What you requested me, I’ve done for your sake, that I mightn’t slight the messenger who had brought your seal’s impression.THERAPONTIGONUS More fool than fool were you to give credit to this letter.LYCO To that by which matters both public and private are carried on ought I not to have given credit? I’ll be off; the money has been properly paid you. Warrior, farewell.THERAPONTIGONUS How—farewell? LYCO Fare you ill then, if you choose,—aye, all your life, so far as I’m concerned. (Exit.) THERAPONTIGONUS What shall I do now? Of what use is it that I have caused kings to obey me, if this obscure fellowObscure fellow: Umbraticus, a low fellow, a haunter of obscure places. is this day to laugh at me?

(Enter CAPPADOX, from the Temple.)CAPPADOX(to himself.) The man to whom the Gods are propitious, they cannot, I think, be angered with him. After I ad finished my devotions, it then came into my mind, lest the banker should abscond, to go fetch the money, that I may make good cheer rather than he.THERAPONTIGONUS I had left my compliments for you at your house.CAPPADOX Therapontigonus Platagidorus, save you; since you are come safe to Epidaurus this day, at my house—you won’t lick up one grain of saltLick up one grain of salt: He pretends that he is going to invite him; but, stopping short, ends by saying that he shall not even taste salt with him. ἄλαλεχεto lick salt, Erasmus, in his Adagia, tells os was a proverbial expression, denoting to live sparingly..THERAPONTIGONUS You give me a kind invitation; things, however, are in a train for it to go badly with yourself. But how fares my purchase at your house?CAPPADOX Why, not at my house at all. Don’t be bringing your witnesses—assuredly, I don’t owe you anything.THERAPONTIGONUS How’s that?CAPPADOX What I was bound on oath to do, I’ve done.THERAPONTIGONUS Will you give me up the girl or not, before I spit you with this sabre of mine, you whip-scoundrel?CAPPADOX I bid you go to perdition with all my heart; don’t you be terrifying me.She has been carried off; you shall be carried off hence away from me, beyond a doubt, if you persist in abusing me, to whom I owe nothing but a punishing.THERAPONTIGONUS What, threaten me with a punishing?CAPPADOX Aye, and by my troth, I’ll not be threatening, but I’ll give it, if you persist in being impertinent to me.THERAPONTIGONUS A Procurer, forsooth, threatening me; and are my combats in battle, so many in number, lying trodden under foot? But so may my sabre and my shield trustily aid me when fighting in the field; unless the girl is restored to me, I’ll at once cause the ants to carry you away piecemeal from this spot.CAPPADOX And so may my tweezersSo may my tweezers: We might almost fancy that it was a barber speaking, from this mention of the implements of his trade. Probably Cappadox employed these articles himself, in putting the best appearance upon his commodities, that they might the more readily attract the public., my comb, my looking-glass, my crisping-iron, and my hair-scissors and scrubbing-towel love me well, I don’t value your high-sounding words, nor these big threats of yours, a bit the more than my servant-girl that washes out my sink. I’ve given her up to him who brought the money from you.THERAPONTIGONUS What person was that? CAPPADOX He said that he was Summanus, your freed-man.THERAPONTIGONUS Mine? You don’t say so; i’ faith, it’s that Curculio that has put a trick upon me, when I think upon it; he stole my ring from me.CAPPADOX(aside.) The Captain has been finely appointed to a cashiered companyAppointed to a cashiered company: He remarks that the Captain has been made a fool of, just in the same way as if he had received a commission in a disbanded maniple, or company..THERAPONTIGONUS Where now shall I find CurculioFind Curculio: He asks where he can find Curculio. That word signifying not only the Parasite’s name, but a weevil as well, Cappadox tells him that he may find hundreds of them in wheat.?