If you had commissioned the Sun himself to search them out, he couldn’t have found, better than myself, two more cleverly suited for this business. Be of good courage about it. PALAESTRIO Take you every care then. There is need of despatch. (Exit PERIPLECOMENUS.) PALAESTRIO Now, do you listen, Pleusicles. Part of line 805 in the Latin. PLEUSICLES I am all attention to you. PALAESTRIO Take care of this. When the Captain comes home, do you remember not to call Philocomasium by her name. PLEUSICLES What am I to call her? PALAESTRIO Glycera. PLEUSICLES The same, you mean, that was agreed upon a little time since. PALAESTRIO Hush!—Be off. PLEUSICLES I’ll remember; but still I don’t know what use it is to keep it in my mind. PALAESTRIO But I will tell you, at the time, when occasion shall require. Meanwhile, be quiet; so that, bye and bye, when he too shall be acting his part Acting his part : He alludes to Periplecomenus, who has just left him. , you may, on the instant, be minding your cue. PLEUSICLES I’ll go in then. PALAESTRIO Go, and do take care steadily to follow my instructions. (PLEUSICLES goes into the house of PERIPLECOMENUS.) PALAESTRIO What mighty turmoils I create! What mighty engines I do set to work! This very day I shall take his mistress away from the Captain, if my soldiers are only well drilled Are only well drilled : Manipularis was a term applied to the common soldiers of the legion, inasmuch as they were formed into small companies, marshalled in open order, called manipuli . Each maniple had two centurions, whose duty it was to drill their men, inspect their arms, clothing, and food, visit the sentinels, and regulate the conduct of the privates both in the camp and in the field. They sat as judges in minor offences, and had the power of ordering corporal punishment, whence their badge of office was a vine sapling. Bene centuriati consequently means here well drilled. . But I’ll call him out. 
 (Goes to the door and calls.) Hallo! Sceledrus, if you are not busy, come out to the front of the house; I, Palaestrio, call you. (Enter LUCRIO from the CAPTAIN’s house.) LUCRIO Sceledrus is not at leisure. PALAESTRIO Why so? LUCRIO He’s fast asleep, gulping Asleep, gulping : Sorbeo means not only to drink up, but to make that gulping noise in snoring which is produced by inhaling the breath with the mouth open, and the head thrown back. Palaestrio purposely misunderstands him, for the purpose of getting a confession out of him. . PALAESTRIO How, gulping? LUCRIO He’s snoring, ’twas that I meant to say: but, because ’tis very like gulping when you are snoring— PALAESTRIO What ! Is Sceledrus asleep in-doors? LUCRIO Not with his nose, in fact; for with that he is calling out loud enough. PALAESTRIO He has taken a cup by stealth; Part of line 822 in the Latin. the butler has lately tapped a cask of nardine A cask of nardine : According to the reading here adopted, he guesses that Sceledrus has got drunk upon some nardine wine, that had been lately tapped. The Romans used many articles for flavouring their wines. Spikenard, an Eastern aromatic, is here referred to. Horehound, squills, wormwood, and myrtle-berries were used for making medical wines. Cornels, figs, medlars, roses, asparagus, parsley, radishes, laurels, junipers, cassia, cinnamon, and saffron, with many other particulars, were also used for flavouring wines. . Oho! you rascal, you are his deputy-butler His deputy-butler : Some Commentators take this passage to mean, that Sceledrus really was the promus , or butler; but it seems more probable that Palaestrio says, by way of accusation, Sceledrus has not only been acting the butler on this occasion, but you have been acting as his deputy, in secretly helping him to draw it. Lucrio was the subcustos of Sceledrus, the deputy-keeper of Philocomasium, and the under-butler as well. . Oho! LUCRIO What do you mean? PALAESTRIO How has he thought fit to go to sleep? LUCRIO With his eyes, I suppose. PALAESTRIO I don’t ask you that, you vagabond. Step this way: you’re undone now, unless I know the truth. Did you draw the wine for him? LUCRIO I did not draw it.