All right. Shall we visit Simon first, or one of the other rich men?
No: Simon, who wants to have a name of four
syllables instead of two, now that he is rich. Here
we are at the door already. What shall I do next?
Look at that now! Heracles! The door has opened just as it would toa key!
Lead on. Do you see him sitting up and figuring ?
Yes, by Heaven, beside a dim and thirsty lamp ; he is pale for some reason, cock, and all run down and thin; from worrying, I suppose, for there was no talk of his being ill in any other way.
Listen to what he is saying and you will find out how he got this way.
Well, then, that seventy talents is quite safely
buried under the bed and no one else knows of it;
but as for the sixteen, I think Sosylus the groom saw
me hiding them under the manger. At any rate he
is all for hanging about the stable, though he is not
particularly attentive to business otherwise or fond
of work. I have probably been robbed of much
more than that, or else where did Tibius get the
money for the big slice of salt fish they said he
treated himself to yesterday or the earring they said
he bought for his wife at a cost of five whole
drachmas ?_ It’s my money these fellows are squandering, worse luck! But my cups are not stored in a
safe place, either, and there are so many! I’m afraid
someone may burrow under the wall and steal them:
many envy me and plot against me, and above all my
neighbour Micyllus.
Hush, Micyllus, for fear he may find out that we are here.
At any rate it is best to stay awake myself and keep watch. I'll get up from time to time and go all about the whole house. Who is that? I see you, burglar . . . oh! no, you are only a pillar, it is allright. Ill dig up my gold and count it again, for fear I made a mistake yesterday. There, now, somebody made a noise: he’s after me, of course. I am beleaguered and plotted against by all the world. Where is my sword? If I find anyone ... Let us bury the gold again.
Well, Micyllus, that is the way Simon lives. Let’s o and visit someone else while there is still a little of the night left.
Unfortunate man, what a life he leads! I wish my enemies wealth on those terms! Well, I want to hit him over the head before I go.
Who hit me? I’m being robbed, unlucky that I am !
Groan and lie awake and grow like your gold
in colour, cleaving fast to it! Let’s go and see
Gnipho the money-lender, if you don’t mind. He
Do you see him awake with his worries like the other, computing his interests and wearing his fingers tothe bone? And yet he will soon have to leave all this behind and become a beetle or a gnat or a dogfly.
I see an unfortunate, senseless man who even now lives little better than a beetle or a gnat. And how completely run down he is from his computations ! Let’s go and see another.
Your friend Eucrates, if you like. See, this door has opened too, so let’s go in.
All this belonged to me a little while ago.
Why, are you still dreaming of your wealth? Do you see Eucrates and his servant, old man as he is. . .?
Yes, by Heaven, I see lust and sensuality and lewdness ill befitting a human being ; and in another quarter I see his wife and the cook . . .
How about it? Would you be willing to inherit
all this too, Micyllus, and have all that belongs to
Eucrates ?
Well, the day is just breaking, so let’s go home now ; you shall see the rest of it some other time.