His own very self. Begone hence out of my sight. A SHARPER.Since you really have made your appearance here thus late, you shall be beaten both at my own awardAt my own award: He means to tell Charmides, that by delaying his return thus late, he has spoilt his prospect of a lucrative job; and he then adds, that he deserves a thrashing, equally with the actor who came on the stage too late. The actors in early times, being often slaves, were liable to punishment if they offended the audience. The Aediles were the officers under whose superintendence the plays were performed; and probably with them lay the decision whether the actor should be punished for coming late on the stage, after he had been pronounced deserving of it in the opinion (arbitratus) of the spectators. See the Note to l. 707. and that of the new Aediles.CHARMIDESAnd are you abusing me as well?A SHARPER.Yes; seeing that you have arrived in safetyHave arrived in safety: Advenis. After this word, Callicles might suppose that the Sharper is going to congratulate him in the usual terms on his safe arrival; but, instead of that, the fellow pauses, and then finishes with a malediction., may the Gods confound me, if I care a straw for you, had you perished first. I have received the money for this job; you, I devote to bad luck. But who you are, or who you are not, I care not one jot. I’ll go and carry wordGo and carry word: To tell him that he has given the three pieces to no purpose, for the real Charmides has made his appearance, and has completely spoiled the plot. to him who gave me the three pieces, that he may know that he has thrown them away. I’m off. Live with a curse, and fare you ill; may all the Gods confound you, Charmides, for coming from abroadFrom abroad: This scene is replete with true comic spirst It has been supposed by some that the disgrace of the pedant in Shakspeare’s Taming of the Shrew, and his assuming the name and character of Vincentio, were suggested by this scene. A similar incident is met with in the old play of Albumazar act iv., sc. 3. and most probably it was borrowed from the present passage..(Exit.)CHARMIDESSince this fellow has gone, at last a time and opportunity seem to have arrived for speaking out without restraint. Already does this sting pierce my breast—what business he could have before my house? For these letters summon apprehensions into my heart; those thousand pieces, too—what purpose they were to serve. I’ faith, a bellI’ faith, a bell: He aptly compares the worthless fellow to a bell, and then shrewdly judges that a bell cannot ring unless it is put in motion by somebody. is never rung for no purpose; unless some one handles it or moves it, ’tis mute, ’tis dumb. But who is this, that is beginning to run this way along the street? I should like to observe what he is about. I’ll step aside this way.(He retires aside.)

(Enter STASIMUS.)STASIMUS(to himself.)Stasimus, make you haste with all speed; away with you to your master’s house, lest on a sudden, through your folly, fears should arise for your shoulder-bladesFor your shoulder-blades: The slaves among the Romans were whipped most unmercifully with the flagellum, a whip, to the handle of which a lash was fastened, made of cords or thongs of leather, especially from the ox’s hide. It was often knotted with bones, or pieces of bronze, or terminated by hooks, and was then not inaptly termed a scorpion. The infliction of punishment with this on the naked back was sometimes fatal, and was carried into execution by a class of slaves who were called lorarii..Quicken your pace, make haste; ’tis now a long while since you left the house. If you shall be absent when inquired after by your master, take you care, please, that the smacks of the bull’s-hideSmacks of the bull’s-hide: Cottabus was a game played by the Sicilians and Greeks, in which the players had in turn to throw wine out of a goblet into a metal basin at a certain distance, in such a way as not to spill any of the wine. The methods in which the game was played are stated with precision in an able article in Dr. Smith’s Dictionary. As one of the merits of the game was that the wine thrown should in its fall produce the strongest and most pat sound, Stasimus here calls the smacks of the whip on his back so many bubuli cottabi, ox-hide smacks. don’t clatter thick upon you. Don’t you cease running. See now, Stasimus, what a worthless fellow you are; and isn’t it the fact that you have forgotten your ringForgotten your ring: We learn from Caelius Rhodiginus that condalium was a peculiar kind of ring worn by slaves. at the liquor- shopAt the liquor-shop: The thermopolia are supposed to have been the same as the popinae, shops where drinks and ready-dressed provisions were sold. They were very numerous throughout Italy. The keepers of them were called popae. In the present instance we learn what kind of people visited them, and Cicero tells us that they were frequented by the slaves and the lower orders. They sat on stools or benches, while they drank calda, or calida, mulled wine, which was always kept hot. It was probably mixed with spices, and was the favourite drink of the lower classes. It was measured out in poteria, draughts, which are here mentioned; and which formed, probably, about a moderate cupful. Claudius commanded the thermopolia to be closed at one period of his reign. after you have been washing your throat with warm drink? Turn about, and run back now, to seek it, while the thing has but just happened.CHARMIDES(behind.)Whoever he is, his throat is his taskmasterHis throat is his taskmaster: He has overheard what Stasimus has said about warming his throat in l. 1014; and, talking to himself, he remarks that his throat will be the cause of his learning how to run, as he warms his throat, gets drunk, loses his ring, runs homeward, and then runs back to find it.; that teaches this fellow the art of running.STASIMUSWhat, good-for-nothing fellow, are you not ashamed of yourself? having lost your memory after only three cups? And really, because you were there drinking together with such honest fellows, who could keep their hands offWould keep their hands off: There is no doubt that this is intended to be said satirically. the property of another without difficulty;—is it among such men that you expect you may recover your ring?Chiruchus was there, Cerconicus, Crimnus, Cricolabus, CollabusCricolabus, Collabus: These are either nicknames, or, possibly, names really given to slaves, as in all ages and countries masters have especially tried to show their wit in naming their slaves., whipped-necksWhipped-necks: Collicrepidae and Cruricrepidae were probably cant terms for slaves, who carried the marks of punishment on their necks and legs. Crepidae is from the verb crepo, to crack, and alludes to the sound of the lashes. Ferriterius was a slave who bore the marks of the chain with which he had been fastened for refractory conduct, while mastigia was a name given to a slave who had passed the ordeal of flogging. A liquor-shop was a likely place for the resort of worthless and refractory slaves., whipped-legs, iron-rubbers, whipped-knaves.By my faith, any one of these could steal the sole of his shoe from a running footmanFrom a running footman: Cursores were slaves who ran before the carriage of their masters for the same purpose as our outriders. Perhaps, however, this is not the meaning of the word here, as the name was given to all slaves whom their masters employed in carrying letters and messages. Stasimus hints by this that his boon companions were not only very expert at thieving, but that they would prey inst as readily on a fellow-slave as any other person.. CHARMIDES(behind.)So may the Gods love me, a finished thief.STASIMUSWhy should I go seek what is gone for ever?Unless I would bestow my pains, too, by way of addition over and above to my loss. Why, then, don’t you consider that what is gone is gone? Tack about, thenTack about, then: Cape vorsoriam was a sea-phrase, meaning ’turn, or tack about; as vorsoria was the name of the rope by which the sail was turned from one direction to another. Betake yourself back to your master.CHARMIDES(behind.)This fellow is no runaway; he remembers his home.STASIMUSI wish that the old-fashioned ways of old-fashioned days, and the old-fashioned thriftiness, were in greater esteem here, rather than these bad ways.CHARMIDES(behind.)Immortal Gods! this man really is beginning to talk of noble doings! He longs for the old-fashioned ways; know that he loves the old-fashioned ways, after the fashion of our forefathers.STASIMUSFor, now-a-days, men’s manners reckon of no value what is proper, except what is agreable. Ambition now is sanctioned by usage, and is free from the laws. By usage, people have the license to throw away their shields, and to run away from the enemy. To seek honor thereby in place of disgrace is the usage.CHARMIDES(behind.)A shameless usage.STASIMUSNow-a-days, ’tis the usage to neglect the brave.CHARMIDES(behind.)Aye, ’tis really shocking.STASIMUSThe public manners have now got the laws in their power; to them they are more submissive than are parents to their childrenParents to their children: This is said satirically in reference to the corruptness of the age, in which all the relations and duties of life were turned upside down.. In their misery, these laws are even hung upAre even hung up: He alludes to the custom among the Romans of writing or engraving the laws and ordinances on wood or brass, and hanging them up for public inspection upon pegs or rails in the Capitol, Forum, and Curiae, or Court-houses. against the wall with iron nails,where it had been much more becoming for bad ways to be fixed up.