Plautus Persa 3.3

TOXILUS

(speaking at the door to the PERSONS within.)

Take you care of that in-doors; I shall betake myself home just now.

405

DORDALUS

Toxilus, how are you?

TOXILUS

How now!—pimping filth mixed up with mud! How now!—public dung-heap! dirty, dishonest, lawless, enticer, disgrace to the public; you hawk after money, greedy and envious;

you impudent, rapacious, craving fellow (in three hundred lines no person could run through your villanies), will you take the money? (Holding out the purse.) Take the money, will you, shameless fellow. Take hold of the money, will you. Are you going to take the money, then? Can I make you take the money, filth? (Keeps moving it away.)

410

You didn’t suppose that I should have had so much money—you, who didn’t venture to trust me at all except upon oath?

415

DORDALUS

Do let me recover breath, so as to give you an answer. Fellow, dregs of the populace, you stable for she-slaves, you liberator of harlots, you surface for the lash,

you wearer-out of the fetters, you citizen of the treadmill, you slave everlastingly, you gormandizer, glutton, pilferer, runaway, give me the money, will you. Give me the money, impudence. Can I get the money out of you? Give me the money, I say. Why don’t you give me the money? Are you ashamed of nothing?

420

You impersonation of slavery, a Procurer is asking money of you for the liberation of your mistress, so that all may hear it.

425

TOXILUS

Troth now, prithee, do hold your tongue. For sure your voice is in first-rate strength.

DORDALUS

I’ve got a tongue made for returning a compliment. Salt is provided for me at the same price as for yourself.

Unless this tongue protects me, it shall never lick a bit of salt.

430

TOXILUS

I’ll cease to be angry now. It was for this I blamed you, because you refused to trust me for the money.

DORDALUS

’Twas a wonder, indeed, that I didn’t trust you, that you might do the same to me that some of the bankers do ¹ .

When you’ve entrusted them with anything, they immediately run more quickly away from the Forum than a hare, when, at the games ² , he’s let out of the entrance of his cage.

435

TOXILUS

(holding out the money.)

Take this, will you.

DORDALUS

Why don’t you give it then?

TOXILUS

(giving it.)

There will be here six hundred didrachms, full weight and counted; cause the damsel to be set at liberty, and bring her out here forthwith.

DORDALUS

I’ll have her here this moment.

I’ faith, I don’t know to whom now to give this money to be tested ³ .

440

TOXILUS

Perhaps you are afraid to entrust it to any one’s hands?

DORDALUS

Strange if I wasn’t. More quickly, now-a-days, do bankers abscond from the Forum, than a wheel spins round in a race.

TOXILUS

(pointing.)

Do you go that way, through the alleys, the back way to the Forum ⁴ ;

let this damsel pass through the same way to our house, through the garden.

445

DORDALUS

I’ll have her here this moment.

TOXILUS

But not in public view.

DORDALUS

Very discreet.

TOXILUS

To-morrow she must go to return thanks ⁵ .

DORDALUS

I’ faith, just so indeed.

TOXILUS

While you’ve been loitering, you might have got back.

(Exit DORDALUS; TOXILUS goes into the house.)