Chapter 86

ENTER _Hegio_ WITH _Aristophontes_ AND _Slaves_.

_Hegio_

Quid est suavius, quam bene rem gerere, bono publico, sic ut ego feci heri, cum emi hosce homines: ubi quisque vident, 500 eunt obviam gratulanturque eam rem, ita me miserum restitando retinendoque lassum reddiderunt: vix ex gratulando miser iam eminebam.

(_highly pleased with himself_) Now what makes you feel better than managing your affairs properly and contributing to the common good, just as I did yesterday in buying these prisoners? Whenever anyone sees me up he comes and congratulates me on it! Dear, dear! I was so worn out with all their stopping and detaining me, it got to be frightfully hard work emerging from the flood of felicitations.

tandem abii ad praetorem; ibi vix requievi: rogo syngraphum, datur mi ilico; dedi Tyndaro: ille abiit domum. inde ilico praevortor domum, postquam id actum est; eo protinus ad fratrem, mei ubi sunt alii captivi.

At last I escaped to the praetor’s. Barely waiting to catch my breath, I asked for a passport, got it on the spot, gave it to Tyndarus: he’s off for home. After seeing to that, I first start straight for home. Then I go on to my brother’s where the rest of my prisoners are.

rogo, Philocratem ex Alide ecquis hominum noverit: tandem his exclamat, eum sibi esse sodalem; 510 dico eum esse apud me; hic extemplo orat obsecratque, eum sibi ut liceat videre: iussi ilico hunc exsolvi. nunc tu sequere me, ut quod me oravisti impetres, eum hominem uti convenias.

Inquire if any one of ’em knows Philocrates of Elis. Finally this fellow (_pointing to Aristophontes_) calls out that Philocrates is a particular friend of his. I tell him he’s at my house; the next instant he’s begging and beseeching me for a chance to see him. I had him unfettered at once. (_to Aristophontes_) Now, sir, come this way, so as to obtain your request and meet your friend. [EXEUNT INTO HOUSE: AS THEY GO IN _Tyndarus_ RUSHES OUT.

III. 3.