Scene 4.
A FEW MOMENTS ELAPSE. THEN THE SOUND OF A SCUFFLE DOWN THE STREET. RE-ENTER _Euclio_ DRAGGING _Strobilus._
_Eucl._
I foras, lumbrice, qui sub terra erepsisti modo, qui modo nusquam comparebas, nunc, cum compares, peris, ego pol te, praestrigiator, miseris iam accipiam modis. 630
Come! out, you worm! crawling up from under-ground just now! A minute ago you weren’t to be found anywhere, and (_grimly_) now you’re found you’re finished! Oh-h-h-h, you felon! I’m going to give it to you, this very instant! (_beats him_)
_Strob._
Quae te mala crux agitat? quid tibi mecum est commerci, senex? quid me adflictas? quid me raptas? qua me causa verberas?
What the devil’s got into you? What business have you got with me, old fellow? What are you pounding me for? What are you jerking me along for? What do you mean by battering me?
_Eucl._
Verberabilissime, etiam rogitas, non fur, sed trifur?
(_still pummelling him_) Mean, eh? You batterissimo. You’re not a thief: you’re three thieves.
_Strob._
Quid tibi surrupui?
What did I steal from you?
_Eucl._
Redde huc sis.
(_threateningly_) You kindly give it back.
_Strob._
Quid tibi vis reddam?
Back? What back?
_Eucl._
Rogas?
A nice question!
_Strob._
Nil equidem tibi abstuli.
I didn’t take a thing from you, honestly.
_Eucl._
At illud quod tibi abstuleras cedo. ecquid agis?
Well, what you took dishonestly, then! Hand it over! Come, come, will you!
_Strob._
Quid agam?
Come, come, what?
_Eucl._
Auferre non potes.
You shan’t get away with it.
_Strob._
Quid vis tibi?
What is it you want?
_Eucl._
Pone.
Down with it!
_Strob._
Id quidem pol te datare credo consuetum, senex.
Down with it, eh! Looks as if you’d downed too much of it yourself already, old boy.
_Eucl._
Pone hoc sis, aufer cavillam, non ego nunc nugas ago.
Down with it, I tell you! None of your repartee! I’m not in the humour for trifling now.
_Strob._
Quid ego ponam? quin tu eloquere quidquid est suo nomine. non hercle equidem quicquam sumpsi nec tetigi.
Down with what? Come along, speak out and give it its name, whatever it is. Hang it all, I never took a thing nor touched a thing, and that’s flat.
_Eucl._
Ostende huc manus. 640
Show me your hands.
_Strob._
Em tibi, ostendi, eccas.
(_stretching them out_) All right--there they are: have a look.
_Eucl._
Video. age ostende etiam tertiam.
(_dryly_) I see. Come now, the third one: out with it.
_Strob._
Laruae hunc atque intemperiae insaniaeque agitant senem facisne iniuriam mihi?
(_aside_) He’s got ’em! The old chap’s mad, stark, staring mad! (_to Euclio, virtuously_) Now aren’t you doing me an injury?
_Eucl._
Fateor, quia non pendes, maximam atque id quoque iam fiet, nisi fatere.
I am, a hideous injury--in not hanging you. And I’ll soon do that, too, if you don’t confess.
_Strob._
Quid fatear tibi?
Confess what?
_Eucl._
Quid abstulisti hinc?
What did you carry off from here? (_pointing toward temple_)
_Strob._
Di me perdant, si ego tui quicquam abstuli nive adeo abstulisse vellem.
(_solemnly_) May I be damned, if I carried off a thing of yours. (_aside_) Likewise if I didn’t want to.
_Eucl._
Agedum, excutedum pallium.
Come on, shake out your cloak.
_Strob._
Tuo arbitratu.
(_doing so_) Anything you say.
_Eucl._
Ne inter tunicas habeas.
Um! probably under your tunic.
_Strob._
Tempta qua lubet.
(_cheerfully_) Feel anywhere you please.
_Eucl._
Vah, scelestus quam benigne: ut ne abstulisse intellegam. novi sycophantias. age rusum ostende huc manum dexteram.
Ugh! you rascal! How obliging you are! That I may think you didn’t take it! I’m up to your dodges. (_searches him_) Once more now--out with your hand, the right one.
_Strob._
Em.
(_obeying_) There you are.
_Eucl._
Nunc laevam ostende.
Now the left one.
_Strob._
Quin equidem ambas profero. 650
(_obeying_) Why, certainly: here’s the both of ’em.
_Eucl._
Iam scrutari mitto. redde huc.
Enough of this searching. Now give it here.
_Strob._
Quid reddam?
What?
_Eucl._
A, nugas agis, certe habes.
Oh-h! Bosh! You must have it!
_Strob._
Habeo ego? quid habeo?
I have it? Have what?
_Eucl._
Non dico, audire expetis. id meum, quidquid habes, redde.
I won’t say: you’re too anxious to know. Anything of mine you’ve got, hand it over.
_Strob._
Insanis: perscrutatus es tuo arbitratu, neque tui me quicquam invenisti penes.
Crazy! You went all through me as much as you liked without finding a solitary thing of yours on me.
_Eucl._
Mane, mane. quis illic est? quis hic intus alter erat tecum simul? perii hercle: ille nunc intus turbat, hunc si amitto hic abierit. postremo hunc iam perscrutavi, his nihil habet. abi quo lubet.
(_excitedly_) Wait, wait! (_turns toward temple and listens_) Who’s in there? Who was that other fellow in there along with you? (_aside_) My Lord! this is awful, awful! There’s another one at work in there all this time. And if I let go of this one, he’ll skip off. (_pauses_) But then I’ve searched him already: he hasn’t anything. (_aloud_) Off with you, anywhere! (_releases him with a final cuff_)
_Strob._
Iuppiter te dique perdant.
(_from a safe distance_) You be everlastingly damned!
_Eucl._
Haud male egit gratias. ibo intro atque illi socienno tuo iam interstringam gulam. fugin hinc ab oculis? abin an non.
(_aside, dryly_) Nice way he has of showing his gratitude. (_aloud, sternly_) I’ll go in there, and that accomplice of yours--I’ll strangle him on the spot. Are you going to vanish? Are you going to get out, or not? (_advances_)
_Strob._
Abeo.
(_retreating_) I am, I am!
_Eud._
Cave sis[15] te videam. 660
And kindly see I don’t set eyes on you again. [EXIT _Euclio_ TOWARD TEMPLE.
IV. 5.