Scene 3.
ENTER _Nicobulus_ FROM HIS HOUSE.
_Nic._
Ibo in Piraeum, visam ecquae advenerit in portum ex Epheso navis mercatoria. nam meus formidat animus, nostrum tam diu ibi desidere neque redire filium.
I’ll walk down to the Piraeus and see if any merchantman has come in from Ephesus. It worries me to have my son dilly-dallying there so long and not returning.
_Chrys._
Extexam ego illum pulchre iam, si di volunt. haud dormitandumst: opus est chryso Chrysalo. 240 adibo hunc, quem quidem ego hodie faciam hic arietem Phrixi, itaque tondebo auro usque ad vivam cutem. servos salutat Nicobulum Chrysalus.
(_aside_) I’ll unravel him handsomely now, God willing. No sleepyheadedness allowed: Chrysalus, you must be a golden chrysalis! Here’s at him--the man I’ll certainly make a [G]Phrixus’s ram here to-day, and by the same token shear off his gold right down to the quick! (_aloud, ceremoniously_) Greetings,to Nicobulus from servant Chrysalus, sir.
[Footnote G: The owner of the ram with the golden fleece.]
_Nic._
Pro di immortales, Chrysale, ubi mist filius?
Chrysalus! for the love of heaven where is my son?
_Chrys._
Quin tu salutem primum reddis quam dedi?
(_affecting pique_) Why don’t you return my greeting first, sir?
_Nic._
Salve. sed ubinamst Mnesilochus?
How d’ye do. (_more animatedly_) But where on earth is Mnesilochus?
_Chrys._
Vivit, valet.
Alive and well.
_Nic._
Venitne?
Has he come?
_Chrys._
Venit.
He has.
_Nic._
Euax, aspersisti aquam. benene usque valuit?
(_fervently_ Oh, good, good! That news is like a dash of water! Has he been well all this time?
_Chrys._
Pancratice atque athletice.
In fighting trim, a perfect athlete.
_Nic._
Quid hoc? qua causa eum in Ephesum miseram, accepitne aurum ab hospite Archidemide? 250
How about it? The business I sent him to Ephesus for? Did he get the gold from my friend Archidemides?
_Chrys._
Heu, cor meum et cerebrum, Nicobule, finditur, istius hominis ubi fit quomque mentio. tun hospitem illum nominas hostem tuom?
(_disgustedly_) Ugh! My heart and head fairly split, sir, whenever I hear that fellow mentioned. Call that friend of yours fiend, won’t you?
_Nic._
Quid ita, obsecro hercle?
Bless my soul! Why, for heaven’s sake?
_Chrys._
Quia edepol certo scio, Volcanus, Luna, Sol, Dies, dei quattuor, scelestiorem nullum inluxere alterum.
Good Lord! Because I’m positive the four gods, Fire, Moon, Sun, and Day, never shone on a more abandoned villain.
_Nic._
Quamne Archidemidem?
Than Archidemides?
_Chrys._
Quam, inquam, Archidemidem.
Yes, than Archidemides.
_Nic._
Quid fecit?
What has he done?
_Chrys._
Quid non fecit? quin tu id me rogas? primumdum infitias ire coepit filio, negare se debere tibi triobolum. 260 continuo antiquom hospitem nostrum sibi Mnesilochus advocavit, Pelagonem senem; eo praesente homini extemplo ostendit symbolum. quem tute dederas, ad eum ut ferret, filio.
What hasn’t he done? Why don’t you ask me that? Well, in the first place he began lying to your son and disclaimed owing you a single sixpence. Immediately Mnesilochus summoned that old gentleman, Pelagon, that’s been our friend so long; in his presence he promptly shows the fellow the token, the one you gave your son yourself to carry to him.
_Nic._
Quid ubi ei ostendit symbolum?
(_anxiously_) And what when he showed him the token?
_Chrys._
Infit dicere adulterinum et non eum esse symbolum. quotque innocenti ei dixit contumelias! adulterare eum aibat rebus ceteris.
(_indignantly_) He cries out it’s a counterfeit and not the right token at all. And how he did heap insults on your innocent boy! Said he was an old hand at counterfeiting.
_Nic._
Habetin aurum? id mihi dici volo.
Have you got the money? Do tell me that.
_Chrys._
Postquam quidem praetor recuperatores dedit. 270 damnatus demum, vi coactus reddidit ducentos et mille Philippum.
To be sure, after the judge had appointed arbitrators, he was finally convicted, and, under compulsion, he handed over twelve hundred pounds.
_Nic._
Tantum debuit.
(_with a sigh of relief_) That was all he owed.
_Chrys._
Porro etiam ausculta pugnam quam voluit dare.
There’s more still, sir,--listen how he wanted to knock us out.
_Nic._
Etiamnest quid porro?
More still?
_Chrys._
Em, accipitrina haec nunc erit.
Now then! (_aside_) This’ll be a regular hawk swoop.
_Nic._
Deceptus sum. Autolyco hospiti aurum credidi.
(_hotly_) I’ve been deceived! I’ve trusted my gold to an Autolycus[H] of a friend!
[Footnote H: A noted thief, the grandfather of Ulysses.]
_Chrys._
Quin tu audi.
Come, come, listen.
_Nic._
Immo ingenium avidi haud pernoram hospitis.
Ah, no, I didn’t fathom his greedy soul.
_Chrys._
Postquam aurum abstulimus, in navem conscendimus, domi cupientes. forte ut adsedi in stega, dum circumspecto, atque ego lembum conspicor longum. strigorem maleficum exornarier. 280
After we got the gold we embarked, eager for home. I was sitting on deck, and while I was looking around, my eye just happened to fall on a long, staunch, wicked-looking galley being fitted out for sea.
_Nic._
Perii hercle, lembus ille mihi laedit latus.
Hell and fury! That galley is ramming me amidships!
_Chrys._
Is erat communis cum hospite et praedonibus.
(_with emphasis_) It was owned between your friend and some pirates.
_Nic._
Adeon me fuisse fungum, ut qui illi crederem, cum mi ipsum nomen eius Archidemides clamaret dempturum esse, si quid crederem?
(_agonized_) Could I have been such an imbecile as to trust the fellow when his very name, Archidemides, fairly bawled out that I’d be damned easy, if I did trust him with anything?
_Chrys._
Is lembus nostrae navi insidias dabat. occepi ego observare eos quam rem gerant. interea e portu nostra navis solvitur. ubi portu eximus, homines remigio sequi, neque aves neque venti citius. quoniam sentio 290 quae res gereretur, navem extemplo statuimus. quoniam vident nos stare, occeperunt ratem tardare[10] in portu.
(_warming up_) This galley was lying in wait for our ship. I began to keep an eye on their operations aboard her. Meanwhile our ship weighs anchor and moves out of the harbour. When we get outside they row after us fast as a bird, fast as the wind. Now that I noticed what was up, we brought to at once. Now that they saw us lying to they began to slow down there in the harbour.
_Nic._
Edepol mortalis malos. quid denique agitis?
God bless me, what rascals! What did you do then?
_Chrys._
Rursum in portum recipimus.
We put back to the harbour.
_Nic._
Sapienter factum a vobis. quid illi postea?
That was wise. What did they do after that?
_Chrys._
Revorsionem ad terram faciunt vesperi.
Toward evening they went ashore.
_Nic._
Aurum hercle auferre voluere: ei rei operam dabant.
By the Lord! They wanted to make off with the gold: that was their aim!
_Chrys._
Non me fefellit, sensi, eo exanimatus fui. quoniam videmus auro insidias fieri, capimus consilium continuo; postridie 300 auferimus aurum omne illis praesentibus palam atque aperte, ut illi id factum sciscerent.
I knew that well enough: I saw through it. That drove me frantic. Now that we perceived that they had designs on the gold, we laid our plans at once; the next day we carried it all ashore publicly and openly while they were by, to let them know it was done.
_Nic._
Scite hercle. cedo quid illi?
By Jove, a neat idea! Come, come, what did they do?
_Chrys._
Tristes ilico, quom extemplo a portu ire nos cum auro vident, subducunt lembum capitibus quassantibus. nos apud Theotimum omne aurum deposivimus, qui illic sacerdos est Dianae Ephesiae.
Looked doleful on the spot, and as soon as they see us go away from the harbour with the gold there’s a shaking of heads and they beach their galley. As for us, we deposited all the gold with Theotimus, the priest of Diana there at Ephesus.
_Nic._
Quis istic Theotimust?
(_suspiciously_) Who is that Theotimus?
_Chrys._
Megalobuli filius, qui nunc in Ephesost Ephesiis carissimus.
(_reassuringly_) Megalobulus’s son, sir, and quite the dearest man in all Ephesus to the Ephesians.
_Nic._
Ne ille hercle mihi sit multo tanto carior, 310 si me illo auro tanto circumduxerit.
Good Lord! He certainly would be a very, very much dearer man to me, if he should swindle me out of so much gold.
_Chrys._
Quin in eapse aede Dianai conditumst. ibidem publicitus servant.
Oh, but it’s stored in the temple of Diana itself. It’s in public keeping there.
_Nic._
Occidistis me; nimio hic privatim servaretur rectius. sed nilne attulistis inde auri domum?
Yes, worse luck! It would be a great deal safer in private keeping here. But you didn’t bring any of it home, not any?
_Chrys._
Immo etiam. verum quantum attulerit nescio.
To be sure, we did. Just how much we brought, though, I don’t know.
_Nic._
Quid? nescis?
What? Don’t know?
_Chrys._
Quia Mnesilochus noctu clanculum devenit ad Theotimum, nec mihi credere nec cuiquam in navi voluit: eo ego nescio quantillum attulerit; verum haud permultum attulit. 320
You see Mnesilochus visited Theotimus on the sly, by night, and he didn’t care to confide in me or anyone else aboard: so I don’t know just what trifle he did bring along; not very much, though.
_Nic._
Etiam dimidium censes?
As much as half, do you think?
_Chrys._
Non edepol scio; verum haud opinor.
Upon my soul, I don’t know; but I don’t believe so.
_Nic._
Fertne partem tertiam?
A third, eh?
_Chrys._
Non hercle opinor; verum verum nescio. profecto de auro nil scio nisi nescio. nunc tibimet illuc navi capiundumst iter, ut illud reportes aurum ab Theotimo domum. atque heus tu.
Bless my soul, I don t believe so; however, I don’t know. In fact, all I know about the money is that I don’t know. Now you’ll have to make a voyage there yourself, sir, so as to get it from Theotimus and bring it back home. And, oh, I say!
_Nic._
Quid vis?
Well?
_Chrys._
Anulum gnati tui facito ut memineris ferre.
See you remember to take your son’s ring along.
_Nic._
Quid opust anulo?
Ring? What for?
_Chrys._
Quia id signumst cum Theotimo, qui eum illi adferet, ei aurum ut reddat.
Because we arranged with Theotimus that he’s to give the gold to the man that brings him that ring.
_Nic._
Meminero, et recte mones. 330 sed divesne est istic Theotimus?
I shall remember; well you mentioned it, too. But is that Theotimus wealthy?
_Chrys._
Etiam rogas? quin auro habeat soccis subpactum solum?
Wealthy, eh? Wealthy? And he with gold soles on his shoes!
_Nic._
Cur ita fastidit?
What makes him so high and mighty?
_Chrys._
Tantas divitias habet; nescit quid faciat auro.
He’s so rich; he doesn’t know what to do with gold.
_Nic._
Mihi dederit velim. sed qui praesente id aurum Theotimo datumst?
(_sighing_) Wish he’d give it to me! But who was there when this money was given to Theotimus?
_Chrys._
Populo praesente: nullust Ephesi quin sciat.
The whole population, sir: there’s not a soul in Ephesus but knows about it.
_Nic._
Istuc sapienter saltem fecit filius, cum diviti homini id aurum servandum dedit; ab eo licebit quamvis subito sumere.
My son showed sense in that, at any rate,--giving it to a wealthy man to keep for him. You can get it from such a man at a moment’s notice.
_Chrys._
Immo em tantisper numquam te morabitur 340 quin habeas illud quo die illuc veneris.
Oh no, he’ll never keep you waiting, not--see here-- (_illustrating_) not so long: he’ll let you have it the day you arrive.
_Nic._
Censebam me effugisse a vita marituma, ne navigarem tandem hoc aetatis senex; id mi haud, utrum velim, licere intellego: ita bellus hospes fecit Archidemides. ubi nunc est ergo meus Mnesilochus filius?
I thought I had escaped from the seafaring life, that an old man of my age might really be done with voyaging. But no choice is left me, I perceive, in this case--thanks to the tactics of my charming friend Archidemides. Where is my son Mnesilochus at present, then?
_Chrys._
Deos atque amicos iit salutatum ad forum.
Gone to the forum to pay his respects to the gods and his friends.
_Nic._
At ego hinc eo ad illum, ut convenam quantum potest.
Well, I shall go and try to find him as soon as possible. [EXIT TO FORUM.
_Chrys._
Ille est oneratus recte et plus iusto vehit. exorsa haec tela non male omnino mihi est: 350 ut amantem erilem copem facerem filium, ita feci, ut auri quantum vellet sumeret, quantum autem lubeat reddere ut reddat patri.
(_gleefully_) He’s nicely freighted, he is, in fact, overfreighted. Not a half bad sort of web I’ve woven here! To set up the young master in funds for his love affair, I’ve fixed things so that he can take as much of the gold as he wants himself, yes, and pass on to his father as much as he likes to pass on.
senex in Ephesum ibit aurum arcessere, hic nostra agetur aetas in malacum modum, siquidem hic relinquet neque secum abducet senex med et Mnesilochum. quas ego hic turbas dabo! sed quid futurumst, cum hoc senex resciverit, cum se excucurisse illuc frustra sciverit nosque aurum abusos? quid mihi fiet postea? 360
The old man will go to Ephesus to fetch the gold and we’ll be living a downy life of it here, that is, if the old chap leaves us here and doesn’t drag me and Mnesilochus along with him. Oh, won’t I turn things upside down here! (_pauses_) But what’ll happen when the old man discovers it? When he finds out he’s gone on a wild goose chase and we’ve used up the cash? What will happen to me then?
credo hercle adveniens nomen mutabit mihi facietque extemplo Crucisalum me ex Chrysalo. aufugero hercle, si magis usus venerit. si ero reprehensus, macto ego ilium infortunio: si illi sunt virgae ruri, at mihi tergum domist. nunc ibo, erili filio hanc fabricam dabo super auro amicaque eius inventa Bacchide.
Gad! I suppose he’ll change my name for me the minute he gets back, and transform me from Chrysalus to Crossalus on the spot. Oh, well, I’ll run for it, if it looks advisable. If I am caught, he’ll have his fill of discomfort: if he’s got rods on the farm, well, I’ve got a back on my person. Now I’ll be off and let the young master know about this gold trick and his mistress Bacchis being found. [EXIT Chrysalus.
ACTVS III