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 inThis 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 thisRashly 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.