But if he himself shall attempt to get away from here, that instant, as hard a you can, lay on to his legs with your sticks.LABRAXAre they not even to allow me to go away from here?DAEMONESI’ve said sufficient. And when that servant comes here with his master, he that has gone to fetch his master, do you at once go home.Attend to this with great diligence, will you.(DAEMONES goes into his house.)LABRAXO rare, by my troth, the Temple here is surely changed all of a sudden; this is now the Temple of Hercules Temple of Hercules : Seeing the servants with their cudgels, he is reminded of Hercules, who was thus depicted, and was called by the Poets Claviger. which was that of Venus before; in such fashion has the old fellow planted two statues here with clubs. I’ faith, I don’t know now whither in the world I shall fly from here;so greatly are they both raging now against me, both land and sea. Palaestra!SERVANTWhat do you want? LABRAXAway with you, there is a misunderstanding between us; that, indeed, is not my PalaestraNot my Palaestra: Echard, borrowing the notion from Madame Dacier, has the following Note on this passage: This Palaestra was a place of public exercise, over the gate of which was a statue of Hercules, with an inscription Palaestra; now Labrax, finding this stout fellow with his club, whom before he had compared to Hercules, answering instead of Palaestra, he wittily alludes to that statue, and says that that Palaestra was none of his. Thornton appears to be right in considering this a far-fetched conceit on the part of the fair Commentatress. that answers. Harkye, Ampelisca.SERVANTBeware of a mishap, will you.LABRAX(aside.)So far as they can, the worthless fellows advise me rightly enough.(Aloud.) But, harkye, I ask you, whether it is any harm to you for me to come nearer to these women? SERVANTWhy none at all to ourselves.LABRAXWill there be any harm to myself?SERVANTNone at all, if you only take care.LABRAXWhat is it that I’m to take care against?SERVANTWhy, look you, against a heavy mishap.LABRAXTroth now, prithee, do let me approach them.SERVANTApproach them, if you like.LABRAXI’ faith, obligingly done; I return you thanks, I’ll go nearer to them.(Approaches them.)SERVANTDo you stand there on the spot, where you are.(Drags him to his place, with the cudgel over his head.)LABRAX(aside.)By my faith, I’ve come scurvily off in many ways. Still, I’m resolved to get the better of them this day by constantly besieging them.

(Enter PLESIDIPPUS and TRACHALIO, at a distance, on the other side of the stage.)PLESIDIPPUSAnd did the Procurer attempt by force and violence to drag my mistress away from the altar of Venus?TRACHALIOEven so. PLESIDIPPUSWhy didn’t you kill him on the instant?TRACHALIOI hadn’t a sword. PLESIDIPPUSYou should have taken either a stick or a stone.TRACHALIOWhat! ought I to have pelted this most villanous fellow with stones like a dog? LABRAX(aside, on seeing them.)By my troth, but I’m undone now; see, here’s Plesidippus; he’ll be sweeping me away altogether this moment with the dust.