cretans, Syrians, Rhodia and Lycia, Peredia and BibesiaPeredia and Bibesia: Most of these names are real, while some are fictitious—as, for instance, Peredia, Hungry-land, and Bibesia, Thirsty-land. By Centauromachia he perhaps means Thessaly, the country of the Centaurs; though, possibly, this region may have been too near for him to hope to impose upon Lyco.,Centauromachia and Classia UnomammiaClassia Unomammia: Classia is supposed by Schmieder to be used for classis, an army. Unomammia, the land of the one-breasted people, may perhaps be an allusion to the Amazons, who were feigned to be in the habit of cutting off one breast, for the purpose of using the bow with greater adroitness. Conterebromia is a name coined for the occasion, signifying the and of piercing., and all Libya, and all Conterebromia; one half even of all nations has he conquered unaided in twenty days.LYCO Dear me! CURCULIO Why are you surprised?LYCOWhy, because if all these people were penned up in a cage as close as chickens, even so they couldn’t be encompassed in a year. Upon my faith, I do believe that you areThat you are: Esse,to be or to eat, according to the context. Limiers suggests that a pun is here in ended. If so, it will admit of either these meanings, that you are his servant or that you eat at his expense. come from him; for you do jabber such nonsense.CURCULIO Aye, and I can tell you still more, if you like.LYCO No; I don’t want it. Follow me this way. I’ll pay you that, on account of which you came; and lo, I see (from his house.) Save you, Procurer. CAPPADOX May the Gods prosper you.