Perde 4
[Textpart 4]
It belongs to your people.
765
DAVUS
Which of our people?
765
DAVUS
How? What—to Pamphilus?
765
MYSIS
How now—is it not so?
CHREMES
With good reason have I always been averse to this match, it’s clear.
DAVUS
O abominable piece of effrontery!
MYSIS
Why are you bawling out so?
DAVUS
What, the very one I saw being carried to your house yesterday evening?
MYSIS
O you impudent fellow!
DAVUS
It’s the truth. I saw Canthara stuffed out beneath her clothes. Stuffed out beneath her clothes: Suffarcinatam. He alludes to the trick already referred to as common among the Greeks, of the nurses and midwives secretly introducing supposititious children; see 1. 515 and the Note.
MYSIS
I’faith, I thank the Gods that several free women were present Several free women were present: She speaks of liberae, free women, because in Greece as well as Italy slaves were not permitted to give evidence. See the Curculio of Plautus, 1. 621, and the Note to the passage in Bohn’s Translation. See also the remark of Geta in the Phormio, 1. 293. at the delivery.
770
DAVUS
Assuredly she doesn’t know him, on whose account she resorts to these schemes. Chremes, she fancies, if he sees the child laid before the door, will not give his daughter; i’faith, he’ll give her all the sooner.
CHREMES
I’faith, he’ll not do so.
775
DAVUS
Now therefore, that you may be quite aware, if you don’t take up the child, I’ll roll it forthwith into the middle of the road; and yourself in the same place I’ll roll over into the mud.
775
MYSIS
Upon my word, man, you are not sober.
DAVUS
One scheme brings on another. I now hear it whispered about that she is a citizen of Attica—
DAVUS
And that, constrained by the laws, Constrained by the laws: He alludes to a law at Athens which compelled a man who had debauched a free-born woman to marry her. This is said by Davus with the view of frightening Chremes from the match. he will have to take her as his wife.
780
MYSIS
Well now, pray, is she not a citizen?
