Scene 9.

    ENTER Anthrax FROM HOUSE OF Megadorus.

Anthr.

Dromo, desquama piscis. tu, Machaerio, congrum, murenam exdorsua quantum potest. ego hinc artoptam ex proximo utendam peto 400 a Congrione. tu istum gallum, si sapis, glabriorem reddes mihi quam volsus ludiust.

(to servants inside) Dromo, scale the fish.  As for you, Machaerio, you bone the conger and lamprey as fast as you know how.  I’m going over next door to ask Congrio for the loan of a bread pan.  And you there! if you know what’s good for you, you won’t hand me back that rooster till it’s plucked cleaner than a ballet dancer.

  sed quid hoc clamoris oritur hinc ex proximo?
  coqui hercle, credo, faciunt officium suom.
  fugiam intro, ne quid turbae hic itidem fuat.

(sound of scuffle in Euclio’s house) Hallo, though!  What’s the row in the house next door?  Hm! the cooks settling down to business, I reckon!  I’ll hustle back, or we’ll be having a rumpus at our place, too. [EXIT.

ACTVS III

    ACT III

    ENTER Congrio AND HIS ASSOCIATES TUMBLING OUT OF
    Euclio’s HOUSE, SLAMMING DOOR BEHIND THEM.

Cong.

  Attatae! cives,[6] populares, incolae, accolae, advenae omnes,
  date viam qua fugere liceat. facite totae plateae pateant.
  neque ego umquam nisi hodie ad Bacchas veni in Bacchanal coquinatum,
  ita me miserum et meos discipulos fustibus male contuderunt.
  totus doleo atque oppido perii,
        ita me iste habuit senex gymnasium; 410

(in burlesque panic) Hi-i-i!  Citizens, natives, inhabitants, neighbours, foreigners, every one—­give me room to run!  Open up!  Clear the street! (stopping at some distance from the house) This is the first time I ever came to cook for Bacchantes at a Bacchante den.  Oh dear, what an awful clubbing I and my disciples did get!  I’m one big ache!  I’m dead and gone!  The way that old codger took me for a gymnasium!

attat, perii hercle ego miser, aperit bacchanal. adest, 411a sequitur. scio quam rem geram:  hoc ipsus magister me docuit. 412a neque ligna ego usquam gentium praeberi vidi pulchrius, itaque omnis exegit foras, me atque hos, onustos fustibus.

(Euclio’s door opens and he appears, cudgel in hand) Oh—­ ow—­ow!  Good Lord be merciful!  I’m done for!  He’s opening the den; he’s at the door; he’s after me!  I know what I’ll do:  (retires) he’s taught me my lesson, my master has.  I never in all my life saw a place where they were freer handed with their wood:  (rubbing his shoulders) why, when he drove the lot of us out he let us have big sticks of it, all we could stagger under.

III. 2.