Perde 3
[Textpart 5]
In the greater part of the people this is a most just way of thinking; in the smaller portion there is an objection among the avaricious, whose avaricious minds and insatiate dispositions there is neither law nor magistrate to be able to put a check upon. But a person may say this; How are these rich women with portions to marry, if this law is laid down for the poor?
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MEGADORUS
Let them marry whom they please, so long as the dowry isn’t their companion. If this were so done, the women would acquire for themselves better manners for them to bring, in place of dowry, than they now bring. I’d make mules, which exceed horses in price,
to become cheaper than Gallic geldingsThan Gallic geldings: Mules were much coveted by the haughty names of Rome for the purpose of drawing their carriages. He says that if he had his way, such extravagance should not be encouraged, and mules should not be a bit more valuable than humble Gallic geldings..
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EUCLIO
So may the Gods favour me, I listen to him with delight; very shrewdly has he discoursed on the side of economy.
MEGADORUS
No wife should then be saying: Indeed, I brought you a marriage-portion far greater than was your own wealth;
why, it really is fair that purple and gold should be found for me, maid-servants, mules, muleteers, and lacqueysAnd lacqueys: Pedissequos. The pedissequi were a particular class of slaves whose duty it was to follow their master when he went out of doors. They were of the lowest rank in the slave family., pages to carryPages to carry: The salutigeruli pueri were boys whose business it was to run on errands, and carry messages and compliments from one house to another. Hildyard suggests the rather refined translation of boys to carry visiting-cards. compliments, vehicles in which I may be carried.
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EUCLIO
How thoroughly he does understand the doings of the wives! I wish he were made Prefect of the manners of the women.
MEGADORUS
Now, go where you will, you may see more carriagesMore carriages: Plaustra generally mean carts or waggons, and perhaps, from his reference to the country, may have that signification here; though he has just been speaking of the luxury of the ladies, with their vehicla, or carriages. among the houses than in the country when you go to a farm-house. But this is even light, in comparison with when they ask for their allowance; there stands the scourerThe scourer: The fullo was a washer and cleaner of linen and woollen clothing with fuller’s earth. As woollen dresses were chiefly worn by the Romans, they would, by reason of the perspiration produced by so hot a climate, require frequent purification. As the ancients, probably, were not acquainted with the use of ordinary washing soap, various alkalis were used in its place for the purpose of cleansing garments. It is not known whether the fuller’s earth of the Romans resembled that used at the present day., the embroiderer, the goldsmith, the woollen-manufacturer, retail dealers in figured skirtsDealers in figured skirts: Patagiarii. These were persons who sold the patagium, which was a broad band or hem on the tunics of the women, answering to the clavus, or broad stripe, on the clothes of the men. It may possibly have been the same as the instita, or broad flounce, which distinguished the Roman matrons of reputable character., dealers in women’s under-clothingDealers in women’s under-clothing: Indusiarii, makers or sellers of the indusium, which is by some thought to have been the upper tunic worn by the Roman women; while others suppose the under tunic, worn next the skin, to have been so called, from intus, innermost.,
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dyers in flame-colour, dyers in violet, dyers in wax-colourDyers in wax-colour: Carinarii. Ovid, in the Art of Love, B. 3, l. 184, has the line, Sua velleribus nomina cera dedit. The wax has given its own name to the wool. The yellow colour resembling that of wax was much esteemed by the Romans., or else sleeve-makersSleeve-makers: Manulearii, makers of the manulea. This was a long sleeve fitted on to the tunics of the Roman ladies, and was probably made to take on and off, for the purpose of keeping the arms and hands warm., or perfumersPerfumers: Murobrecharii. One reading here is murrobathrarii, persons who give an agreable smell to women’s shoes, by scenting them with myrrh. Murobrecharii, which is adopted above, means perfumers, or persons who scented the clothes, from the Greek μνρὸν, ointment, and βρέχω, to moisten. Myrrh or nard was much used for this purpose. The unguents or ointments used by the ancients were very numerous. Among those used for the skin or the hair were mendesium, megalesium, metoplum, amaracinum, Cyprinum, susinum, nardinum, spicatuin, jasminum, rosaceum, and crocus oil, which last was considered the most costly. Powders were also used as perfumes; they were called diapasmata. The Greeks used expensive perfumes from early times, and both Greeks and Romans were in the habit of carrying them about in small boxes of elegant workmanship. In the luxurious city of Capua, there was one great street, called the Seplasia, which consisted entirely of shops in which ointments and perfumes were sold.; wholesale linendrapers, shoemakers, squatting cobblers, slipper-makers; sandal makers stand there; stainers in mallow colour stand there;
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hairdressersHairdressers: Ciniflones. The ciniflones were those persons whose duty it was to heat the calamistrum, or curling-iron, in woodashes (cinis), from which they took their name. In the time of Cicero, the youths of Rome generally had their hair curled, whence they were termed calamistrati. make their demands, botchers their demands; boddice-makersBoddice-makers: Strophiarii. These were makers of the band or stomacher which was worn by the women, to correct excessive protuberance of the breast and stomach. stand there; makers of kirtlesMakers of kirtles: Semizonarii. These were makers or sellers of semicinctia, which were little aprons or kirtles extending half way down the body. take their stand. Now you would think them got rid of; these make way, others make their demands; three hundred dunsThree hundred duns: Phylacistae, from the Greek φνλακιστης, a keeper of a prison. He calls duns or importunate creditors by this name, from their keeping as close a watch on the front of a debtor’s house as if they were gaolers. are standing in your hall; weavers, lace-makersLace-makers: Limbuarii. The makers of limbus, lace or fringes for women’s dresses., cabinet-makersCabinet-makers: Arcularil, makers of arcuiae, caskets or cabinets for jewels and nicknacks.,
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are introduced; the money’s paid them. You would think them got rid of by this; when dyers in saffron colours come sneaking along; or else there’s always some horrid plague or other which is demanding something.
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EUCLIO
I would accost him, if I didn’t fear that he would cease to descant upon the ways of women; for the present I’ll leave him as he is.
MEGADORUS
When the money has been paid to all the nicknack mongers, for these saffron-coloured garments and stomachers, your wife’s expenses, then at the last comes the tax-gathererThe tax-gatherer: Miles. Literally, the soldier. This is explained as meaning that the soldier comes to receive the military tribute levied by the Tribunes, which was called aes militare. The word may, however possibly mean simply the officer of the magistrate by whom the tribute was levied, as miles has sometimes, though very rarely, that signification. and asks for money. You go, your account is being made up with your bankerWith your banker: The argentarii acted as bankers of deposit upon whom the depositors drew checks as with us.; the tax-gatherer waits, half-starved, and thinks the money will be paid. When the account has been made up with the banker,
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even already is the husband himself in debt to the banker, and the hopes of the tax-gatlherer are postponed to another day. These, and many others, are the inconveniences and intolerable expenses of great portions; but she who is without portion is in the power of her husband;
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the portioned ones overwhelm their husbands with loss and ruin. But see; here’s my connexion by marriage before the house! How do you do, Euclio?
535
[Textpart 6]
With very great pleasure have I listened to your discourse.
MEGADORUS
Did you hear me?
EUCLIO
Everything from the very beginning.
MEGADORUS
Still, in my way of thinking indeed, you would be acting a little more becomingly
if you were more tidy at the wedding of your daughter.
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