Perde 2
[Textpart 5]
Ho, there Staphyla, come out and open the door.
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STAPHYLA
Who calls there?
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[Textpart 6]
What do you want?
STROBILUS
For you to take in these cooks, and this music-girl, and these provisions for the wedding. Megadorus bade me take these things to Euclio.
STAPHYLA
Are you about to make this wedding, Strobilus, in honor of CeresIn honor of Ceres: The old woman probably alludes to the Thesmophoria, where abstinence from wine was especially practised, and which were celebrated in a state of fasting and purification. Her question here tends to confirm the suspicion that she was more fond of the merum than the mixtum, reference to which has already been made?
STAPHYLA
Because I don’t see any wine brought.
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STROBILUS
Why, that will be brought just now, when he himself comes back from the market.
STAPHYLA
There’s no firewood here in our house.
LYCONIDES
There are the beams.
STAPHYLA
I’ faith, there are.
LYCONIDES
There is wood, then; don’t you be seeking it out of doors.
STAPHYLA
What, you unpurified fellowYou unpurified fellow: Impurate. You that are unpurified, in spite of your everlastingly stewing over the fire. She alludes, figuratively, to the process of smelting and purifying metals by the action of fire., although your business is with the fire,
for the sake of a dinner, or of your own hire, do you request us to set our house on fire?
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LYCONIDES
I don’t ask you.
STROBILUS
Take them in-doors.
[Textpart 7]
Mind you your business; I’ll step in and see what the cooks are doing, to observe whom, i’ faith, to-day it is a most laborious task.
PYTHODICUS
Unless I manage this one thing, for them to cook the dinner down in the dungeonIn the dungeon: By the use of the word puteus he may possibly mean the black hole or dungeon alluded to in l. 301, whence there was no means of agress but by being drawn up. He means to say that such a place will be the only one for preventing the cooks from thieving whatever comes in their way. The thievish propensities of the hired cooks are also referred to in the Pseudolus.; thence, when cooked, we might bring it up again in small baskets. But if they should eat belowShould eat below: He reflects that if they are put in the puteus to prevent their thieving, they may possibly revenge themselves by eating up the victuals as fast as they cook it. whatever they should cook, those above would go without their dinner, and those below have dined. But here am I chattering, as though I had no business,
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