Nor for you, indeed, to be speaking ill to your friends in joke.AGORASTOCLESDrop this. What I want to do, you understand.ADVOCATIWe know full well: to undo the perjured Procurer, it’s that you wish.AGORASTOCLESYou’ve got the matter right. See, Milphio and the bailiff are opportunely coming out together. He’s coming rigged out like a nobleman, and appropriately, for the plot.

(Enter MILPHIO and COLLYBISCUS, from the house of AGORASTOCLES, dressed as a person of quality.)MILPHIOHave you now got your instructions by heart?COLLYBISCUSNicely.MILPHIOTake care you understand them, please.COLLYBISCUSWhat need is there of talking? I won’t let my own legs understandMy own legs understand: Callum aprugnum callere aeque non sinam. For a literal translation of this pun, see the Persa, l. 306, and the Note to the passage. as well. MILPHIOOnly take you care that your speeches are learnt by heart for this plot.COLLYBISCUSWhy, upon my faith, I am more perfect than tragic or comic actors are. MILPHIOYou are a capital fellow.AGORASTOCLES(to the ASSISTANTS.)Let’s go nearer to them.(Accosting MILPHIO and COLLYBISCUS.) Here are the witnesses.MILPHIO(to AGORASTOCLES.)Really you could not have brought as many men better suited for this purpose; for not one of them is tongue-tied as a witness Tongue-tied as a witness: Nefastus, forbidden to give evidence as witness, either through incompetency as being slaves, or through infamy of character.; they are genuine men of the law-courts; there they take up their abode; there you may see them more frequently than the Praetor. At this very time there are no better cookers-up of a lawsuitCookers-up of a lawsuit: Juris coctiores.Jus means, according to the context, law or justice. As the same word also means broth, Milphio puns upon this double meaning, in conjunction with the word coctior, better versed in., to stir up litigation, than are these men; for they, if there is no litigation, sow litigation.ADVOCATIMay the Gods confound you!MILPHIOYou I really do commend, inasmuch as, whoever you are, still you act both worthily and kindly in giving your aid to my master thus in love. (To AGORASTOCLES.) But do they now know what the business is?AGORASTOCLESThe whole matter, all in its order.MILPHIOIn that case, do you, then, give me your attention. Do you know this Procurer Lycus? ADVOCATIPerfectly.COLLYBISCUSBut, upon my faith, I don’t know him, of what appearance he is. I wish that you would point this fellow out to me.ADVOCATIWe’ll take all care: we’ve been instructed quite enough. AGORASTOCLES(pointing to COLLYBISCUS.)He has got three hundred pieces counted out.ADVOCATIThen it’s right, Agorastocles, that we should see this gold, that we may know what to say by-and-by as our testimony.AGORASTOCLESCome and look at it.(Opens the bag which COLLYBISCUS holds in his hand. COLLYBISCUS(to the AUDIENCE.)Undoubtedly it’s gold, Spectators—playhouse gold Playhouse gold: He alludes to the practice of using lupines in their purses on the stage, to represent gold. They were probably used for this purpose on account of their yellow colour.; upon this, soaked in water, in foreign lands, the cattle become fatCattle become fat.: He means, that in other conntries than Greece lupines are used for the purpose on fattening cattle.: but, for the carrying out of this design, ’tis real Philippean gold.but, for... is [art of line 599 in the Latin. ADVOCATIWe’ll make believe it is so. COLLYBISCUSBut do you make believe as though I were a foreigner.