Perde 2
[Textpart 4]
By my faith, that surely shall befall yourself to get a beating as soon as ever I shall see Demaenetus this day.
THE ASS-DEALER
I summon you to judgmentsSummon you to judgment: In jus vocare, to summon into court, was the term applied when one party lodged a criminal information against another..
480
THE ASS-DEALER
You won’t go? Remember—
480
LEONIDA
I do remember.
480
THE ASS-DEALER
I’ faith, I’ll have satisfaction out of your back.
LEONIDA
Woe unto you? What, villain—satisfaction to be given by us to you indeed?
THE ASS-DEALER
Aye, and even this very day satisfaction shall be given me for your abusive language.
LEONIDA
How now, whip-knave? How say you, hang-dog? Do you suppose that we shall run away from our master? Go this instant then to our master, where you were citing us just now, and where you were wishing to go.
THE ASS-DEALER
What, now at last? Still, you shall never get a coin of money away from me, unless Demaenetus shall order me to give it.
LEONIDA
Do so. Come, move on then. Are you to offer insults to another person, and are they not to be repeated to yourself?
I’m a man as much as you are.
490
THE ASS-DEALER
No doubt such is the fact.
490
LEONIDA
Follow me this way, then. With your good leaveWith your good leave: Praefiscini. It was a common notion among the ancients, that if a person spoke in commendation of himself, he stood in danger of fascination—the effect of envy or enchantment on the part of another person. For this reason, on such occasions they prefaced with the word praemfiscini, understanding dixerim, I would say. This meant without impeachment of malice, be it spoken in a good hour, or, as we say, by your leave. I would now say this: not a person has ever accused me by reason of my deserving it, nor is there in Athens one other individual, this day, whom they would think they could as safely trust.
490
THE ASS-DEALER
Perhaps so: but still, you shall never this day persuade me to entrust to you, whom I don’t know, this money.
A man to a man is a wolfMan to a man is a wolf: There was an ancient proverb, Homo homini lupus, Man is to man a wolf. It probably implied much the same as the more celebrated words of a modern Poet: Man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn., not a man, when the other doesn’t know of what character he is.
495
LEONIDA
Now at last you are appeasing meYou are appeasing me: This he seems to say in a spirit of irony. Huic capitulo is literally to this little head meaning, to this humble individual, myself.: I was sure that this day you would give satisfaction to this poor head of mine; although I’m in mean garb, still, I’m well to do, nor can an estimate of my means be formed from it.
THE ASS-DEALER
Perhaps so.
LEONIDA
Still more then I tell you: Periphanes, a merchant of Rhodes, a rich man,
in the absence of my master, himself alone paid over to me, in private, a talent of silver, and trusted me, nor was he deceived in it.
500
