Miles Gloriosus
Plautus, Titus Maccius
Plautus. The Comedies of Plautus, Volume 1. Riley, H. T., translator. London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1912.
- When he went away, I cried: Hallo! you sir! said I, what are you doing upon the tiles? As he went away he replied to me in these terms, that he was following a stray’d monkey.
- Woe to wretched me! that I must be ruined for a worthless beast. But is Philocomasium there with you even still?
- When I came out, she was there.
- If she is, then bid her return to our house as soon as ever she can, that the servants may see that she is at home; unless, indeed, she wishes that we, who are slaves, her fellow- slaves[*](Her fellow-slaves: He seems to use the word contubernales, comrades, or fellow-slaves, as applying to the relation between Philocomasium and the other slaves in the house; since, falling into the hands of the Captain, she had become reduced to the condition of a slave. The cross was the instrument of a punishment among the Romans, which was especially inflicted upon slaves. It was usually in shape like the letter T or X, but there were various other forms of it. The condemned carried his own cross, and, being first stripped, was either nailed or bound to it, and in the latter ase was generally left to die of hunger. It must be remembered that in the time of the Roman Republic the laws did not protect the person or life of the slaves, who were sometimes very barbarously treated.), should all be given up together to tortures by the cross on account of her courting.
- I bade her do so; unless you would aught else.
- I would. Tell her this: that, by my troth, she must not hesitate at all to bring in play her skill and cleverness.
- In what way?
- That by her words she may persuade him who saw her here at your house, that he did not see her. Should he accuse her, on the other hand let her convince him with her oath. Even though she were seen a hundred times over, still let her deny it. Aside. For, if she is at all inclined to ill, a woman never goes begging[*](Never goes begging: He uses a rather out-of-the-way simile here; he means to say, a woman never needs to go to a gardener’s, who has a garden of her own, with a most plentiful stock of artfulness, &. Some Commentators fancy that he means literally to say that women have always at hand plenty of poisonous plants for the purposes of mischief, and that they need not the assistance of the gardener or nurseryman when they wish to carry out their designs. Such an interpretation seems, however, to be very far-fetched.) to the gardener for material, she has a garden at home and a stock of her own for all mischievous contrivances; at home she has impudence[*](Impudence: Os, literally, face; similar to a common expression it use with us.), a lying tongue, perfidiousness, malice, and boldness, self-conceit, assurance, and deceitfulness,—at home she has wiles,—at home captivating contrivances,—stratagems at home.
- I’ll tell her this, if she shall be in-doors here pointing to his house. But what is it, Palaestrio, that you are considering with yourself in your mind?
- Be silent a moment, while I am calling a council in my mind, and while I am considering what I am to do, what plan I must contrive, on the other hand, as a match for my crafty fellow-servant, who has seen her billing here in your house; so that what was seen may not have been seen.