T. Maccius Plautus, Poenulus, ed. Friedrich Leo, 3.2

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578

Milphio

Iam tenes praecepta in corde?

Collybiscvs

Pulchre.

Milphio

Vide sis calleas.

Collybiscvs

Quid opust verbis? callum aprugnum callere aeque non sinam.

Milphio

Fac modo ut condocta tibi sint dicta ad hanc fallaciam.
580

Collybiscvs

Quin edepol condoctior sum, quam tragoedi aut comici.

Milphio

Probus homost.

Agorastocles

Adeamus propius.

Milphio

Adsunt testes?

Agorastocles

Tot quidem.

Milphio

Non potuisti adducere homines magis ad hanc rem idoneos.

nam istorum nullus nefastust: comitiales sunt meri;

ibi habitant, ibi eos conspicias quam praetorem saepius.
585

hodie iuris coctiores non sunt qui lites creant,

quam hi sunt, qui si nihil est quicum litigent, lites emunt.

Advocati

Di te perdant.

Milphio

Vos quidem hercle—cum eo cum quiqui tamen

et bene et benigne facitis, quóm ero amanti operam datis.

sed isti iam sciunt, negoti quid sit?
590

Agorastocles

Omne in ordine.

Milphio

Tum vos animum advortite igitur. hunc vos lenonem Lycum

novistis?

Advocati

Facile.

Collybiscvs

At pol ego eum, qua sit facie, nescio.

eum mihi volo demonstretis hominem.

Advocati

Nos curabimus.

satis praeceptumst.

Agorastocles

Hic trecentos nummos numeratos habet.

Advocati

Ergo nos inspicere oportet istuc aurum, Agorastocles,
595

ut sciamus quid dicamus mox pro testimonio.

Collybiscvs

Agite, inspicite.

Advocati

Aurum est profecto hoc, spectatores, comicum:

macerato hoc pingues fiunt auro in barbaria boves;

verum ad hanc rem agundam Philippum est: ita nos adsimulabimus.

Collybiscvs

Sed ita adsimulatote quasi ego sim peregrinus.
600

Advocati

Scilicet,

et quidem quasi tu nobiscum adveniens hodie oraveris,

liberum ut commostraremus tibi locum et voluptarium,

ubi ames, potes, pergraecere.

Collybiscvs

Eu, edepol mortales malos.

Agorastocles

Ego enim docui.

Milphio

Quis te porro?

Collybiscvs

Agite intro abite, Agorastocles,

ne hic vos mecum conspicetur leno neu fallaciae
605

praepedimentum obiciatur.

Advocati

Hic homo sapienter sapit.

facite quod iubet.

Agorastocles

Abeamus. sed vos—

Advocati

Satis dictumst. abi.

Agorastocles

Abeo.

Advocati

Quaeso, di immortales, quin abis?

Agorastocles

Abeo.—

Advocati

Sapis.

Collybiscvs

St,

tace.

Advocati

Quid est?

Collybiscvs

Fores haé fecerunt magnum flagitium modo.

Advocati

Quid id est flagiti?
610

Collybiscvs

Crepuerunt clare.

Advocati

Di te perduint.

pone nos recede.

Collybiscvs

Fiat.

Advocati

Nos priores ibimus.

Collybiscvs

Faciunt scurrae quod consuerunt: pone sese homines locant.

Advocati

Illic homo est, qui egreditur, leno.

Collybiscvs

Bonus est, nam similis malist.

iam nunc ego illi égredienti sanguinem exsugam procul.

Poenulus. T. Maccius Plautus. ed. Friedrich Leo. Berlin. 1896.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Poenulus (Latin) (Plautus. Plauti Comoediae, Volume 2. Leo, Friedrich, editor. Berlin: Weidmann, 1896.)

Translations (1)

Poenulus, or The Young Carthaginian Perseus (Plautus. The Comedies of Plautus, Volume 2. Riley, Henry Thomas, translator. London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1913.) — 3.2 focus

578 (Enter MILPHIO and COLLYBISCUS, from the house of AGORASTOCLES, dressed as a person of quality.)

MILPHIO

Have you now got your instructions by heart?

COLLYBISCUS

Nicely.

MILPHIO

Take care you understand them, please.

COLLYBISCUS

What need is there of talking? I won’t let my own legs understand¹ as well.

MILPHIO

Only take you care that your speeches are learnt by heart for this plot.
580

COLLYBISCUS

Why, upon my faith, I am more perfect than tragic or comic actors are.

MILPHIO

You are a capital fellow.

AGORASTOCLES

(to the ASSISTANTS.)

Let’s go nearer to them.

(Accosting MILPHIO and COLLYBISCUS.) Here are the witnesses.

MILPHIO

(to AGORASTOCLES.)

Really you could not have brought as many men better suited for this purpose; for not one of them is tongue-tied as a witness²; they are genuine men of the law-courts;

there they take up their abode; there you may see them more frequently than the Praetor. At this very time there are no better cookers-up of a lawsuit³, to stir up litigation, than are these men; for they, if there is no litigation, sow litigation.
585

ADVOCATI

May the Gods confound you!

MILPHIO

You I really do commend, inasmuch as, whoever you are, still you act both worthily and kindly in giving your aid to my master thus in love.

(To AGORASTOCLES.) But do they now know what the business is?
590

AGORASTOCLES

The whole matter, all in its order.

MILPHIO

In that case, do you, then, give me your attention. Do you know this Procurer Lycus?

ADVOCATI

Perfectly.

COLLYBISCUS

But, upon my faith, I don’t know him, of what appearance he is. I wish that you would point this fellow out to me.

ADVOCATI

We’ll take all care: we’ve been instructed quite enough.

AGORASTOCLES

(pointing to COLLYBISCUS.)

He has got three hundred pieces counted out.

ADVOCATI

Then it’s right, Agorastocles, that we should see this gold, that we may know what to say by-and-by as our testimony.
595

AGORASTOCLES

Come and look at it.

(Opens the bag which COLLYBISCUS holds in his hand.

COLLYBISCUS

(to the AUDIENCE.)

Undoubtedly it’s gold, Spectators—playhouse gold⁴; upon this, soaked in water, in foreign lands, the cattle become fat⁵: but, for the carrying out of this design, ’tis real Philippean gold.⁶

ADVOCATI

We’ll make believe it is so.

COLLYBISCUS

But do you make believe as though I were a foreigner.
600

ADVOCATI

Just so; and, in fact, as though you, on your arrival to-day, had asked us to show you a spot for freedom and pleasure; where you might wench, drink, and live like a Greek.

MILPHIO

Dear me! Crafty fellows, upon my faith!

AGORASTOCLES

But it was I who instructed them.

MILPHIO

And who you, in your turn?

COLLYBISCUS

Come, be of’ in-doors, Agorastocles,

lest the Procurer should see you together with me, and some accident might befall our plan.
605

MILPHIO

This person is extremely prudent. (To AGORASTOCLES.) Do as he bids you.

AGORASTOCLES

Let’s be off. (To the ASSISTANTS.) But you—

has enough been said?

COLLYBISCUS

Do you be off.⁷

AGORASTOCLES

I’m off.

Immortal Gods, I beg—

COLLYBISCUS

Nay, but why don’t you be off?⁸

AGORASTOCLES

I’m off.

COLLYBISCUS

You do wisely. (AGORASTOCLES and MILPHIO go into the house.)

Hush! be quiet.

ADVOCATI

What’s the matter?

COLLYBISCUS

This door (pointing to the door of the house of LYCUS) was guilty of a great indecency just now.

ADVOCATI

What indecency is that?
610

COLLYBISCUS

It rumbled aloud.

ADVOCATI

May the Deities confound you! Get you behind us.

COLLYBISCUS

Be it so.

(Goes behind them.)

ADVOCATI

We’ll walk first.

COLLYBISCUS

(aside.)

They do what town-fellows are in the habit of doing: they put worthy men behind themselves.

ADVOCATI

(pointing to the PROCURER’S house .)

That man that’s coming out is the Procurer.

COLLYBISCUS

He’s a real good one; for he’s like a bad man⁹. Even now, as he comes forth, I’ll suck out his blood at this distance.

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Milphio Iam tenes praecepta in corde?

Collybiscvs Pulchre.

Milphio Vide sis calleas.

Collybiscvs Quid opust verbis? callum aprugnum callere aeque non sinam.

Milphio Fac modo ut condocta tibi sint dicta ad hanc fallaciam. 580

Collybiscvs Quin edepol condoctior sum, quam tragoedi aut comici.

Milphio Probus homost.

Agorastocles Adeamus propius.

Milphio Adsunt testes?

Agorastocles Tot quidem.

Milphio Non potuisti adducere homines magis ad hanc rem idoneos. nam istorum nullus nefastust: comitiales sunt meri; ibi habitant, ibi eos conspicias quam praetorem saepius. 585 hodie iuris coctiores non sunt qui lites creant, quam hi sunt, qui si nihil est quicum litigent, lites emunt.

Advocati Di te perdant.

Milphio Vos quidem hercle—cum eo cum quiqui tamen et bene et benigne facitis, quóm ero amanti operam datis. sed isti iam sciunt, negoti quid sit? 590

Agorastocles Omne in ordine.

Milphio Tum vos animum advortite igitur. hunc vos lenonem Lycum novistis?

Advocati Facile.

Collybiscvs At pol ego eum, qua sit facie, nescio. eum mihi volo demonstretis hominem.

Advocati Nos curabimus. satis praeceptumst.

Agorastocles Hic trecentos nummos numeratos habet.

Advocati Ergo nos inspicere oportet istuc aurum, Agorastocles, 595 ut sciamus quid dicamus mox pro testimonio.

Collybiscvs Agite, inspicite.

Advocati Aurum est profecto hoc, spectatores, comicum: macerato hoc pingues fiunt auro in barbaria boves; verum ad hanc rem agundam Philippum est: ita nos adsimulabimus.

Collybiscvs Sed ita adsimulatote quasi ego sim peregrinus. 600

Advocati Scilicet, et quidem quasi tu nobiscum adveniens hodie oraveris, liberum ut commostraremus tibi locum et voluptarium, ubi ames, potes, pergraecere.

Collybiscvs Eu, edepol mortales malos.

Agorastocles Ego enim docui.

Milphio Quis te porro?

Collybiscvs Agite intro abite, Agorastocles, ne hic vos mecum conspicetur leno neu fallaciae 605 praepedimentum obiciatur.

Advocati Hic homo sapienter sapit. facite quod iubet.

Agorastocles Abeamus. sed vos—

Advocati Satis dictumst. abi.

Agorastocles Abeo.

Advocati Quaeso, di immortales, quin abis?

Agorastocles Abeo.—

Advocati Sapis.

Collybiscvs St, tace.

Advocati Quid est?

Collybiscvs Fores haé fecerunt magnum flagitium modo.

Advocati Quid id est flagiti? 610

Collybiscvs Crepuerunt clare.

Advocati Di te perduint. pone nos recede.

Collybiscvs Fiat.

Advocati Nos priores ibimus.

Collybiscvs Faciunt scurrae quod consuerunt: pone sese homines locant.

Advocati Illic homo est, qui egreditur, leno.

Collybiscvs Bonus est, nam similis malist. iam nunc ego illi égredienti sanguinem exsugam procul.

Current edition Perseus

MILPHIO Have you now got your instructions by heart?

COLLYBISCUS Nicely.

MILPHIO Take care you understand them, please.

COLLYBISCUS What need is there of talking? I won’t let my own legs understand 1 as well.

MILPHIO Only take you care that your speeches are learnt by heart for this plot. 580

COLLYBISCUS Why, upon my faith, I am more perfect than tragic or comic actors are.

MILPHIO You are a capital fellow.

AGORASTOCLES (to the ASSISTANTS.) Let’s go nearer to them. (Accosting MILPHIO and COLLYBISCUS.) Here are the witnesses.

ADVOCATI May the Gods confound you!

MILPHIO You I really do commend, inasmuch as, whoever you are, still you act both worthily and kindly in giving your aid to my master thus in love. (To AGORASTOCLES.) But do they now know what the business is? 590

AGORASTOCLES The whole matter, all in its order.

MILPHIO In that case, do you, then, give me your attention. Do you know this Procurer Lycus?

ADVOCATI Perfectly.

COLLYBISCUS But, upon my faith, I don’t know him, of what appearance he is. I wish that you would point this fellow out to me.

ADVOCATI We’ll take all care: we’ve been instructed quite enough.

AGORASTOCLES (pointing to COLLYBISCUS.) He has got three hundred pieces counted out.

ADVOCATI Then it’s right, Agorastocles, that we should see this gold, that we may know what to say by-and-by as our testimony. 595

AGORASTOCLES Come and look at it. (Opens the bag which COLLYBISCUS holds in his hand.

COLLYBISCUS (to the AUDIENCE.) Undoubtedly it’s gold, Spectators—playhouse gold 4 ; upon this, soaked in water, in foreign lands, the cattle become fat 5 : but, for the carrying out of this design, ’tis real Philippean gold. 6

ADVOCATI We’ll make believe it is so.

COLLYBISCUS But do you make believe as though I were a foreigner. 600

ADVOCATI Just so; and, in fact, as though you, on your arrival to-day, had asked us to show you a spot for freedom and pleasure; where you might wench, drink, and live like a Greek.

MILPHIO Dear me! Crafty fellows, upon my faith!

AGORASTOCLES But it was I who instructed them.

MILPHIO And who you, in your turn?

COLLYBISCUS Come, be of’ in-doors, Agorastocles, lest the Procurer should see you together with me, and some accident might befall our plan. 605

MILPHIO This person is extremely prudent. (To AGORASTOCLES.) Do as he bids you.

AGORASTOCLES Let’s be off. (To the ASSISTANTS.) But you— has enough been said?

COLLYBISCUS Do you be off. 7

AGORASTOCLES I’m off. Immortal Gods, I beg—

COLLYBISCUS Nay, but why don’t you be off? 8

Milphio

Iam tenes praecepta in corde?

Collybiscvs

Pulchre.

Milphio

Vide sis calleas.

Collybiscvs

Quid opust verbis? callum aprugnum callere aeque non sinam.

Milphio

Fac modo ut condocta tibi sint dicta ad hanc fallaciam.
580

Collybiscvs

Quin edepol condoctior sum, quam tragoedi aut comici.

Milphio

Probus homost.

Agorastocles

Adeamus propius.

Milphio

Adsunt testes?

Agorastocles

Tot quidem.

Milphio

Non potuisti adducere homines magis ad hanc rem idoneos.

nam istorum nullus nefastust: comitiales sunt meri;

ibi habitant, ibi eos conspicias quam praetorem saepius.
585

hodie iuris coctiores non sunt qui lites creant,

quam hi sunt, qui si nihil est quicum litigent, lites emunt.

Advocati

Di te perdant.

Milphio

Vos quidem hercle—cum eo cum quiqui tamen

et bene et benigne facitis, quóm ero amanti operam datis.

sed isti iam sciunt, negoti quid sit?
590

Agorastocles

Omne in ordine.

Milphio

Tum vos animum advortite igitur. hunc vos lenonem Lycum

novistis?

Advocati

Facile.

Collybiscvs

At pol ego eum, qua sit facie, nescio.

eum mihi volo demonstretis hominem.

Advocati

Nos curabimus.

satis praeceptumst.

Agorastocles

Hic trecentos nummos numeratos habet.

Advocati

Ergo nos inspicere oportet istuc aurum, Agorastocles,
595

ut sciamus quid dicamus mox pro testimonio.

Collybiscvs

Agite, inspicite.

Advocati

Aurum est profecto hoc, spectatores, comicum:

macerato hoc pingues fiunt auro in barbaria boves;

verum ad hanc rem agundam Philippum est: ita nos adsimulabimus.

Collybiscvs

Sed ita adsimulatote quasi ego sim peregrinus.
600

Advocati

Scilicet,

et quidem quasi tu nobiscum adveniens hodie oraveris,

liberum ut commostraremus tibi locum et voluptarium,

ubi ames, potes, pergraecere.

Collybiscvs

Eu, edepol mortales malos.

Agorastocles

Ego enim docui.

Milphio

Quis te porro?

Collybiscvs

Agite intro abite, Agorastocles,

ne hic vos mecum conspicetur leno neu fallaciae
605

praepedimentum obiciatur.

Advocati

Hic homo sapienter sapit.

facite quod iubet.

Agorastocles

Abeamus. sed vos—

Advocati

Satis dictumst. abi.

Agorastocles

Abeo.

Advocati

Quaeso, di immortales, quin abis?

Agorastocles

Abeo.—

Advocati

Sapis.

Collybiscvs

St,

tace.

Advocati

Quid est?

Collybiscvs

Fores haé fecerunt magnum flagitium modo.

Advocati

Quid id est flagiti?
610

Collybiscvs

Crepuerunt clare.

Advocati

Di te perduint.

pone nos recede.

Collybiscvs

Fiat.

Advocati

Nos priores ibimus.

Collybiscvs

Faciunt scurrae quod consuerunt: pone sese homines locant.

Advocati

Illic homo est, qui egreditur, leno.

Collybiscvs

Bonus est, nam similis malist.

iam nunc ego illi égredienti sanguinem exsugam procul.

MILPHIO

Have you now got your instructions by heart?

COLLYBISCUS

Nicely.

MILPHIO

Take care you understand them, please.

COLLYBISCUS

What need is there of talking? I won’t let my own legs understand¹ as well.

MILPHIO

Only take you care that your speeches are learnt by heart for this plot.
580

COLLYBISCUS

Why, upon my faith, I am more perfect than tragic or comic actors are.

MILPHIO

You are a capital fellow.

AGORASTOCLES

(to the ASSISTANTS.)

Let’s go nearer to them.

(Accosting MILPHIO and COLLYBISCUS.) Here are the witnesses.

ADVOCATI

May the Gods confound you!

MILPHIO

You I really do commend, inasmuch as, whoever you are, still you act both worthily and kindly in giving your aid to my master thus in love.

(To AGORASTOCLES.) But do they now know what the business is?
590

AGORASTOCLES

The whole matter, all in its order.

MILPHIO

In that case, do you, then, give me your attention. Do you know this Procurer Lycus?

ADVOCATI

Perfectly.

COLLYBISCUS

But, upon my faith, I don’t know him, of what appearance he is. I wish that you would point this fellow out to me.

ADVOCATI

We’ll take all care: we’ve been instructed quite enough.

AGORASTOCLES

(pointing to COLLYBISCUS.)

He has got three hundred pieces counted out.

ADVOCATI

Then it’s right, Agorastocles, that we should see this gold, that we may know what to say by-and-by as our testimony.
595

AGORASTOCLES

Come and look at it.

(Opens the bag which COLLYBISCUS holds in his hand.

COLLYBISCUS

(to the AUDIENCE.)

Undoubtedly it’s gold, Spectators—playhouse gold⁴; upon this, soaked in water, in foreign lands, the cattle become fat⁵: but, for the carrying out of this design, ’tis real Philippean gold.⁶

ADVOCATI

We’ll make believe it is so.

COLLYBISCUS

But do you make believe as though I were a foreigner.
600

ADVOCATI

Just so; and, in fact, as though you, on your arrival to-day, had asked us to show you a spot for freedom and pleasure; where you might wench, drink, and live like a Greek.

MILPHIO

Dear me! Crafty fellows, upon my faith!

AGORASTOCLES

But it was I who instructed them.

MILPHIO

And who you, in your turn?

COLLYBISCUS

Come, be of’ in-doors, Agorastocles,

lest the Procurer should see you together with me, and some accident might befall our plan.
605

MILPHIO

This person is extremely prudent. (To AGORASTOCLES.) Do as he bids you.

AGORASTOCLES

Let’s be off. (To the ASSISTANTS.) But you—

has enough been said?

COLLYBISCUS

Do you be off.⁷

AGORASTOCLES

I’m off.

Immortal Gods, I beg—

COLLYBISCUS

Nay, but why don’t you be off?⁸

AGORASTOCLES

I’m off.

COLLYBISCUS

You do wisely. (AGORASTOCLES and MILPHIO go into the house.)

Hush! be quiet.

ADVOCATI

What’s the matter?