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53
(Enter SATURIO.)
SATURIO
(to himself.)
The old and ancient calling of my forefathers do I follow, and hold, and cultivate with great care.
For never was there any one of my forefathers, but that by acting the parasite they filled their bellies: my father, grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, his father, and his grandfather, just like mice, always fed on the victuals of others, and in love of good eating no one could excel them.
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Hard Heads
1
was their surname. From them have I derived this calling, and the station of my forefathers; nor do I wish myself to turn informer
2
, nor indeed does it become me, without risk of my own, to go seize upon the goods of other people; nor do those persons please who do so; I’m speaking out.
60
For whoever does this, more for the sake of the public than of his own benefit, my mind can be induced to believe that he is a citizen both faithful and deserving; but if he should not prosecute to conviction the breaker of the laws, let him pay one half of the intended penalty to the public. And let this, too, be written in that law;
65
when an informer has prosecuted any one, let the other in his turn
3
sue him for just as much, and upon equal terms let them come before the Triumvirs
4
. If that were done, assuredly I’d make those nowhere to be seen, who here with their whitened nets
5
lay siege to the property of others.
70
But am I not a simpleton, to be taking care of the public interests when there are the magistrates, whose duty it is to take care of them? Now I’ll in-doors here; I’ll go look after the scraps from yesterday, whether they have rested well or not; whether they have had a fever
6
; whether they’ve been well covered up or not, so that no one could creep up to them.
75
But the door is opening; I must pause in my steps.
80
The old and ancient calling of my forefathers do I follow, and hold, and cultivate with great care.
For never was there any one of my forefathers, but that by acting the parasite they filled their bellies: my father, grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, his father, and his grandfather, just like mice, always fed on the victuals of others, and in love of good eating no one could excel them.
55
Hard Heads
1
was their surname. From them have I derived this calling, and the station of my forefathers; nor do I wish myself to turn informer
2
, nor indeed does it become me, without risk of my own, to go seize upon the goods of other people; nor do those persons please who do so; I’m speaking out.
60
For whoever does this, more for the sake of the public than of his own benefit, my mind can be induced to believe that he is a citizen both faithful and deserving; but if he should not prosecute to conviction the breaker of the laws, let him pay one half of the intended penalty to the public. And let this, too, be written in that law;
65
when an informer has prosecuted any one, let the other in his turn
3
sue him for just as much, and upon equal terms let them come before the Triumvirs
4
. If that were done, assuredly I’d make those nowhere to be seen, who here with their whitened nets
5
lay siege to the property of others.
70
But am I not a simpleton, to be taking care of the public interests when there are the magistrates, whose duty it is to take care of them? Now I’ll in-doors here; I’ll go look after the scraps from yesterday, whether they have rested well or not; whether they have had a fever
6
; whether they’ve been well covered up or not, so that no one could creep up to them.
75
But the door is opening; I must pause in my steps.
80
Persa. Plautus. Henry Thomas Riley (Translator). London. 1913.
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