Persa, or The Persian (378-433)

Are you going to be obedient to your father’s orders, or not?

To be obedient.

Do you know then what I instructed you?

Everything.

Both this, how you were stolen?

I understand it perfectly well.

And who your parents were?

I keep it in my memory. You cause me of necessity to be artful; but take you care, when you wish to give me in marriage, that this story doesn’t cause the match to be given up.

Hold your tongue, simpleton. Do you not see the customs of people now-a-days, that marriage is easily effected here with a reputation of any kind? So long as there’s a marriage-portion, no fault is reckoned as a fault.

Then take you care, and let this occur to your thoughts, that I am without a fortune.

Take you care, please, how you say that.

By my faith, through the merits of the Gods and of my ancestors I’ll say it, you must not say that you are without a fortune, who have a marriage-portion at home. Why look, I’ve got a whole carriage-full[*] of books at home. If you carefully give your attention to this matter in which we are exerting ourselves, six hundred bon-mots shall be given you out of them as a fortune,

all Attic ones[*], too; you shall not receive a single Sicilian one. With this for a fortune, you might safely marry a beggar even[*].

Why, then, don’t you take me, father, if you are going to take me anywhere? Either do you sell me, or do with me what you please.

You ask what’s fair and right. Follow me this way.

I’m obedient to your command.

I wonder what I’m to say my neighbour is going to do, who swore to me that he would pay the money to-day? But if he should not pay it, and this day go by, I shall have forfeited the money, he his oath. But the door there makes a noise. I wonder who’s coming out of doors?

Take you care of that in-doors; I shall betake myself home just now.

Toxilus, how are you?

How now!—pimping filth mixed up with mud! How now!—public dung-heap! dirty, dishonest, lawless, enticer, disgrace to the public; you hawk after money, greedy and envious;

you impudent, rapacious, craving fellow (in three hundred lines no person could run through your villanies), will you take the money? (Holding out the purse.) Take the money, will you, shameless fellow. Take hold of the money, will you. Are you going to take the money, then? Can I make you take the money, filth? (Keeps moving it away.)

You didn’t suppose that I should have had so much money—you, who didn’t venture to trust me at all except upon oath?

Do let me recover breath, so as to give you an answer. Fellow, dregs of the populace, you stable for she-slaves, you liberator of harlots, you surface for the lash,

you wearer-out of the fetters, you citizen of the treadmill, you slave everlastingly, you gormandizer, glutton, pilferer, runaway, give me the money, will you. Give me the money, impudence. Can I get the money out of you? Give me the money, I say. Why don’t you give me the money? Are you ashamed of nothing?

You impersonation of slavery, a Procurer is asking money of you for the liberation of your mistress, so that all may hear it.

Troth now, prithee, do hold your tongue. For sure your voice is in first-rate strength.

I’ve got a tongue made for returning a compliment. Salt is provided for me at the same price as for yourself.

Unless this tongue protects me, it shall never lick a bit of salt.

I’ll cease to be angry now. It was for this I blamed you, because you refused to trust me for the money.

’Twas a wonder, indeed, that I didn’t trust you, that you might do the same to me that some of the bankers do[*].