Which of our people? MYSIS (aloud.) To Pamphilus. DAVUS (affecting surprise in a loud tone.) How? What—to Pamphilus? MYSIS (aloud.) How now—is it not so? CHREMES (apart.) With good reason have I always been averse to this match, it’s clear. DAVUS (calling aloud.) O abominable piece of effrontery! MYSIS Why are you bawling out so? DAVUS (aloud.) What, the very one I saw being carried to your house yesterday evening? MYSIS O you impudent fellow! DAVUS (aloud.) It’s the truth. I saw Canthara stuffed out beneath her clothes. Stuffed out beneath her clothes : Suffarcinatam. He alludes to the trick already referred to as common among the Greeks, of the nurses and midwives secretly introducing supposititious children; see 1. 515 and the Note. MYSIS I’faith, I thank the Gods that several free women were present Several free women were present : She speaks of liberae, free women, because in Greece as well as Italy slaves were not permitted to give evidence. See the Curculio of Plautus, 1. 621, and the Note to the passage in Bohn’s Translation. See also the remark of Geta in the Phormio, 1. 293. at the delivery. DAVUS (aloud.) Assuredly she doesn’t know him, on whose account she resorts to these schemes. Chremes, she fancies, if he sees the child laid before the door, will not give his daughter; i’faith, he’ll give her all the sooner. CHREMES (apart.) I’faith, he’ll not do so. DAVUS (aloud.) Now therefore, that you may be quite aware, if you don’t take up the child, I’ll roll it forthwith into the middle of the road; and yourself in the same place I’ll roll over into the mud. MYSIS Upon my word, man, you are not sober. DAVUS (aloud.) One scheme brings on another. I now hear it whispered about that she is a citizen of Attica — CHREMES (apart.) Ha! DAVUS (aloud.) And that, constrained by the laws, Constrained by the laws : He alludes to a law at Athens which compelled a man who had debauched a free-born woman to marry her. This is said by Davus with the view of frightening Chremes from the match. he will have to take her as his wife. MYSIS Well now, pray, is she not a citizen? CHREMES (apart.) I had almost fallen unawares into a comical misfortune. (Comes forward.) DAVUS Who’s that, speaking? (Pretending to look about.) O Chremes, you have come in good time. Do listen to this. CHREMES I have heard it all already. DAVUS Prithee, did you hear it? Here’s villainy for you! she (pointing at MYSIS.) ought to be carried off She ought to be carried off : He says this implying that Mysis, who is a slave, ought to be put to the torture to confess the truth; as it was the usual method at Athens to force a confession from slaves by that method. We find in the Hecyra, Bacchis readily offering her slaves to be put to the torture, and in the Adelphi the same custom is alluded to in the Scene between Micio, Hegio and Geta. hence to the torture forthwith. (To MYSIS, pointing at CHREMES.) This is Chremes himself; don’t suppose that you are trifling with Davus only. MYSIS Wretched me! upon my faith I have told no untruth, my worthy old gentleman. CHREMES I know the whole affair. Is Simo within? DAVUS He is. (CHREMES goes into SIMO’s house.) MYSIS (DAVUS attempting to caress her.) Don’t touch me, villain. (Moving away.) On my word, if I don’t tell Glycerium all this— DAVUS How now, simpleton, don’t you know what has been done? MYSIS How should I know? DAVUS This is the bride’s father. It couldn’t any other way have been managed that he should know the things that we wanted him to know.