Perde 3
[Textpart 2]
You’ve understood nicely what I meant to say.
STRATILAX
Hark you, since I’ve been so many times backwards and forwards to the city, I’ve become quite a chatterer; I’m now a right good stalkerRight good stalker: He means to say cavillator, a chatterer; but instead thereof, mispronouncing the word, he calls it caullator, which was perhapspa word of no meaning; it has been translated stalker, from its resemblance to caulis, a stalk..
ASTAPHIUM
Prithee, what’s that? That’s nonsense;
perhaps you intend to mean talking.
685
STRATILAX
Just so; it differs mighty little from stalking.
ASTAPHIUM
Prithee, do follow me in-doors, my love.
STRATILAX
Take this for thyself; keep it as a ledgerAs a ledger: In his bungling, he calls arrhabo, a pledge or earnest, rhabo, which had no meaning. Of course this cannot be literally translated, but something tantamount is given in the Translation, in order to convey the spirit, by making him miscall pledge ledger. for thee, that thee mayst give me thy company this night.
ASTAPHIUM
You are the death of me, with your ledger. What kind of beast am I to say that is?
Thy don’t you say pledge?
690
STRATILAX
The r I make a saving of; just as the PraenestinesThe Praenestines: In the Trinummus, l. 609, he jokes at the expense of the people of Praeneste, for using the expression tammodo. Here he says that they were in the habit of calling ciconia, a stork, conia. They are also alluded to, apparently as braggarts, in the Fragment at the beginning of the Bacchides. have conia, for ciconia.
690
ASTAPHIUM
Prithee, do follow me.
STRATILAX
I’ll wait here a little for Strabax, till he comes from the farm.
ASTAPHIUM
Why, Strabax is at our house. He has just come from the farm.
STRATILAX
What, before he went to his own mother?
Alas, the man’s worth nought, i’ faith.
695
ASTAPHIUM
What now, your old habit?
695
STRATILAX
Well, I’ll say nought.
ASTAPHIUM
Prithee, do come indoors. Give me your hand.
STRATILAX
Well, take it. (To the AUDIENCE.) I’m being led off into a public-house, where I shall be but poorly entertained for my money.
