Scene 6.
ENTER _Mnesilochus_ FROM HOUSE.
_Mnes._
Reddidi patri omne aurum. nunc ego illam me velim 530 convenire, postquam inanis sum, contemptricem meam. sed veniam mihi quam gravate pater dedit de Chrysalo; verum postremo impetravi, ut ne quid ei suscenseat.
I’ve handed over the whole sum to my father. Now’s the time I should like her to meet me, now that I haven’t a sou--my Lady Disdain! (_pausing_) But how father did hate to pardon Chrysalus for me! However, I finally induced him to swallow his wrath.
_Pistoc._
Estne hic meus sodalis?
(_approaching Nicobulus’s house_) Isn’t that my chum?
_Mnes._
Estne hic hostis, quem aspicio, meus?
Isn’t that my enemy I see?
_Pistoc._
Certe is est.
(_beaming_) It certainly is.
_Mnes._
Is est.
(_glowering_) It is.
_Pistoc._
Adibo contra et contollam gradum. salvos sis, Mnesiloche.
I’ll step up and meet him. (_hurries to him_) Mnesilochus! bless you!
_Mnes._
Salve.
(_gruffly_) Same to you.
_Pistoc._
Salvos quom peregre advenis, cena detur.
(_enthusiastically_) We must have a dinner, now you’re safe back from abroad.
_Mnes._
Non placet mi cena quae bilem movet.
I have no desire for a dinner that stirs my bile.
_Pistoc._
Numquae advenienti aegritudo obiecta est?
(_wonderingly_) You haven’t met with any trouble on your return, have you?
_Mnes._
Atque acerruma.
Yes, of the worst sort.
_Pistoc._
Unde?
What caused it?
_Mnes._
Ab homine quem mi amicum esse arbitratus sum antidhac.
A man I always took for a friend till now.
_Pistoc._
Multi more isto atque exemplo vivont, quos cum censeas 540 esse amicos, reperiuntur falsi falsimoniis, lingua factiosi, inertes opera, sublesta fide. nullus est quoi non invideant rem secundam optingere; sibi ne invideatur, ipsi ignavia recte cavent.
(_indignantly_) There are plenty of fellows amongst us of that character and description, fellows you regard as friends only to find ’em treacherous traitors--energetic talkers, lazy doers, and ready deserters. There’s no one they don’t envy his good luck. As for themselves, they take proper care no one envies them--their own inertness looks out for that.
_Mnes._
Edepol ne tu illorum mores perquam meditate tenes. sed etiam unum hoc: ex ingenio malo malum inveniunt suo: nulli amici sunt, inimicos ipsi in sese omnis habent. ei se cum frustrantur, frustrari alios stolidi existumant. sicut est his, quem esse amicum ratus sum atque ipsus sum mihi: ille, quod in se fuit, accuratum habuit quod posset mali 550 faceret in me, inconciliaret copias omnis meas.
(_dryly_) Well, well! You certainly have a very intimate acquaintance with their characteristics. But there’s this one thing to add: they’re cursed by their own cursed dispositions: friends to no man as they are, they themselves have foes in all men. When they’re deceiving themselves the fools fancy they are deceiving others. That’s the way with this man I thought was as good a friend to me as I am to myself: as far as in him lay he took pains to do me all the harm he could, to defraud me of all I had.
_Pistoc._
Improbum istunc esse oportet hominem.
The fellow must be a perfect villain!
_Mnes._
Ego ita esse arbitror.
Precisely my own opinion.
_Pistoc._
Obsecro hercle loquere, quis is est?
(_more indignantly_) By Jove, now! Who is he? Tell me, tell me.
_Mnes._
Benevolens vivit tibi. nam ni ita esset, tecum orarem ut ei quod posses mali facere faceres.
A man on good terms with you. Yes, but for that, I’d beg you to do him any damage you could.
_Pistoc._
Dic modo hominem qui sit sit: non fecero ei male aliquo pacto, me esse dicito ignavissimum.
Only tell me who the fellow is: if I don’t damage him somehow, you can call me the most spiritless wretch on earth.
_Mnes._
Nequam homost, verum hercle amicus est tibi.
He’s a scoundrel, but good Lord, he is a friend of yours!
_Pistoc._
Tanto magis dic quis est; nequam hominis ego parvi pendo gratiam.
All the more reason for telling me who he is; it’s little I care for the favour of a scoundrel.
_Mnes._
Video non potesse quin tibi eius nomen eloquar. Pistoclere, perdidisti me sodalem funditus. 560
I see there is nothing for me to do but give you his name. Pistoclerus, (_bitterly_) you have ruined me, your chum, ruined me utterly.
_Pistoc._
Quid istuc est?
(_aghast_) Eh? What’s that?
_Mnes._
Quid est? misine ego ad te ex Epheso epistulam super amica, ut mi invenires?
What’s that? Didn’t I send you a letter from Ephesus about my mistress, asking you to find her for me?
_Pistoc._
Fateor factum, et repperi.
To be sure you did--and I did find her.
_Mnes._
Quid? tibi non erat meretricum aliarum Athenis copia quibuscum haberes rem, nisi cum illa quam ego mandassem tibi occiperes tute[19] amare et mi ires consultum male?
What? Weren’t there enough other women in Athens for you to philander with, without beginning to make love to her, the girl I had entrusted to you, and trying this underhand trick on me?
_Pistoc._
Sanun es?
Are you sane?
_Mnes._
Rem repperi omnem ex tuo magistro. ne nega. perdidisti me.
I have the whole story from your tutor. You needn’t deny it. You have ruined me.
_Pistoc._
Etiamne ultro tuis me prolectas probris?
(_getting irritated_) Can it be you’re bent on provoking me with this uncalled for abuse of yours?
_Mnes._
Quid? amas Bacchidem?
Eh? You do love Bacchis?
_Pistoc._
Duas ergo his intus eccas Bacchides.
Well, but look you, there are two Bacchises in here.
_Mnes._
Quid? duas?
(_astonished_) What? Two?
_Pistoc._
Atque ambas sorores.
And sisters, too.
_Mnes._
Loqueris nunc nugas sciens.
Now you’re talking rot, and you know it.
_Pistoc._
Postremo, si pergis parvam mihi fidem arbitrarier, 570 tollam ego ted in collum atque intro hinc auferam.
See here now, if you go on making light of my word, I’ll perch you up on my neck and carry you off inside. (_seizes him_)
_Mnes._
Immo ibo, mane.
No, no, I’ll go: wait.
_Pistoc._
Non maneo, neque tu me habebis falso suspectum.
I won’t wait, and I won’t have you suspecting me falsely, either. (_pulls him toward door_)
_Mnes._
Sequor.
I’m coming. [EXEUNT INTO HOUSE.
ACTVS IV