I’m afraid. PALAESTRIO What are you afraid of? SCELEDRUS By my troth, lest, this day, as many domestics as there are of us here, we shall jump into a most woful punishmient by way of torture. PALAESTRIO Jump you alone, please; for I don’t at all like this jumping in This jumping in : Some critics think that there is some hidden meaning or allusion in the words insulturam and desulturam . That hardly seems to be the case, for Palaestrio might naturally say in return to the warning of the other, I like neither your jumping in nor our jumping out. and jumping out. SCELEDRUS Perhaps you don’t know what new mischance has happened at home? PALAESTRIO What mischance is this? SCELEDRUS A disgraceful one. PALAESTRIO Do you then keep it to yourself alone: don’t tell it me; I don’t want to know it. SCELEDRUS But I won’t let you not know it. To-day I was following our monkey upon the tiles, next door there. (Points to the house.) PALAESTRIO By my troth, Sceledrus, a worthless fellow, you were following a worthless beast. SCELEDRUS The Gods confound you! PALAESTRIO That befits yourself, since you began the conversation. SCELEDRUS By chance, as it happened, I looked down there through the skylight, into the next house; and there I saw Philocomasium toying with some strange young man, I know not whom. PALAESTRIO What scandalous thing is this I hear of you, Sceledrus? SCELEDRUS I’ faith, I did see her, beyond a doubt. PALAESTRIO What, yourself? SCELEDRUS Yes, I myself, with these eyes of mine. PALAESTRIO Get away, it isn’t likely what you say, nor did you see her. SCELEDRUS Do I, then, appear to you as if I were purblind? PALAESTRIO ’Twere better for you to ask the doctor about that. But, indeed, if the Gods only love you, don’t you rashly father this Rashly father this : Tollas fabulam . This metaphor is borrowed from the custom among the Romans of laying the new-born child upon the ground upon which it was taken up ( tollebatur ) by the father, or other person who intended to stand in the place of parent to it. idle story. Now are you breeding thence a fatal dilemma for your legs and head; for, in two ways, the cause is contrived for you to be ruined, unless you put a check upon your foolish chattering. SCELEDRUS But how, two ways? PALAESTRIO I’ll tell you. First then, if you falsely accuse Philocomasium, by that you are undone; in the next place, if it is true, having been appointed her keeper, there you are undone. SCELEDRUS What may happen to me, I know not; I know for certain that I did see this. PALAESTRIO Do you persist in it, unfortunate wretch? SCELEDRUS What would you have me say to you, but that I did see her? Moreover, she is in there, next door, at this very moment. PALAESTRIO What! Isn’t she at home? SCELEDRUS Go and see. Go in-doors yourself; for I don’t ask now for any confidence to be put in me. PALAESTRIO I’m determined to do so.