Home; to take those slaves to Thais, as your brother ordered me.CHAEREA Oh, lucky Eunuch that! really, to be sent as a present to that house! PARMENO Why so?CHAEREA Do you ask? He will always see at home a fellow-servant of consummate beauty, and be conversing with her; he will be in the same house with her; sometimes he will take his meals with her; sometimes sleep near her.PARMENO What now, if you yourself were to be this fortunate person?CHAEREA By what means, Parmeno? Tell me.PARMENO Do you assume his dress.CHAEREA His dress! Well, what then?PARMENO I’ll take you there instead of him.CHAEREA(musing.)I hear you.PARMENO I’ll say that you are he.CHAEREA I understand you.PARMENO You may enjoy those advantages which you just now said lie would enjoy; you may take your meals together with her, be in company with her, touch her, dally with her, and sleep by her side; as not one of these women is acquainted with you, nor yet knows who you are. Besides, you are of an age and figure that you may easily pass for a eunuch.CHAEREA You speak to the purpose; I never knew better counsel given. Well, let’s go in at once; dress me up, take me away, lead me to her, as fast as you can.PARMENO What do you mean? Really, I was only joking.CHAEREA You talk nonsense.PARMENO I’m undone! Wretch that I am! what have I done? (CHAEREA pushes him along.) Whither are you pushing me? You’ll throw me down presently. I entreat you, be quiet.CHAEREA Let’s be off.(Pushes him.)PARMENO Do you still persist?CHAEREA I am resolved upon it.PARMENO Only take care that this isn’t too rash a project.CHAEREA Certainly it isn’t; let me alone for that.PARMENO Aye, but I shall have to pay the penaltyHave to pay the penalty.In me cudetur faba, literally, the bean will be struck or laid about me; meaning, I shall have to smart for it. There is considerable doubt what is the origin of this expression, and this doubt existed as early as the time of Donatus. He says that it was a proverb either taken from the threshing of beans with a flail by the countrymen; or else from the circumstance of the cooks who have dressed the beans, but have not moistened them sufficiently, being sure to have them thrown at their heads, as though for the purpose of softening them. Neither of these solutions seems so probable as that suggested by Madame Dacier, that dried beans were inserted in the thongs of the scuticae, or whips, with which the slaves were beaten. According to others the knots in the whips were only called fabae, from their resemblance to beans. for this? CHAEREA Pshaw!PARMENO We shall be guilty of a disgraceful action.CHAEREA What, is it disgracefulIs it disqraceful. Donatus remarks that here Terence obliquely defends the subject of the Play. to be taken to the house of a Courtesan, and to return the compliment upon those tormentors who treat us and our youthful age so scornfully, and who are always tormenting us in every way;—to dupe them just as we are duped by them? Or is it right and proper that in preference my father should be wheedled out of his money by deceitful pretexts? Those who knew of this would blame me; while all would think the other a meritorious act.PARMENO What’s to be done in such case? If you are determined to do it, you must do it: but don’t you by-and-by be throwing the blame upon me.CHAEREA I shall not do so.PARMENO Do you order me, then?