O cunning mortal! not another person in Athens can be pronounced more clever than he. One can no more this day deceive him than he can a stone. I’ll accost the man; I’ll address him.THEUROPIDES(to himself.)Now I do wish that he would come here.TRANIO(apart.)I’ faith, if me indeed you want, here I am ready at hand for you. (Comes forward.) THEUROPIDESBravo! Tranio, what’s being done?TRANIOThe country people are coming from the country Philolaches will be here in a moment.THEUROPIDESI’ faith, he comes opportunely for me. This neighbour of ours I take to be a shameless and dishonest fellow.TRANIOWhy so?THEUROPIDESInasmuch as he denies that he knows you.TRANIODenies it? THEUROPIDESAnd declares that you never gave him a single coin of money TRANIOOut with you, you are joking me, I do believe; he doesn’t deny it.THEUROPIDESHow so? TRANIOI am sure now that you are joking; for surely he doesn’t deny it.THEUROPIDESNay but, upon my faith, he really does deny it; or that he has sold this house to Philolaches.TRANIOWell now, pray, has he denied that the money was paid him?THEUROPIDESNay more, he offered to take an oath to me, if I desired it, that he had neither sold this house, nor had any money him paid been. I told him the same that you told me.TRANIOWhat did he say? THEUROPIDESHe offered to give up all his servants for examination.TRANIONonsense! On my faith, he never will give them up.THEUROPIDESHe really does offer them.TRANIOWhy then, do you summon him to trial.THEUROPIDESWait a bit; I’ll make trial as I fancy. I’m determined on it. TRANIOBring the fellow here to me.THEUROPIDESWhat then, if I go fetch some men?TRANIOIt ought to have been done already; or else bid the young man to demand possession of the house.THEUROPIDESWhy no, I want to do this first—to put the servants under examinationServants under examination: Quaestioni.Examination by torture; which was the method used by the Romans for extracting confessions from slaves..