Perde 4
[Textpart 1]
Upon my faith, I do not believe that at NemeaAt Nemea: Nemea was a town near Corinth, where games were held in honor of Hercules, in remembrance of his slaying the Nemean Lion. At Olympia, in Elis, the Olympic games in honor of Jupiter were celebrated., nor do I think that at Olympia,
PARDALISCA
or anywhere else, there ever where such funny games as these ridiculous games that are going on in-doors here with our old gentleman and our bailiff Olympio. In-doors, all over the house, all are in a bustle; the old man is bawling away in the kitchen, and urging on the cooks.
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Why don’t you go to work at once? Why don’t you serve up, if you are going to serve up? Make haste; the dinner ought to have been cooked by this. And then this bailiff is strutting about with his chapletWith his chaplet: Among the Romans the bridegroom wore a wreath or chaplet of flowers on his head., clothed in white and finely rigged out. And then these women are dressing up the armour-bearer in the bedroom,
765
to give him to be married to our bailiff in place of Casina; but the artful baggages very cleverly conceal what the upshot of thisThe upshot of this: The meaning of this passage is obscure. It perhaps, however, means that they conceal from Chalinus how far they intend him to go in the joke, for fear lest he should refuse his services. is really to be. Then too, in a manner quite worthy of them, the cooks are very cleverly doing their best to the end that the old gentleman mayn’t get his dinner. They are upsetting the pots, and putting out the fire with the water.
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At the request of these ladies they are so doing; they, too, are determined to bundle the old fellow dinnerless out of doors, that they by themselves may blow out their own stomachs. I know these female gluttons; a merchant-shipA merchant-ship: Corbitam, a merchant-ship. This word gave rise to the French word corvette. Merchant-ships are said to have been so called from their carrying a corbis, or basket, at the mast-head; probably to show at a distance that they were traders, and not ships of war. full of victuals they can devour. But the door is opening.
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[Textpart 2]
If you are wise, wife, you’ll dine, after all, when the dinner’s cooked. I shall dine in the country, for I’m desirous to attend the new-made husband and the newly-made bride into the country (I know the mischievous habits of persons), that no one may carry her off. Do you people indulge your appetite.
780
STALINO
But do make haste and send him and her out immediately, that at least we may get there in daylight. I shall be here tomorrow; to-morrow, wife, I’ll be having a banquet still.
785
PARDALISCA
’Tis as I said it would be; the women are packing the old fellow dinnerless out of doors.
STALINO
What are you doing here?
PARDALISCA
I’m going whither she sent me.
790
PARDALISCA
Seriously.
790
STALINO
What are you looking for here?
PARDALISCA
Really I’m looking for nothing at all.
STALINO
Be off; you are loitering here; the others are bustling about in-doors.
STALINO
Be off, then, will you, away from here, you jade of jades. (PARDALISCA goes into the house.) Is she gone then? I may now say here anything I please.
He that’s in love, i’ faith, even if he is hungry, isn’t hungry at all. But see, the bailiff, my associateMy associate: Socius, associate, seems certainly a much more rational reading than socerus, father-in-law, which Weise adopts. Amid all his folly, we can hardly imagine Stalino calling Olympio his father- in-law. From the present passage it would appear that the bridegroom was one of those who held the torches before the bride when she was led to his house., companion, and husband-in-copartnership, is coming out of doors with wreath and torch.
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[Textpart 3]
Come, piper, while they are escorting the new-made bride out of doors, make the whole of this street resound with a sweet wedding-tuneWedding-tune: Hymenaeo. The nuptial-song was called Hymenaeus, in honor of Hymen, the God of Marriage. The above words were probably the refrain, or Chorus of the song..
OLYMPIO
Io Hymen hymenaee! Io Hymen!
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