What do you desire?PERIPHIANES Take care you don’t permit this woman to associate with my daughter, or to see her. Now do you understand? I wish her to be shut up apart in that little chamber; there’s a great difference between the manners of a maiden and a courtesan.(The SERVANT leads the MUSIC-GIRL into the house.)APAECIDES You speak cleverly and judiciously; each man cannot keep too strict a guard upon the chastity of his daughter.Upon my faith, we certainly did forestall this woman from your son just in time.PERIPHIANES Why so? APAECIDES Because another person told me that he had just seen your son here.PERIPHIANES I’ troth, he was stirring in this business. APAECIDES Upon my faith, it really is so, clearly.You really have a clever servant, and worth any price.PERIPHIANES At his weight in gold he would not be dear.APAECIDESPart of line 411 in Latin. How well he keptHow well he kept: The cunning of Epidicus is admirably shown here. He pretends to the old man that they together are deceiving the Music-girl, while, in reality, he is imposing on the old man. that Music-girl quite in ignorance that she was purchased for you; so full of joke and fun did he bring her hither along with him.PERIPHIANES It’s wonderful how that could be managed.APAECIDES He said that you were going to offer a sacrifice at home for your son, because he had returned safe from Thebes.PERIPHIANES He hit upon the right thing.APAECIDES Yes, and he himself told her that she had been hired to assist you here in the sacrifice. He said that you were about to perform it, and that you had a sacrifice at home.But I then made pretence that I was ignorant, as it were, inasmuch as I made myself out half-wittedMade myself out half-witted: This in his wisdom he pretended that she might not fancy that he was a cunning fellow, going to put a trick upon her, in combination with Epidicus..PERIPHIANES Why yes; it was right to do so.APAECIDES An important trial of a friend is going on at the Forum; I want to go as his advocate.PERIPHIANES Go, and when you have leisure, return to me mediately.APAECIDES I’ll be here just now.(Exit.)PERIPHIANES(to himself.)Nothing is there more opportune to man than a friend in need; without labour of your own, what you want is done nevertheless. If I had commissioned any one upon this business, a less skilful person, and less fitted for this matter, he would have been gulled; and so, grinning with his white teeth,my son would have most deservedly laughed at me. But who is this I see coming this way, that with his swaggering makes his scarf to be streaming in the wind?(He stands aside.)

(Enter a CAPTAIN, with his SERVANT.)A CAPTAIN (to his SERVANT.)Take care not to pass by any house without asking where lives the old gentleman, Periphanes of PlotheaPeriphanes of Plothea: Plothenius. Most of the editions have here Plataenius of Plataea. As this was in Bœotia, the other is far more likely to be the right reading, Plothea being a Demus of Attica.. Take care that you don’t return to me without knowing it.PERIPHIANES(coming forward.)Young man, if I point out to you the person whom you are in search of, what thanks shall I get of you?A CAPTAIN In arms, by the might of war, I’ve deserved that all people ought to give me thanks.PERIPHIANES You haven’t found out, young man, a tranquil spot where to recount your virtues as you wish; for, if an inferior vaunts his battles to a superior, by his lips they become soiled; but this Periphanes of Plothea whom you are seeking, I am he, if you want him for anything.A CAPTAIN Him, you mean, who in his youth