Miles Gloriosus

Plautus, Titus Maccius

Plautus. The Comedies of Plautus, Volume 1. Riley, H. T., translator. London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1912.

  1. Why shouldn’t I think so?
PYRGOPOLINICES
  1. I’ll go in, then. Do you, in the mean time, keep watch here before the house, that when the other woman comes out you may call me out.
PALAESTRIO
  1. Do you only mind the business that you are upon.
PYRGOPOLINICES
  1. That, indeed, is resolved upon. For if she will not go out of her own accord, I’ll turn her out by force.
PALAESTRIO
  1. Do you take care how you do that; but rather let her go from your house with a good grace[*](With a good grace: Per gratiam bonam.Bonâ gratiâwas a legal term used in the case of amicable divorces with the consent of both parties.), and give her those things that I mentioned. The gold trinkets and apparel, with which you furnished her, let her take away.
PYRGOPOLINICES
  1. By my troth, I wish she would.
PALAESTRIO
  1. I think you’ll easily prevail upon her. But go indoors; don’t linger here.
PYRGOPOLINICES
  1. I obey you. Goes into his house.
PALAESTRIO
  1. to the AUDIENCE. Now, does he really appear to be anything different from what, awhile ago, I told you he was, this wenching Captain? Now it is requisite that Acroteleutium should come to me, her maid too, and Pleusicles. O Jupiter! and does not opportunity favour me in every respect? For those whom I especially wished to see, I perceive at this moment coming out here from our neighbour’s.
Enter ACROTELEUTIUM, MILPHIDIPPA, and PLEUSICLES from the house of PERIPLECOMENUS.
ACROTELEUTIUM
  1. Follow me; at the same time look around, that there may be no overlooker.
MILPHIDIPPA
  1. Faith, I see no one, only him whom we want to meet.
PALAESTRIO
  1. Just as I want you.
MILPHIDIPPA
  1. How do you do, our master-plotter?
PALAESTRIO
  1. I, the master-plotter? Nonsense.
MILPHIDIPPA
  1. How so?
PALAESTRIO
  1. Because, in comparison with yourself, I am not worthy to fix a beam in a wall.
ACROTELEUTIUM
  1. Aye, indeed so.
PALAESTRIO
  1. She’s a very fluent and a very clever hand at mischief. How charmingly she did polish off the Captain.
MILPHIDIPPA
  1. But still, not enough.
PALAESTRIO
  1. Be of good courage all the business is now prospering under our hands. Only do you, as you have begun, still give a helping hand; for the Captain himself has gone in-doors, to entreat his mistress to leave his house, with her mother and sister, for Athens.