Rudens, or The Fisherman's Rope (269c-333b)

Then it were more fitting that you should have come

arrayed in white and provided with victims; it isn’t the practice for people to come to this Temple in that fashion.

Prithee, whence would you have us, who have been both cast away at sea, to be bringing victims hither? Now, in want of assistance, do we embrace your knees,

we who are of hopes undefined in places unknown, that you may receive us under your roof and shelter us, and that you will pity the miseries of us both, who have neither any place of refuge nor hope at hand, nor have anything whatever of our own beyond that which you see.

Give me your hands, arise, both of you, from off your knees; no one among women is more compassionate than I. (They arise from the ground.) But, maidens, my circumstances are poor and limited; with difficulty I support my own existence; Venus I serve for my maintenance.

Prithee, is this a Temple of Venus?

I will admit it; I am styled the Priestess of this Temple. But whatever it is, it shall be done by me with a hearty welcome, so far as my means shall suffice. Come with me this way.

Kindly and attentively, mother, do you show your attentions to us.

So I ought to do.

Persons who are poor live wretchedly in every way, especially those who have no calling and have learned no art. Of necessity must that be deemed enough, whatever they have at home. From our garb, then, you pretty well understand how wealthy we are. These hooks and these rods here are as good to us as a calling and as our clothing.

Each day from the city do we come out hither to the sea to seek for forage. Instead of exertion in the wrestling-school and the place for exercise, we have this: sea-urchins, rock-mussels, oysters, limpets[*], cockles, sea-nettles, sea-mussels and spotted crabs[*], we catch. After that, we commence our fishing with the hook and among the rocks,

and thus we take our food from out of the sea. If success does not befall us, and not any fish is taken, soaked in salt water[*] and thoroughly drenched, we quietly betake ourselves home, and without dinner go to sleep. And since the sea is now in waves so boisterous, no hopes have we; unless we take some cockles, without a doubt we’ve had our dinners.

Now let’s adore good Venus here, that she may kindly befriend us to-day.

I’ve carefully given all attention that I mightn’t pass my master anywhere; for when some time since he went out of the house, he said that he was going to the harbour, and he ordered me to come here to meet him at the Temple of Venus. But see, opportunely do I espy some people standing here of whom I may enquire; I’ll accost them.

(Goes up to the FISHERMEN.) Save you, thieves of the sea, shellfish-gatherers and hook-fishers[*], hungry race of men, how fare ye? How perish apace[*]?

Just as befits a fisherman with hunger, thirst, and expectation.

Have you seen to-day, while you’ve been standing here, any young man, of courageous aspect, ruddy, stout, of genteel appearance, come by this way,

who was taking with him three men in scarfs, with swords?

We know of no one coming this way of that appearance which you mention.

Have you seen any old fellow, bald on the forehead and snub-nosed, of big stature, pot-bellied, with eyebrows awry, a narrow forehead, a knave, the scorn of Gods and men, a scoundrel, one full of vile dishonesty and of iniquity,

who had along with him two very pretty-looking young women?

One who has been born with qualities and endowments of that sort, ’twere really fitter for him to resort to the executioner than to the Temple of Venus.

But tell me if you have seen him.

Really, no one has passed this way. Fare you well.

Fare ye well. (Exeunt FISHERMEN.) (to himself.) I thought so; it has come to pass as I suspected;

my master has been deceived; the cursed Procurer has taken himself off to distant lands. He has embarked on board ship, and carried the women away; I’m a wizard. He invited my master here to breakfast, as well, this very spawn of wickedness. Now what is better for me than to wait here in this spot until my master comes? At the same time, if this Priestess of Venus knows anything more,

if I see her, I’ll make enquiries; she’ll give me the information.

I understand; here at this cottage (pointing to it), which is close by the Temple of Venus, you’ve requested me to knock and ask for water.

Whose voice is it that has flown to my ears?

Prithee, who’s speaking here? Who is it that I see?