And watch him too, that he doesn’t go away anywhere. For we have promised either to give the executioner a great talent, or else to produce this fellow this very day.DAEMONESDo you only be off. I’ll not let him get away, while you are absent.TRACHALIOI’ll be back here soon.(Exit TRACHALIO.)

(DAEMONES, LABRAX, PALAESTRA, AMPELISCA, and SERVANTS.)DAEMONES(to LABRAX, who is struggling with the SERVANTS.)Which, you Procurer, had you rather do, be quiet with a thrashing, or e’en as it is, without the thrashing, if you had the choice?LABRAXOld fellow, I don’t care a straw for what you say. My own women, in fact, I shall drag away this instant from the altar by the hair, in spite of yourself, and Venus, and supreme Jove. DAEMONESJust touch them. LABRAX(going towards them)I’ troth, I surely will touch them.DAEMONESJust come then; only approach this way.LABRAXOnly bid both those fellows, then, to move away from there.DAEMONESOn the contrary, they shall move towards you.LABRAXI’ faith, for my own part, I don’t think so.DAEMONESIf they do move nearer to you, what will you do?LABRAXI’ll retire. But, old fellow, if ever I catch you in the city,never again, upon my faith, shall any one call me a Procurer, if I don’t give you some most disagreable sport.DAEMONESDo what you threaten. But now, in the meantime, if you do touch them, a heavy punishment shall be inflicted on you.LABRAXHow heavy, in fact? DAEMONESJust as much as is sufficient for a Procurer.LABRAXThese threats of yours I don’t value one straw; I certainly shall seize them both this instant without your leave.DAEMONESJust touch them. LABRAXBy my troth, I surely will touch them.DAEMONESYou will touch them, but do you know with what result? Go then, Turbalio, with all haste, and bring hither from out of the house two cudgels.LABRAXCudgels? DAEMONESAye, good ones; make haste speedily. (TURBALIO goes in.)I’ll let you have a reception this day in proper style, as you are deserving of.LABRAX(aside.)Alas! cursedly unfortunate. I lost my headpiece in the ship; it would now have been handy for me, if it had been saved. (To DAEMONES.) May I at least address these women?DAEMONESYou may not (TURBALIO enters bringing two cudgels.) Well now, by my faith, look, the cudgel-man is coming very opportunely here.LABRAX(aside.)By my troth, this surely is a tingling for my ears.DAEMONESCome, Sparax, do you take this other cudgel. (Giving him one.) Come, take your stand, one on one side, the other on one other. Take your stations both of you. (They stand with lifted cudgels on each side of he altar.) Just so. Now then attend to me:if, I’ faith, that fellow there should this day touch these women with his finger against their inclination, if you don’t give him a receptionTheir inclination—a reception: Invitos—invitassitis. He here plays upon the resemblance of the words invitos, signifying against their will, and invito, being a verb signifying to invite, and admitting of much the same equivocal use as our expression, to give a warm reception to. with these cudgels even to that degree that he shan’t know which way he is to get home, you are undone, both of you. If he shall call for any one, do you make answer to this fellow in their stead.