Tell me, please, what you think of it. CHREMES Extremely good, I declare. SYRUS Why yes, pretty fair. But listen, what a piece of policy still remains. He is then to say that he has seen your daughter—that her beauty charmed him as soon as he beheld her; and that he desires her for a wife. CHREMES What, her that has just been discovered ? SYRUS The same; and, in fact, he’ll request that she may be asked for. CHREMES For what purpose, Syrus? For I don’t altogether comprehend it. SYRUS O dear, you are so dull. CHREMES Perhaps so. SYRUS Money will be given him for the wedding—with which golden trinkets and clothes—do you understand me? CHREMES To buy them—? SYRUS Just so. CHREMES But I neither give nor betroth my daughter to him. SYRUS But why? CHREMES Why, do you ask me? To a fellow— SYRUS Just as you please. I don’t mean that in reality you should give her to him, but that you should pretend it. CHREMES Pretending is not in my way; do you mix up these plots of yours, so as not to mix me up in them. Do you think that I’ll betroth my daughter to a person to whom I will not marry her? SYRUS I imagined so. CHREMES By no means. SYRUS It might have been cleverly managed; and I under-took this affair for the very reason, that a short time since you so urgently requested it. CHREMES I believe you. SYRUS But for my part, Chremes, I take it well and good, either way. CHREMES But still, I especially wish you to do your best for it to be brought about; but in some other way. SYRUS It shall be done: some other method must be thought of; but as to what I was telling you of,—about the money which she owes to Bacchis,—that must now be repaid her. And you will not, of course, now be having recourse to this method; What have I to do with it? Was it lent to me? Did I give any orders? Had she the power to pawn my daughter without my consent? They quote that saying, Chremes, with good reason, Riorous law Rigorous law : Cicero mentions the same proverb in his work De Officiis, B. i., ch. 10, substituting the word injuria for malitia. Extreme law, extreme injustice, is now become a stale proverb in discourse. The same sentiment is found in the Fragments of Menander. is often rigorous injustice. CHREMES I will not do so. SYRUS On the contrary, though others were at liberty, you are not at liberty; all think that you are in good and very easy circumstances. CHREMES Nay rather, I’ll at once carry it to her myself. SYRUS Why no; request your son in preference. CHREMES For what reason?