It’s a ticklish point; you have a longer sword there than this is (pointing to a knife in his girdle); but just let me go seek a spit, if indeed I must be having a battle with you. I’ll be off home. Warrior, for me and you I’ll choose an impartial judge.(Aside.) But why am I delaying to betake myself off hence, while with a safe inside I may?(Exit.)

(PHRONESIUM and STRATOPHANES.)PHRONESIUM(to her SERVANTS.)Give me my sandalsMy sandals: She gets up from the couch where she has been reclining before her house, and calls for her sandals. Sandals were generally worn by women alone, and the use of them in public by the other sex was regarded as effeminate. Cicero censures Verres and Clodius for wearing them., and take me at once in-doors; for my head aches shockingly from the air.STRATOPHANESWhat’s to become of me, to whom the two female slaves cause ache enough, with which I presented you? (PHRONESIUM is led into the house.) Are you off then? Well thus one’s used in return. How can you possibly shut me out. (The door is slammed to.)Prithee, can anything be more clear than that I’m now shut out? I’m finely fooled. Be it so. With how little difficulty (placing his foot against the door) might I now be persuaded to break the ankles of this entire mansion! Do the manners of covetous women change at all? Since she has brought forth a son, she has plucked her spirit up. Now it’s as though she said to me, I neither ask you nor forbid you to come into the house. But I won’t—I shan’t go—I’ll make her to be saying in a very few days that I’m a cruel man. (To his ATTENDANTS.) Follow me this way. A word’s enough.(Exit.)

(Enter STRABAX.)STRABAX(to himself.)One morning a short time since my father ordered me to go hence, to deal out the mast for food for the oxen. After I got there a person arrived at the farmhouse (so it pleased the Gods), who was owing money to my father, who had formerly purchased some Tarentine sheep of my father;he asked for my father; I said he was in the city; I enquired what he wanted with him. The fellow takes a purse from off his neck, and gives me twenty minae; with pleasure I receive them,and stow them in my purse; these bad sheepThese bad sheep: Perperas. Literally, worthless, as having no fleece on them. He is alluding to the common pun upon mina, the sum of money so denominated, and mina, the sheep that had no fleece on the belly and he calls the former by the latter appellation. See the Pseudolus, l. 329, and the Bacchides, l. 1129, and the Notes., the minae, have I brought in my purse hither to the city.By my troth, Mars has proved very angry with my father; for his sheep are not very far away from the wolvesFar away from the wolves: Still calling the money oves,sheep, he says that they are not far off from the wolves—alluding to Phronesium, for whom they were destined by him. The pun is improved by the fact that Courtesans were frequently termed lupae, she-wolves. He not improbably mentions Mars, because he was the father of Romuius and Remus, and might be supposed to be indebted to the she-wolf for suckling his children, when exposed by the order of Amulius.. Now, with this one stroke shall I send adrift those finical town gallants, and be bundling them all out of doors. My father, in the first place, I’m quite resolved to ruin, root and branch; then next in turn, my mother. Now to-day I’ll carry this money to her whom I love more than my own mother. (Goes towards the door of PHRONESIUM, and knocks.) Hillo there—is any one here? There’s not a woman. Is any one going to open this door?(opens the door.)ASTAPHIUMWhy so a stranger, pray, my dear Strabax?Why don’t you come in at once?Ought you to have been doing so,you, indeed, who are so intimate?STRABAXI’ll go in then, that you mayn’t think I’m loitering.(Goes into the house.)ASTAPHIUMYou act obligingly.

(Enter STRATILAX.)STRATILAX(to himself.)It seems marvellous to me, that Strabax, my master’s son,hasn’t returned from the country, unless perchance he has slily slipt in here into this den of corruption of his.ASTAPHIUM(aside.)Now, faith, he’ll be roaring at me if he espies me.STRATILAXI’m much less savage now, Astaphium, than I was before; I’m not churlish now; don’t thee fear. (She runs to a distance.) What wouldst thee be at? What?ASTAPHIUMWhat, say you? Why, I’m waiting for your churlishness.STRATILAXSay, command me what thee dost please, and in what way thee dost please. I’ve got all my manners anew: my old ones I’ve parted with. I can e’en fall in love, or take a mistress now.ASTAPHIUMUpon my faith, you do tell me fine news. But tell me,have you— ?STRATILAXA mistressA mistress: Parasitum. This word, if the correct reading, cannot mean anything else than a mistress here, in which sense Lambinus asserts that it was sometimes used. If that is not the case, we must be content to agree with Schmieder, that the passage is corrupt., perhaps, thee means.ASTAPHIUMYou’ve understood nicely what I meant to say.STRATILAXHark you, since I’ve been so many times backwards and forwards to the city, I’ve become quite a chatterer; I’m now a right good stalkerRight good stalker: He means to say cavillator, a chatterer; but instead thereof, mispronouncing the word, he calls it caullator, which was perhapspa word of no meaning; it has been translated stalker, from its resemblance to caulis, a stalk..ASTAPHIUMPrithee, what’s that? That’s nonsense;perhaps you intend to mean talking.