Plautus, Aulularia, Henry Thomas Riley (Translator), 4.4

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628

EUCLIO
(He discovers STROBILUS, and drags him from behind the altar.)

Out, out, you earthworm¹, who have this instant crept out of the earth; who just now were nowhere seen, and now that you are seen shall die for it.

By my faith, you juggler, I’ll receive you now after a disagreable fashion.
630
(Begins to shake and beat him.)

STROBILUS

What the curst plague does ail you? What business have you with me, old fellow? Why do you torment me? Why are you dragging me? For what reason are you beating me?

EUCLIO

You out-and-out whipping-post, do you even ask that, you, not thief, but thrice-dotted thief.

STROBILUS

What have I stolen from you?

EUCLIO

Give me that back here, if you please.

STROBILUS

What do you want me to give you back?

EUCLIO

Do you ask me that?

STROBILUS

As for me, I’ve taken nothing away from you.
635

EUCLIO

But give up that which you have taken away for yourself. Are you going to do so?

STROBILUS

Do what?

EUCLIO

You can’t carry it off.

STROBILUS

What do you want?

EUCLIO

Lay it down.

STROBILUS

Troth, for my part, I think that you are in the habit ² of quizzing, old gentleman.

EUCLIO

Put that down, please; cease your quibbling; I’m not trifling now.

STROBILUS

What am I to put down? Why don’t you mention it, whatever it is, by its own name?

By my faith, I really have neither taken nor touched anything.
640

EUCLIO

Show me your hands, here.

STROBILUS

Well, I do show them; see, here they are.

(Holdinq out his hands.)

EUCLIO

I see them. Come, show me the third³, as well.

STROBILUS

(aside.)

Sprites, and frenzy, and madness, possess this old fellow. Are you doing me an injustice, or not?

EUCLIO

A very great one, I confess, inasmuch as you are not strung up; and that too shall be done this moment, un less you do confess.

STROBILUS

What am I to confess to you?

EUCLIO

What it was you took away hence.
645

STROBILUS

May the Gods confound me, if I’ve taken away anything of yours, (aside) and if I don’t wish I had taken it away.

EUCLIO

Come then, shake out your cloak.

STROBILUS

At your pleasure.

(Shakes it.)

EUCLIO

You haven’t it among your under-clothing?

STROBILUS

Search where you please.

EUCLIO

Pshaw! how civilly the rascal speaks, that I mayn’t suppose he has taken it away! I know your tricks. Come, show me here again that right hand.

STROBILUS

Here it is.

(Extending it.)

EUCLIO

Now show me your left.

STROBILUS

Well, then, I show you both, in fact.

(Extending them.)

EUCLIO

Now I leave off searching. Give back that here.

STROBILUS

Give back what?

EUCLIO

Are you trifling with me? You certainly have got it.

STROBILUS

I, got it? Got what?

EUCLIO

I shan’t say; you want to hear. Whatever you have of mine, give it back.

STROBILUS

You are mad; you’ve searched me all over at your own pleasure, and yet you’ve found nothing of yours in my possession.

EUCLIO

(starting.)

Stop, stop; who was that? Who was the other⁴ that was within here, together with yourself? Troth, I’m undone; he’s now rummaging about within. If I let this one go, he’ll escape. At last, I’ve now searched this one all over; he has got nothing. Be off where you please;
655

Jupiter and the Gods confound you!

STROBILUS

He returns his thanks not amiss⁵.

EUCLIO

I’ll go in here now, and I’ll at once throttle this accomplice of yours. Will you not fly hence from my sight? Will you away from here, or no?

STROBILUS

I’m off.

EUCLIO

Take you care, please, how I see you.

(He goes into the Temple.)

Aulularia. Plautus. Henry Thomas Riley (Translator). London. 1912.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by NSF, NEH: Digital Libraries Initiative, Phase 2.

Current edition Perseus

Aulularia, or The Concealed Treasure (English) (Plautus. The Comedies of Plautus, Volume 1. Riley, Henry Thomas, translator. London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1912.)

Editions (1)

Aulularia Perseus (Plautus. Plauti Comoediae, Volume 1. Leo, Friedrich, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1895.) — 4.4 focus

628

Evclio

I foras, lumbrice, qui sub terra erepsisti modo,

qui modo nusquam comparebas, nunc, cum compares, peris.

ego pol te, praestrigiator, miseris iam accipiam modis.
630

Strobilvs

Quae te mala crux agitat? quid tibi mecum est commerci, senex?

quid me adflictas? quid me raptas? qua me causa verberas?

Evclio

Verberabilissime, etiam rogitas, non fur, sed trifur?

Strobilvs

Quid tibi súrrupui?

Evclio

Redde huc sis.

Strobilvs

Quid tibi vis reddam?

Evclio

Rogas?

Strobilvs

Nil equidem tibi abstuli.
635

Evclio

At illud quod tibi abstuleras cedo.

ecquid agis?

Strobilvs

Quid agám?

Evclio

Auferre non potes.

Strobilvs

Quid vis tibi?

Evclio

Pone.

Strobilvs

Id quidem pol te datare credo consuetum, senex.

Evclio

Pone hoc sis, aufer cavillam, non ego nunc nugas ago.

Strobilvs

Quid ego ponam? quin tu eloquere quidquid est suo nomine.

non hercle equidem quicquam sumpsi nec tetigi.
640

Evclio

Ostende huc manus.

Strobilvs

Em tibi, ostendi, eccas.

Evclio

Video. age ostende etiam tertiam.

Strobilvs

Laruae hunc atque intemperiae insaniaeque agitant senem.

facisne iniuriam mihi?

Evclio

Fateor, quia non pendes, maximam.

atque id quoque iam fiet, nisi fatere.

Strobilvs

Quid fatear tibi?

Evclio

Quid abstulisti hinc?
645

Strobilvs

Di me perdant. si ego tui quicquam abstuli

nive adeo abstulisse vellem.

Evclio

Agedum, excutedum pallium.

Strobilvs

Tuo arbitratu.

Evclio

Ne inter tunicas habeas.

Strobilvs

Tempta qua lubet.

Evclio

Vah, scelestus quam benigne: ut ne abstulisse intellegam.

novi sycophantias. age rusum óstende huc manum

dexteram.
650

Strobilvs

Em.

Evclio

Nunc laevam ostende.

Strobilvs

Quin equidem ambas profero.

Evclio

Iam scrutari mitto. redde huc.

Strobilvs

Quid reddam?

Evclio

A, nugas agis,

certe habes.

Strobilvs

Habeo ego? quid habeo?

Evclio

Non dico, audire expetis.

id meum, quidquid habes, redde.

Strobilvs

Insanis: perscrutatus es

tuo arbitratu, neque tui me quicquam invenisti penes.

Evclio

Máne, mane. quís illic est? quis hic íntus alter érat tecum simul?
655

perii hercle: ille nunc íntus turbat, hunc si amitto hic abierit.

postremo hunc iam perscrutavi, hic nihil habet. abi quo lubet.

Strobilvs

Iuppiter te dique perdant.

Evclio

Haud male egit gratias.

ibo intro atque illi socienno tuo iam interstringam gulam.

fugin hinc ab oculis? abin an non?
660

Strobilvs

Abeo.

Evclio

Cave sis † te videam.—

Notes on the current edition

Aulularia, or The Concealed Treasure

1. Earthworm: He thinks, that in the short space of time during which he has been absent in the Temple, he can only have sprung out of the earth, as he had not seen him a few minutes before; and taking him to be a sort of praestigiator, or juggler, he fancies that he has followed him into the Temple, and purloined the treasure.

2. In the habit: The real meaning of the author in this line is so indelicate, that it requires another turn to be given to the passage.

3. Show me the third: This passage has been considered as extravagant; but it really does not appear inconsistent with the ridiculous conduct of the wretched Euclio throughout. Thornton supposes that the following passage in the old play of Albumazar, Act III., Sc. 8 (where Trinculo questions Ronca about the purse, which the latter has stolen from him), is an imitation of this passage:

Trin. Show me your hand. Ron. Here ’tis. Trin. But where’s the other?

Ron. Why, here. Trin. But I mean, where’s your other hand?

Ron. Think you me the giant with an hundred hands?

Trin. Give me your right. Ron. My right? Trin. Your left? Ron. My left?

Trin. Now both.

Ron. There’s both, my dear Antonio

4. Who was the other: This suspicion in Euclio is very natural; and he asks the question very artfully, for the purpose of catching a confession from him by inadvertence.

5. Thanks not amiss: He says this sarcastically. If he gets such thanks when he has not stolen the treasure, what would he have got supposing that he had?

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

Search the Perseus Catalog for:

STROBILUS What the curst plague does ail you? What business have you with me, old fellow? Why do you torment me? Why are you dragging me? For what reason are you beating me?

EUCLIO You out-and-out whipping-post, do you even ask that, you, not thief, but thrice-dotted thief.

STROBILUS What have I stolen from you?

EUCLIO Give me that back here, if you please.

STROBILUS What do you want me to give you back?

EUCLIO Do you ask me that?

STROBILUS As for me, I’ve taken nothing away from you. 635

EUCLIO But give up that which you have taken away for yourself. Are you going to do so?

STROBILUS Do what?

EUCLIO You can’t carry it off.

STROBILUS What do you want?

EUCLIO Lay it down.

STROBILUS Troth, for my part, I think that you are in the habit 2 of quizzing, old gentleman.

EUCLIO Put that down, please; cease your quibbling; I’m not trifling now.

STROBILUS What am I to put down? Why don’t you mention it, whatever it is, by its own name? By my faith, I really have neither taken nor touched anything. 640

EUCLIO Show me your hands, here.

STROBILUS Well, I do show them; see, here they are. (Holdinq out his hands.)

EUCLIO I see them. Come, show me the third 3 , as well.

STROBILUS (aside.) Sprites, and frenzy, and madness, possess this old fellow. Are you doing me an injustice, or not?

EUCLIO A very great one, I confess, inasmuch as you are not strung up; and that too shall be done this moment, un less you do confess.

STROBILUS What am I to confess to you?

EUCLIO What it was you took away hence. 645

STROBILUS May the Gods confound me, if I’ve taken away anything of yours, (aside) and if I don’t wish I had taken it away.

EUCLIO Come then, shake out your cloak.

STROBILUS At your pleasure. (Shakes it.)

EUCLIO You haven’t it among your under-clothing?

STROBILUS Search where you please.

EUCLIO Pshaw! how civilly the rascal speaks, that I mayn’t suppose he has taken it away! I know your tricks. Come, show me here again that right hand.

STROBILUS Here it is. (Extending it.)

EUCLIO Now show me your left.

STROBILUS Well, then, I show you both, in fact. (Extending them.)

EUCLIO Now I leave off searching. Give back that here.

STROBILUS Give back what?

EUCLIO Are you trifling with me? You certainly have got it.

STROBILUS I, got it? Got what?

EUCLIO I shan’t say; you want to hear. Whatever you have of mine, give it back.

STROBILUS You are mad; you’ve searched me all over at your own pleasure, and yet you’ve found nothing of yours in my possession.

STROBILUS He returns his thanks not amiss 5 .

EUCLIO I’ll go in here now, and I’ll at once throttle this accomplice of yours. Will you not fly hence from my sight? Will you away from here, or no?

STROBILUS I’m off.

EUCLIO Take you care, please, how I see you. (He goes into the Temple.)

Current edition Perseus

Evclio I foras, lumbrice, qui sub terra erepsisti modo, qui modo nusquam comparebas, nunc, cum compares, peris. ego pol te, praestrigiator, miseris iam accipiam modis. 630

Strobilvs Quae te mala crux agitat? quid tibi mecum est commerci, senex? quid me adflictas? quid me raptas? qua me causa verberas?

Evclio Verberabilissime, etiam rogitas, non fur, sed trifur?

Strobilvs Quid tibi súrrupui?

Evclio Redde huc sis.

Strobilvs Quid tibi vis reddam?

Evclio Rogas?

Strobilvs Nil equidem tibi abstuli. 635

Evclio At illud quod tibi abstuleras cedo. ecquid agis?

Strobilvs Quid agám?

Evclio Auferre non potes.

Strobilvs Quid vis tibi?

Evclio Pone.

Strobilvs Id quidem pol te datare credo consuetum, senex.

Evclio Pone hoc sis, aufer cavillam, non ego nunc nugas ago.

Strobilvs Quid ego ponam? quin tu eloquere quidquid est suo nomine. non hercle equidem quicquam sumpsi nec tetigi. 640

Evclio Ostende huc manus.

Strobilvs Em tibi, ostendi, eccas.

Evclio Video. age ostende etiam tertiam.

Strobilvs Laruae hunc atque intemperiae insaniaeque agitant senem. facisne iniuriam mihi?

Evclio Fateor, quia non pendes, maximam. atque id quoque iam fiet, nisi fatere.

Strobilvs Quid fatear tibi?

Evclio Quid abstulisti hinc? 645

Strobilvs Di me perdant. si ego tui quicquam abstuli nive adeo abstulisse vellem.

Evclio Agedum, excutedum pallium.

Strobilvs Tuo arbitratu.

Evclio Ne inter tunicas habeas.

Strobilvs Tempta qua lubet.

Evclio Vah, scelestus quam benigne: ut ne abstulisse intellegam. novi sycophantias. age rusum óstende huc manum dexteram. 650

Strobilvs Em.

Evclio Nunc laevam ostende.

Strobilvs Quin equidem ambas profero.

Evclio Iam scrutari mitto. redde huc.

Strobilvs Quid reddam?

Evclio A, nugas agis, certe habes.

Strobilvs Habeo ego? quid habeo?

STROBILUS

What the curst plague does ail you? What business have you with me, old fellow? Why do you torment me? Why are you dragging me? For what reason are you beating me?

EUCLIO

You out-and-out whipping-post, do you even ask that, you, not thief, but thrice-dotted thief.

STROBILUS

What have I stolen from you?

EUCLIO

Give me that back here, if you please.

STROBILUS

What do you want me to give you back?

EUCLIO

Do you ask me that?

STROBILUS

As for me, I’ve taken nothing away from you.
635

EUCLIO

But give up that which you have taken away for yourself. Are you going to do so?

STROBILUS

Do what?

EUCLIO

You can’t carry it off.

STROBILUS

What do you want?

EUCLIO

Lay it down.

STROBILUS

Troth, for my part, I think that you are in the habit ² of quizzing, old gentleman.

EUCLIO

Put that down, please; cease your quibbling; I’m not trifling now.

STROBILUS

What am I to put down? Why don’t you mention it, whatever it is, by its own name?

By my faith, I really have neither taken nor touched anything.
640

EUCLIO

Show me your hands, here.

STROBILUS

Well, I do show them; see, here they are.

(Holdinq out his hands.)

EUCLIO

I see them. Come, show me the third³, as well.

STROBILUS

(aside.)

Sprites, and frenzy, and madness, possess this old fellow. Are you doing me an injustice, or not?

EUCLIO

A very great one, I confess, inasmuch as you are not strung up; and that too shall be done this moment, un less you do confess.

STROBILUS

What am I to confess to you?

EUCLIO

What it was you took away hence.
645

STROBILUS

May the Gods confound me, if I’ve taken away anything of yours, (aside) and if I don’t wish I had taken it away.

EUCLIO

Come then, shake out your cloak.

STROBILUS

At your pleasure.

(Shakes it.)

EUCLIO

You haven’t it among your under-clothing?

STROBILUS

Search where you please.

EUCLIO

Pshaw! how civilly the rascal speaks, that I mayn’t suppose he has taken it away! I know your tricks. Come, show me here again that right hand.

STROBILUS

Here it is.

(Extending it.)

EUCLIO

Now show me your left.

STROBILUS

Well, then, I show you both, in fact.

(Extending them.)

EUCLIO

Now I leave off searching. Give back that here.

STROBILUS

Give back what?

EUCLIO

Are you trifling with me? You certainly have got it.

STROBILUS

I, got it? Got what?

EUCLIO

I shan’t say; you want to hear. Whatever you have of mine, give it back.

STROBILUS

You are mad; you’ve searched me all over at your own pleasure, and yet you’ve found nothing of yours in my possession.

STROBILUS

He returns his thanks not amiss⁵.

EUCLIO

I’ll go in here now, and I’ll at once throttle this accomplice of yours. Will you not fly hence from my sight? Will you away from here, or no?

STROBILUS

I’m off.

EUCLIO

Take you care, please, how I see you.

(He goes into the Temple.)

Evclio

I foras, lumbrice, qui sub terra erepsisti modo,

qui modo nusquam comparebas, nunc, cum compares, peris.

ego pol te, praestrigiator, miseris iam accipiam modis.
630

Strobilvs

Quae te mala crux agitat? quid tibi mecum est commerci, senex?

quid me adflictas? quid me raptas? qua me causa verberas?

Evclio

Verberabilissime, etiam rogitas, non fur, sed trifur?

Strobilvs

Quid tibi súrrupui?

Evclio

Redde huc sis.

Strobilvs

Quid tibi vis reddam?

Evclio

Rogas?

Strobilvs

Nil equidem tibi abstuli.
635

Evclio

At illud quod tibi abstuleras cedo.

ecquid agis?

Strobilvs

Quid agám?

Evclio

Auferre non potes.

Strobilvs

Quid vis tibi?

Evclio

Pone.

Strobilvs

Id quidem pol te datare credo consuetum, senex.

Evclio

Pone hoc sis, aufer cavillam, non ego nunc nugas ago.

Strobilvs

Quid ego ponam? quin tu eloquere quidquid est suo nomine.

non hercle equidem quicquam sumpsi nec tetigi.
640

Evclio

Ostende huc manus.

Strobilvs

Em tibi, ostendi, eccas.

Evclio

Video. age ostende etiam tertiam.

Strobilvs

Laruae hunc atque intemperiae insaniaeque agitant senem.

facisne iniuriam mihi?

Evclio

Fateor, quia non pendes, maximam.

atque id quoque iam fiet, nisi fatere.

Strobilvs

Quid fatear tibi?

Evclio

Quid abstulisti hinc?
645

Strobilvs

Di me perdant. si ego tui quicquam abstuli

nive adeo abstulisse vellem.

Evclio

Agedum, excutedum pallium.

Strobilvs

Tuo arbitratu.

Evclio

Ne inter tunicas habeas.

Strobilvs

Tempta qua lubet.

Evclio

Vah, scelestus quam benigne: ut ne abstulisse intellegam.

novi sycophantias. age rusum óstende huc manum

dexteram.
650

Strobilvs

Em.

Evclio

Nunc laevam ostende.

Strobilvs

Quin equidem ambas profero.

Evclio

Iam scrutari mitto. redde huc.

Strobilvs

Quid reddam?

Evclio

A, nugas agis,

certe habes.

Strobilvs

Habeo ego? quid habeo?

Evclio

Non dico, audire expetis.

id meum, quidquid habes, redde.

Strobilvs

Insanis: perscrutatus es

tuo arbitratu, neque tui me quicquam invenisti penes.

Evclio

Máne, mane. quís illic est? quis hic íntus alter érat tecum simul?
655

perii hercle: ille nunc íntus turbat, hunc si amitto hic abierit.

postremo hunc iam perscrutavi, hic nihil habet. abi quo lubet.