T. Maccius Plautus Rudens 4.4

DAEMONES

(to the WOMEN.)

Seriously, upon my faith, young women, although I wish what you desire, I’m afraid that on your account my wife will be turning me out of doors, who’ll be saying that I’ve brought harlots here before her very eyes. Do you take refuge at the altar rather than I ¹ .

1045

THE WOMEN

We, wretched creatures, are undone.

(They weep.)

DAEMONES

I’ll place you in safety; don’t you fear. But why (turning to the SERVANTS) are you following me out of doors?

Since I’m here, no one shall do them harm.

1050

Now then, be off, I say, in-doors, both of you, you guards from off guard.

(They go in.)

GRIPUS

O master, save you.

DAEMONES

Save you. How goes it?

TRACHALIO

(pointing to GRIPUS.)

Is he your servant?

GRIPUS

I’m not ashamed to say yes.

TRACHALIO

I’ve nothing to do with you.

GRIPUS

Then get you gone hence, will you.

TRACHALIO

Prithee, do answer me, aged sir; is he your servant?

DAEMONES

He is mine.

TRACHALIO

Oh then, that is very good, since he is yours.

Again I salute you.

1055

DAEMONES

And I you. Are you he who, not long since, went away from here to fetch his master?

TRACHALIO

I am he.

DAEMONES

What now is it that you want?

TRACHALIO

(pointing to GRIPUS.)

This is your servant, you say?

DAEMONES

He is mine.

TRACHALIO

That is very good, since he is yours.

DAEMONES

What’s the matter?

TRACHALIO

(pointing to GRIPUS.)

That’s a rascally fellow there.

DAEMONES

What has the rascally fellow done to you?

TRACHALIO

I wish the ancles of that fellow were smashed.

DAEMONES

What’s the thing about which you are now disputing between yourselves?

1060

TRACHALIO

I’ll tell you.

GRIPUS

No, I’ll tell you.

TRACHALIO

I fancy I’m to move the matter first.

GRIPUS

If indeed you were a decent person, you would be moving yourself off from here.

DAEMONES

Gripus, give attention, and hold your tongue

GRIPUS

In order that that fellow may speak first?

DAEMONES

Attend, Itell you. (To TRACHALIO.) Do you say on.

GRIPUS

Will you give the right of speaking to a stranger sooner than to your own servant?

TRACHALIO

O dear! how impossible it is for him to be kept quiet.

As I was beginning to say, that Procurer, whom some little time since you turned out of the Temple of Venus—see (pointing at the wallet), he has got his wallet.

1065

GRIPUS

I haven’t got it.

TRACHALIO

Do you deny that which I see with my own eyes?

GRIPUS

But I only wish you couldn’t see. I have got it, and I haven’t got it; why do you trouble yourself about me, what things I do?

TRACHALIO

In what way you got it does matter, whether rightfully or wrongfully.

GRIPUS

If I didn’t take it in the sea, there’s not a reason why you shouldn’t deliver me up to the cross. If I took it in the sea with my net, how is it yours rather than my own?

1070

TRACHALIO

(to DAEMONES.)

He is deceiving you; the matter happened in this way, as I am telling you.

GRIPUS

What do you say?

TRACHALIO

So long as the person that has the first right to speak is speaking, do (to DAEMONES) put a check on him, please, if he belongs to you.

GRIPUS

What, do you wish the same thing to be done to myself, that your master has been accustomed to do to yourself?

If he is in the habit of putting a check upon you, this master of ours isn’t in the habit of doing so with us.

1075

DAEMONES

(to TRACUALIO.)

In that remark only has he got the better ² of you. What do you want now? Tell me.

TRACHALIO

For my part, I neither ask for a share of that wallet there, nor have I ever said this day that it is my own; but in it there is a little casket that belongs to this female (pointing to PALAESTRA), whom a short time since I averred to be free born.

DAEMONES

You are speaking of her, I suppose, whom a short time since you said was my countrywoman?

1080

TRACHALIO

Just so; and those trinkets which formerly, when little, she used to wear, are there in that casket, which is in that wallet. This thing is of no service to him, and will be of utility to her, poor creature, if he gives it up, by means of which to seek for her parents.

DAEMONES

I’ll make him give it up; hold your tongue.

GRIPUS

I’ faith, I’m going to give nothing to that fellow.

1085

TRACHALIO

I ask for nothing but the casket and the trinkets ³ .

GRIPUS

What if they are made of gold?

TRACHALIO

What’s that to you? Gold shall be paid for gold, silver shall have its weight in silver in return.

GRIPUS

Please let me see the gold; after that I’ll let you see the casket.

DAEMONES

(to GRIPUS.)

Do you beware of punishment, and hold your tongue. (To TRACHALIO.) As you commenced to speak do you go on.

TRACHALIO

This one thing I entreat of you, that you will have compassion on this female, if, indeed, this wallet is that Procurer’s, which I suspect it is. In this matter, I’m saying nothing of certainty to you, but only on conjecture.

1090

GRIPUS

Do you see how the rascal’s wheedling him?

TRACHALIO

Allow me to say on as I commenced. If this is the wallet that belongs to that villain whose I say it is,

these women here will be able to recognize it; order him to show it to them.

1095

GRIPUS

Say you so? To show it to them?

DAEMONES

He doesn’t say unreasonably, Gripus, that the wallet should be shown.

GRIPUS

Yes, I’ faith, confoundedly unreasonably.

DAEMONES

How so?

GRIPUS

Because, if I do show it, at once they’ll say, of course, that they recognize it.

TRACHALIO

Source of villany, do you suppose that all other people are just like yourself, you author of perjury?

GRIPUS

All this I easily put up with, so long as he (pointing to DAEMONES) is of my way of thinking ⁴ .

1100

TRACHALIO

But now he is against you; from this (pointing to the wallet) will he obtain true testimony.

DAEMONES

Gripus, do you pay attention. (To TRACHALIO.) You explain in a few words what it is you want?

TRACHALIO

For my part, I have stated it; but if you haven’t understood me, I’ll state it over again. Both of these women (pointing to them), as I said a short time since, ought to be free;

(pointing to PALAESTRA) she was stolen at Athens when a little girl.

1105

GRIPUS

Tell me what that has got to do with the wallet, whether they are slaves or whether free women?

TRACHALIO

You wish it all to be told over again, you rascal, so that the day may fail us.

DAEMONES

Leave off your abuse, and explain to me what I’ve been asking.

TRACHALIO

There ought to be a casket of wicker-work ⁵ in that wallet,

in which are tokens by means of which she may be enabled to recognize her parents, by whom, when little, she was lost at Athens , as I said before.

1110

GRIPUS

May Jupiter and the Gods confound you. What do you say, you sorcerer of a fellow? What, are these women dumb, that they are not able to speak for themselves?

TRACHALIO

They are silent for this reason, because a silent woman is always better than a talking one.

GRIPUS

Then, I’ faith, by your way of speaking, you are neither a man nor a woman to my notion.

1115

TRACHALIO

How so?

GRIPUS

Why, because neither talking nor silent are you ever good for anything. Prithee (to DAEMONES), shall I ever be allowed to-day to speak?

DAEMONES

If you utter a single word more this day, I’ll break your head for you.

TRACHALIO

As I had commenced to say it, old gentleman, I beg you

to order him to give up that casket to these young women; if for it he asks any reward for himself, it shall be paid; whatever else is there besides, let him keep for himself.

1120

GRIPUS

Now at last you say that, because you are aware it is my right; just now you were asking to go halves.

TRACHALIO

Aye, and even still I ask it.

GRIPUS

I’ve seen a kite making a swoop, even when he got nothing at all however.

DAEMONES

(to GRIPUS.)

Can’t I shut your mouth without a drubbing?

1125

GRIPUS

(pointing to TRACHALIO.)

If that fellow is silent, I’ll be silent; if he talks, allow me to talk in my own behalf.

DAEMONES

Please now give me this wallet, Gripus.

GRIPUS

I’ll trust it to you; but for you to return it me, if there are none of those things in it.

DAEMONES

It shall be returned.

GRIPUS

Take it.

(Gives him the wallet.)

DAEMONES

Now then listen, Palaestra and Ampelisca, to this which I say:

is this the wallet, in which this Procurer said that your casket was?

1130

PALAESTRA

It is the same.

GRIPUS

(aside.)

Troth, to my sorrow, I’m undone; how on the instant, before she well saw it, she said that it was it.

PALAESTRA

I’ll make this matter plain to you, instead of difficult. There ought to be a casket of wicker-work there in that wallet; whatever is in there I’ll state by name; don’t you

show me anything. If I say wrong, I shall then have said this to no purpose; then you shall keep these things, whatever is in there for yourselves. But if the truth, then I entreat you that what is my own may be restored to me.

1135

DAEMONES

I agree; you ask for bare justice only, in my way of thinking, at least.

GRIPUS

But, I’ faith, in mine, for extreme injustice; what if she is a witch or a sorceress,

and shall mention exactly everything that’s in it. Is a sorceress to have it?

1140

DAEMONES

She shan’t get it, unless she tells the truth; in vain will she ⁶ be conjuring. Unloose the wallet, then (giving it to GRIPUS), that as soon as possible I may know what is the truth.

GRIPUS

(first unfastens the straps of the wallet, and then hands it to his MASTER.)

Take it ⁷ , it’s unfastened. (DAEMONES takes out the casket.) Alas, I’m undone; I see the casket.

DAEMONES

(holding it up, and addressing PALAESTRA.)

Is this it?

PALAESTRA

That is it. O my parents, here do I keep you locked up;

here have I enclosed both my wealth and my hopes of recognizing you.

1145

GRIPUS

(aside.)

Then, by my faith, the Gods must be enraged with you, whoever you are, who fasten up your parents in so narrow a compass.

DAEMONES

Gripus, come hither, your cause is being tried. (To PALAESTRA.) Do you, young woman, away at a distance there say what’s in it, and of what appearance; mention them all.

By my troth, if you make ever so slight a mistake, even if afterwards you wish, madam, to correct yourself, you’ll be making a great mistake.

1150

GRIPUS

You demand what’s real justice.

TRACHALIO

By my troth, then, he doesn’t demand yourself; for you are the opposite of justice.

DAEMONES

Now then, say on, young woman. Gripus, give attention and hold your tongue.

PALAESTRA

There are some trinkets.

DAEMONES

(looking in the casket.)

See, here they are, I espy them.

GRIPUS

(aside.)

In the first onset I am worsted;

(takes hold of the arm of DAEMONES) hold, don’t be showing.

1155

DAEMONES

Of what description are they? Answer in their order.

PALAESTRA

In the first place, there’s a little sword of gold, with an inscription.

DAEMONES

Just tell me, what the characters are upon that little sword.

PALAESTRA

The name of my father. Next, on the other side, there’s a little two-edged axe, of gold likewise, with an inscription: there on the axe is the name of my mother.

DAEMONES

Stay;

tell me, what’s the name of your father upon the little sword?

1160

PALAESTRA

Daemones.

DAEMONES

Immortal Gods! where in the world are my hopes?

GRIPUS

Aye, by my troth, and where are mine?

DAEMONES

Do proceed forthwith, I entreat you.

GRIPUS

Cautiously, or else (aside) away to utter perdition.

DAEMONES

Say, what’s the name of your mother, here upon the little axe?

PALAESTRA

Daedalis.

DAEMONES

The Gods will that I should be preserved.

GRIPUS

But that I should be ruined.

DAEMONES

This must be my own daughter, Gripus.

1165

GRIPUS

She may be for me, indeed. (To TRACHALIO.) May all the Gods confound you who this day saw me with your eyes, and myself as well for a blockhead, who didn’t look about a hundred times first to see that no one was watching me, before I drew the net out of the water.

PALAESTRA

Next, there’s a little knife of silver, and two little hands linked together, and

then a little sow.

1170

GRIPUS

(aside.)

Nay, then, go and be hanged, you with your little sow and with your little pigs.

PALAESTRA

There’s also a golden drop ⁸ , which my father presented to me upon my birthday.

DAEMONES

Undoubtedly there is; but I cannot restrain myself any longer from embracing you. My daughter, blessings on you; I am that father who begot you; I am Daemones, and see, your mother Daedalis is in the house here (pointing to his cottage).

AMPELISCA

(embracing him.)

Blessings on you, my unlooked-for father.

1175

DAEMONES

Blessings on you; how joyously do I embrace you.

TRACHALIO

’Tis a pleasure to me, inasmuch as this falls to your lot from your feelings of affection.

DAEMONES

Come then, Trachalio, if you can, bring that wallet into the house.

TRACHALIO

(taking the wallet.)

See the villany of Gripus; inasmuch, Gripus, as this matter has turned out unfortunately for you, I congratulate you.

DAEMONES

Come, then, let’s go, my daughter, to your mother,

who will be better able to enquire of you into this matter from proofs; who had you more in her hands, and is more thoroughly acquainted with your tokens.

1180

TRACHALIO

Let’s all go hence in-doors, since we are giving our common aid.

PALAESTRA

Follow me, Ampelisca.

AMPELISCA

That the Gods favour you, it is a pleasure to me.

(They all go into the cottage of DAEMONES, exceptGRIPUS.)

GRIPUS

(to himself.)

Am I not a blockhead of a fellow, to have this day fished up that wallet?

Or, when I had fished it up, not to have hidden it somewhere in a secret spot? By my troth, I guessed that it would be a troublesome booty for me, because it fell to me in such troublous weather. I’ faith, I guess that there’s plenty of gold and silver there. What is there better for me than to be off hence in-doors and secretly hang myself—

1185

at least for a little time, until this vexation passes away from me?

1190

(Goes into the cottage.)