Scene 3.
_Amph._
Faciam ita ut iubes et te oro, promissa ut serves tua, ibo ad uxorem intro, missum facio Teresiam senem.
(_reverently_) Thy will shall be done: and keep thy word with me, I beg thee. (_after a pause_) I’ll in and see my wife! No more of old Tiresias!
nunc, spectatores, Iovis summi causa clare plaudite.
(_to the audience_) Now, spectators, for the sake of Jove almighty, give us some loud applause.
[EXIT.
[Footnote 2: Corrupt (Leo): _Alcumena_ MSS: _illa_ Bothe.]
[Footnote 4: Leo brackets following v., 14: _lucrum ut perenne vobis semper suppetat._]
[Footnote 5: Corrupt (Leo): _affero_ MSS: _fero_ Acidalius, followed by Lindsay and others.]
[Footnote 6: Leo assumes lacuna here.]
[Footnote 7: _architectust_ Pareus: _architectus_ MSS. Lambinus suggests that the actor who took the part of Jupiter may have been a builder.]
[Footnote 8: Corrupt (Leo): _illi_ MSS: _ille illi_ Ussing, followed by Lindsay.]
[Footnote 9: Leo brackets following v., 93: _praeterea certo prodit in tragoedia._]
[Footnote 10: Leo brackets following v., 173: _nec aequom anne iniquom imperet cogitabit._]
[Footnote 11: _vicimus vi_ MSS: Leo brackets _vicimus._]
[Footnote 12: Corrupt (Leo): “_Convertitur pro convertit_,” Nonius 480.]
[Footnote 13: Corrupt (Leo): _neme esse_ MSS: among the many emendations is _sane_ (Palmer).]
[Footnote 14: Leo brackets following v., 401: _qui cum Amphitruone hinc una ieram in exercitum._]
[Footnote 15: Leo brackets following v., 489-90: _et ne in suspicione ponatur stupri_ _et clandestina ut celetur consuetio._]
[Footnote 16: Corrupt (Leo): _si non id ita_ J.]
[Footnote 17: Leo notes slight _lacuna_ here: _mirum_ MSS: _mirum mirum_ Spengel.]
[Footnote 18: Leo brackets following v., 629-632:
_sed vide ex navi efferantur quae imperavi iam omnia._ Sos. _Et memor sum et diligens, ut quae imperes comparcant;_ _non ego cum vino simitu ebibi imperium tuom._ Amph. _Vtinam di faxint, infecta dicta re eveniant tua._]
[Footnote 19: Corrupt (Leo): _quom te gravidam_ MSS: _quom gravidam_ Pylades.]
[Footnote 20: Leo brackets following v., 685: _atque me nunc proinde appellas quasi multo post videris?_]
[Footnote 21: _enim verbis probas_ Lachmann: _probas_ vel _proba’s_ Lindsay: _in verbis probas_ MSS.]
[Footnote 22: Leo notes lacuna here. _Ita ingenium_ MSS: _Ita ingeni ingenium_ Seyffert, followed by Lindsay.]
[Footnote 23: Corrupt (Leo): _duxero_ MSS: _adsero_ Leo
[Footnote 24: Leo notes lacuna here and suggests _is a Mercurio impransus_.]
[Footnote 25: Corrupt (Leo): _nam iam_ MSS: _iam_ Gruter.]
* * * * *
[Transcriber’s Corrections: _Amphitryon_
Personae: MERCVRIVS DEUS, SOSIA SERVUS... spelling unchanged, as in _Captivi_
I. 1. l. 314 nam continuas has tris noctes pervigilavi text reads _contiuas_
I. 1. _Sos._ ...and my name is Sosia text reads _my same is Sosia_ ]
II. 1. l. 580 _Sos._: Quid est negoti? Latin text omits speaker’s name
V. 2. l. 1142 haud promeruit quam ob rem vitio vorteres text reads _quam ob tem_ ]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ASINARIA
THE COMEDY OF ASSES
* * * * *
ARGVMENTVM
ARGUMENT OF THE PLAY
*A*manti argento filio auxiliarier *S*ub imperio vivens volt senex uxorio. *I*taque ob asinos relatum pretium Saureae *N*umerari iussit servolo Leonidae. *A*d amicam id fertur. cedit noctem filius. *R*ivalis amens ob praereptam mulierem, *I*s rem omnem uxori per parasitum nuntiat. *A*ccurrit uxor ac virum e lustris rapit.
An old gentleman, whose wife is the head of the household, desires to give his son financial support in a love affair. He therefore had some money, brought to Saurea in payment for some asses, counted out to a certain rascally servant of his own, Leonida. This money goes to the young fellow’s mistress, and he concedes his father an evening with her. A rival of his, beside himself at being deprived of the girl, sends word, by a parasite, to the old gentleman’s wife, of the whole matter. In rushes the wife and drags her husband from the house of vice.
PERSONAE
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
LIBANVS SERVVS DEMAENETVS SENEX ARGYRIPPVS ADVLESCENS CLEARETA LENA LEONIDA SERVVS MERCATOR PHILAENIVM MERETRIX DIABOLVS ADVLESCENS PARASITVS ARTEMONA MATRONA
LIBANUS, _slave of Demaenetus_. DEMAENETUS, _an old gentleman of Athens_. ARGYRIPPUS, _his son_. CLEARETA, _a procuress_. LEONIDA, _slave of Demaenetus_. A TRADER. PHILAENIUM, _a courtesan, daughter of Cleareta_. DIABOLUS, _a young gentleman of Athens_. A PARASITE. ARTEMONA, _wife of Demaenetus_.
_Scene:--Athens. A street running in front of the houses of Demaenetus and Cleareta: between the houses is a narrow lane._
PROLOGVS
PROLOGUE
Hoc agite sultis, spectatores, nunciam, quae quidem mihi atque vobis res vertat bene gregique huic et dominis atque conductoribus. face nunciam tu, praeco, omnem auritum poplum.
Kindly give us your entire attention now, spectators: I heartily hope it will result in benefit to me, also to you, and to this company and its managers, and to those that hire them. (_turning to a herald_) Herald, provide all this crowd with ears at once. (_the herald proclaims silence_)
age nunc reside, cave modo ne gratiis. nunc quid processerim huc et quid mihi voluerim dicam: ut sciretis nomen huius fabulae; nam quod ad argumentum attinet, sane brevest.
Enough enough! Sit down--and be sure you put that in your bill! (_to audience_) Now I shall say why I have come out before you here and what I wished: I have come to acquaint you with the name of this play. For as far as the plot is concerned, that is quite simple.
nunc quod me dixi velle vobis dicere, dicam: huic nomen Graece Onagost fabulae; 10 Demophilus scripsit, Maccus vortit barbare; Asinariam volt esse, si per vos licet. inest lepos ludusque in hac comoedia, ridicula res est. date benigne operam mihi, ut vos, ut alias, pariter nunc Mars adiuvet.
Now I shall say what I said I wished to say: the Greek name of this play is ONAGOS: Demophilus wrote it: Maccus translated it into a foreign tongue. He wishes to call it THE COMEDY OF ASSES, by your leave. It is a clever comedy, full of drollery and laughable situations. Do oblige me by being attentive, that now too, as in other days, Mars may be with you.
ACTVS I