Perde 2
[Textpart 2]
I’ll make haste, lest I should be providing a safe keeping for my spoil too late.
LIBANUS
What spoil is this? I’ll go meet him, and enquire what it is. (He accosts him.) I wish you health in as loud a voice as my strength admits of.
295
LEONIDA
Exerciser of the whip, health to you.
LIBANUS
Keeper of the gaol, how do you do?
LEONIDA
Ha! colonizer of the chains.
LIBANUS
Ha! delight of the scourges.
LEONIDA
When naked, how many pounds do you say you are in weight?
LIBANUS
Upon my faith, I don’t know.
LEONIDA
I know that you don’t know; but, i’ faith, I who have weighed you do know. Tied up naked, you were a hundred pounds in weight, when you were hanging with your feet downwards.
300
LIBANUS
On what evidence is that?
LEONIDA
I’ll tell you on what evidence, and in what way. When you are tied up with a full hundred pounds to your feetHundred pounds to your feet: When slaves were hung up by the arms to be scourged, it was usual to fasten heavy weights to their feet, to prevent them from kicking those who scourged them. The poor wit of Leonida seems to have this meaning: punning upon the word pendeo, which signifies either to hang from or to weigh, he says, that when Libanus is tied up with the weight at his feet, he weighs just as much as the weight and no more; for, being a worthless fellow, he has no weight whatever as a good man., when the manacles are fastened to your hands, and tied to the beam,
you are weighing neither more nor less, than as being a worthless and good-for-nothing fellow.
305
LEONIDA
That, Servitude bequeaths to you by her will.
LIBANUS
I wish this skirmishing of words to be cut short. What matter is this?
LEONIDA
Am I sure in trusting you?
LIBANUS
You may, without hesitation.
LEONIDA
If you wish to assist our master’s son in his amour,
there is so much of a good opportunity on a sudden, but still mingled with evil—all the hangman’s days will be rendered famous by ourselves. Libanus, now have we occasion to find some boldness and inventiveness. An exploit so great have I thought of just now, that we two may be pronounced the most deserving of all for torture to befall us.
310
LIBANUS
’Twas on that account I was wondering why my shoulder-blades were aching just now, which were beginning to prognosticate that there was some danger for them at home. Whatever it is, speak out.
315
