Gallus

COCK All right. Shall we visit Simon first, or one of the other rich men?

MICYLLUS 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?

MICYLLUS Look at that now! Heracles! The door has opened just as it would toa key!

COCK Lead on. Do you see him sitting up and figuring ?

MICYLLUS 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.

COCK Listen to what he is saying and you will find out how he got this way.

SIMON 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.

COCK Hush, Micyllus, for fear he may find out that we are here.

SIMON 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.

COCK 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.

MICYLLUS 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.

SIMON Who hit me? I’m being robbed, unlucky that I am !

MICYLLUS 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

COCK 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.

MICYLLUS 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.

COCK Your friend Eucrates, if you like. See, this door has opened too, so let’s go in.

MICYLLUS All this belonged to me a little while ago.

COCK Why, are you still dreaming of your wealth? Do you see Eucrates and his servant, old man as he is. . .?

MICYLLUS 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 . . .

COCK How about it? Would you be willing to inherit all this too, Micyllus, and have all that belongs to Eucrates ?

COCK Well, the day is just breaking, so let’s go home now ; you shall see the rest of it some other time.