No one shall know it from me.CHREMESFollow me; in-doors we’ll hear the rest. (He goes into DEMIPHO’S house, followed by SOPHRONA.)

(Enter DEMIPHO and GETA.)DEMIPHO’Tis caused by our own fault, that it is advantageous to be dishonest; while we wish ourselves to be styled very honest and generous. So run away as not to run beyond the house,Run beyond the house: Fugias ne printer casam. This passage, has given much trouble to the Commentators; but it is pretty clear that the explanation of Donatus is the correct one: Don’t abandon your own home, that being the safest place. Stallbaum agrees with Gronovius in thinking that it was first applied as a piece of advice to runaway slaves, as being likely to become worse off by the change; probably much in the same spirit as we say, Out of the frying-pan into the fire. as the saying is. Was it not enough to receive an injury from him, but money must be voluntarily offered him as well, that he may have something on which to subsist while he plans some other piece of roguery? GETAMost clearly so.DEMIPHOThey now get rewarded for it, who confound right with wrong.GETAMost undoubtedly.DEMIPHOHow very foolishly, in fact, we have managed the affair with him!GETAIf by these means we can only manage for him to marry her.DEMIPHOIs that, then, a matter of doubt?GETAI’ faith, judging from what the fellow is, I don’t know whether he mightn’t change his mind.DEMIPHOHow! change it indeed?GETAI don’t know: but if perhaps, I say.DEMIPHOI’ll do as my brother advised me, bring hither his wife, to talk with her. Do you, Geta, go before; tell her that Nausistrata is about to visit her. (DEMIPHO goes into the house of CHREMES.) GETAThe money’s been got for Phaedria; it’s all hushed about the lawsuit; due care has been taken that she’s not to leave for the present. What next, then?What’s to be done? You are still sticking in the mud. You are paying by borrowing;Paying by borrowing: Versura solvere, was to pay a debt by borrowing money, and consequently to be no better off than before. Geta having, by the money he has procured, freed Phaedria from all danger of losing his mistress, but at the same time having brought Antipho into still greater danger of losing his wife. the evil that was at hand, has been put off for a day. The toils are increasing upon you, if you don’t look out. Now I’ll away home, and tell Phanium not to be afraid of Nausistrata, or his talking.Or his talking: Ejus here alludes, not to Nausistrata but to Phormio. Madame Dacier suggests that it should be hujus.(Goes into the house of DEMIPHO.)

(Enter DEMIPHO and NAUSISTRATA, from the house of CHREMES.)DEMIPHOCome now, Nausistrata, after your usual way, manage to keep her in good-humor with us, and make her do of her own accord what must be done.NAUSISTRATAI will.DEMIPHOYou are now seconding me with your endeavors, just as you assisted me with your moneyWith your money: Colman observes: Alluding to the money borrowed of her to pay Phormio; and as Donatus observes in another place, it is admirably contrived, in order to bring about a humorous catastrophe that Chremes should make use of his wife’s money on this occasion. before.NAUSISTRATAI wish to do so; and yet, i’ faith, through the fault of my husband, I am less able than I ought to be.DEMIPHOWhy so?NAUSISTRATABecause, i’ faith, he takes such indifferent care of the property that was so industriously acquired by my father; for from those farms he used regularly to receive two talents of silver yearly; there’s an instance, how superior one man is to another.DEMIPHOTwo talents, pray?NAUSISTRATAAye, and when things were much worse, two talents even.DEMIPHOWhew!NAUSISTRATAWhat! does this seem surprising?DEMIPHOOf course it does.NAUSISTRATAI wish I had been born a man; I’d have shown—DEMIPHOThat I’m quite sure of.