Stichus, or The Parasite Rebuffed (346-373)

I’ll cause you to know that assuredly you’ve said that with reason.

I wish everything to be made clean. (Calls to the SERVANTS from the door.) Bring out here your brooms, and a reed as well,[*] that I may destroy all the labours of the spiders and their plaguy webs, and rout out all their looms.

The poor things will be cold in future.

What? Do you think that they are just like yourself, with only one coat? Take this broom.

I’ll take it.

This I’ll take myself. Do you sweep away there.

I’ll do so.

Will some one bring here a pail and water[*]?

Really, this fellow’s playing the Aedile[*] without the vote of the public even.

Come, do you quickly sweep the ground, and sprinkle before the house.

I’ll do so.

It needs be done.

I’ll knock down the spider-webs there from the door and from the wall.

I’ faith, a troublesome business, this.

Still, I don’t at all understand what it means; unless, perchance, some guests are about to come?

Do you spread the couches.

The beginning pleases me, about the couches.

Others, you chop the billets; others, you clean the fish which the fisherman has brought;

take you down the gammon of bacon and the collar of brawn[*].

I’ faith, this is a very sensible fellow.

By my troth, as I imagine, you haven’t quite minded the directions of your mistress.

Why, I’ve left all matters unattended to by reason of what you wished.

Then do you inform me upon that, on account of which you were sent to the harbour?

I’ll tell you. After, with the daybreak, you had sent me to the harbour,

the sun with its beams opportunely arose from out of the sea. While I was enquiring of the revenue officers whether any ship had arrived from Asia, and they were saying none had come, I beheld, in the meantime, a bark, than which I think I never saw a greater one. With a favouring breeze, and in full sail, it came into harbour.

We were enquiring one of another whose ship it was, and what it carried? In the meantime I espied your husband and his servant Stichus.

Ha! what? Did you mention Epignomus?

Your husband

and my own life.

He has arrived, I say.