Leave off your abuse, and explain to me what I’ve been asking. TRACHALIO There ought to be a casket of wicker-work Casket of wicker-work : Caudeam. Festus tells us that this kind of casket was made of wicker, and received its name from its resemblance to a horse’s tail, cauda; others, however, perhaps with more probability, derive it from caudex, a piece of wood. in that wallet, in which are tokens by means of which she may be enabled to recognize her parents, by whom, when little, she was lost at Athens , as I said before. GRIPUS May Jupiter and the Gods confound you. What do you say, you sorcerer of a fellow? What, are these women dumb, that they are not able to speak for themselves? TRACHALIO They are silent for this reason, because a silent woman is always better than a talking one. GRIPUS Then, I’ faith, by your way of speaking, you are neither a man nor a woman to my notion. TRACHALIO How so? GRIPUS Why, because neither talking nor silent are you ever good for anything. Prithee (to DAEMONES) , shall I ever be allowed to-day to speak? DAEMONES If you utter a single word more this day, I’ll break your head for you. TRACHALIO As I had commenced to say it, old gentleman, I beg you to order him to give up that casket to these young women; if for it he asks any reward for himself, it shall be paid; whatever else is there besides, let him keep for himself. GRIPUS Now at last you say that, because you are aware it is my right; just now you were asking to go halves. TRACHALIO Aye, and even still I ask it. GRIPUS I’ve seen a kite making a swoop, even when he got nothing at all however. DAEMONES (to GRIPUS.) Can’t I shut your mouth without a drubbing? GRIPUS (pointing to TRACHALIO.) If that fellow is silent, I’ll be silent; if he talks, allow me to talk in my own behalf. DAEMONES Please now give me this wallet, Gripus. GRIPUS I’ll trust it to you; but for you to return it me, if there are none of those things in it. DAEMONES It shall be returned. GRIPUS Take it. (Gives him the wallet.) DAEMONES Now then listen, Palaestra and Ampelisca, to this which I say: is this the wallet, in which this Procurer said that your casket was? PALAESTRA It is the same. GRIPUS (aside.) Troth, to my sorrow, I’m undone; how on the instant, before she well saw it, she said that it was it. PALAESTRA I’ll make this matter plain to you, instead of difficult. There ought to be a casket of wicker-work there in that wallet; whatever is in there I’ll state by name; don’t you show me anything. If I say wrong, I shall then have said this to no purpose; then you shall keep these things, whatever is in there for yourselves. But if the truth, then I entreat you that what is my own may be restored to me. DAEMONES I agree; you ask for bare justice only, in my way of thinking, at least. GRIPUS But, I’ faith, in mine, for extreme injustice; what if she is a witch or a sorceress, and shall mention exactly everything that’s in it. Is a sorceress to have it? DAEMONES She shan’t get it, unless she tells the truth; in vain will she In vain will she : By this he clearly means to say that conjuring is all nonsense, and that she has no chance of telling what is in it merely by guessing. be conjuring. Unloose the wallet, then (giving it to GRIPUS) , that as soon as possible I may know what is the truth.