By my troth, I do entreat you, his delight and my own aversion; his full-bosomed mistress, my enemy and evil-wisher; his eye, my eyesore; his honey, my gall—don’t you be angry with him; or, if that cannot be, do take a rope and hang yourself, with your master and your household: for I see that henceforth, on your account, I shall have to live upon sighing; and as it is, I’ve already got my back about as hard with weals as an oyster-shell, by reason of your amours.ADELPHASIUMPrithee, do you wish me to hinder him from beating you, rather than that he should not prove untrue towards me?ANTERASTYLIS(to her SISTER.)Do answer him in somewhat kindly terms, there’s a dear, that he mayn’t be annoying to us; for he’s detaining us from our purpose. ADELPHASIUMThat’s true. This one fault more will I pardon you for, Agorastocles. I am not angry.AGORASTOCLESYou are not? ADELPHASIUMI am not.AGORASTOCLESThat I may believe you, give me a kiss then.ADELPHASIUMI’ll give you one by-and-by, when I return from the sacrifice. AGORASTOCLESBe off, then, in all haste.ADELPHASIUMFollow me, sister. AGORASTOCLESAnd do you hear too? Pay all compliments to Venus in my name.ADELPHASIUMI’ll pay them. AGORASTOCLESListen to this, too—ADELPHASIUMWhat is it? AGORASTOCLESPerform the ceremony in few words. And do you hear? Look back at me. (She looks back.) She did look back. By my troth, I trust that Venus will do the same for you.(ADELPHASIUM, ANTERASTYLIS, and ATTENDANT go into the Temple of Venus.)

(AGORASTOCLES and MILPHIO.)AGORASTOCLESWhat now do you advise me to do, Milphio?MILPHIOTo give me a beating, and then have an auctionHave an auction: Some Commentators have fancied that a play is intended upon the resemblance of the word auctio in this line and anctor in the preceding one.; for (pointing to the house) really, upon my faith, with utter impunity you might put up this house for sale.AGORASTOCLESWhy so? MILPHIOFor the greater part you make your dwelling in my mouthDwelling in my mouth: He says that his master may sell his own house, for he seems to have taken up his abode in his (Milphio’s) mouth in reference to his having continually to speak of him or to him..AGORASTOCLESDo have done with those expressions.MILPHIOWhat now do you wish?AGORASTOCLESI just now gave three hundred Philippeans to the bailiff Collybiscus, before you called me out of doors. I now adjure you, Milphio, by this right hand, and by this left hand its sister, and by your eyes, and by my passion, and by my own Adelphasium, and by your libertyBy your liberty: His liberty being a thing non-existent.—MILPHIOWhy, now you adjure me by nothing at all.AGORASTOCLESMy dear little Milphio, my kind occasion, my safeguard, do what you promised me you would do, that I may prove the ruin of this Procurer. MILPHIOWhy, that’s very easy to be done. Be off, bring here with you your witnesses; meanwhile, in-doors I’ll forthwith provide your bailiff with my disguise and stratagems. Make haste and be off.AGORASTOCLESI fly. MILPHIOThat’s more my partMore my part: He alludes to the common trick of slaves taking to flight. than yours.