Miles Gloriosus
Plautus, Titus Maccius
Plautus. The Comedies of Plautus, Volume 1. Riley, H. T., translator. London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1912.
- Because you are so dim of sight.
- You gallows-bird, ’tis you, indeed, that are blind, with a vengeance, and not dim of sight; for, sure enough, there she is at home.
- How? At home?
- At home, i’ faith, undoubtedly.
- Be off with you; you are playing with me, Palaestrio
- My hands are dirty, then.
- How so?
- Because I am playing with dirt.
- A mischief on your head.
- Nay rather, Sceledrus, it shall be on yours, I promise you, unless you change for fresh your eyes and your talk. But our door made a noise.
- Well, I shall watch here out of doors, for there is no way by which she can pass hence in-doors, except through the front door.
- But there she is, at home. I don’t know, Scledrus, what mischief is possessing you.
- I see for my own self, I judge for my own self, I have especial faith in my own self: no man shall frighten me out of it, but that she is in that house. Points to the house of PERIPLECOMENUS. Here I’ll take my stand, that she may not steal out home without my knowledge.
- (aside) This fellow is in my hands; now will I drive him from his strong hold. (To SCLEDRUS) Do you wish me now to make you own that you don’t see correctly?
- Come, do it then.
- And that you neither think aright in your mind, nor yet make use of your eyes?
- I’d have you do it.
- Do you say, then that the lady of your master is there in that house?
- I assert, as well, that I saw here here in this house (points to the house of PERIPLECOMENUS), toying with a strange man.