Scene 3.

    RE-ENTER Euclio FROM HOUSE WITH OBJECT UNDER HIS CLOAK.

Eucl.

Hoc quidem hercle, quoquo ibo, mecum erit, mecum feram, neque isti id in tantis periclis umquam committam ut siet. 450 ite sane nunciam omnes, et coqui et tibicinae, etiam intro duce, si vis, vel gregem venalium, coquite, facite, festinate nunciam, quantum libet.

(aside) By heaven, wherever I go this goes (peering under cloak) too:  I won’t leave it there to run such risks, never. (to Congrio and others) Very well, come now, in with you, cooks, music girls, every one! (to Congrio) Go on, take your under-strappers inside if you like, the whole hireling herd of ’em.  Cook away, work away, scurry around to your hearts’ content now.

Cong.

  Temperi, postquam implevisti fusti fissorum caput.

      A nice time for it, after you’ve clubbed my head till it’s
      all cracks!

Eucl.

  Intro abite, opera huc conducta est vostra, non oratio.

      In with you.  You were engaged to get up a dinner here, not a
      declamation.

Cong.

  Heus, senex, pro vapulando hercle ego abs te mercedem petam.
  coctum ego, non vapulatum, dudum conductus fui.

      I say, old boy, I’ll come to you with my bill for that
      basting, by the Lord I will.  I was hired a while ago to be
      cook, not to be thumped.

Eucl.

  Lege agito mecum. molestus ne sis. i et cenam coque,
  aut abi in malum cruciatum ab aedibus.

      Well, go to law about it.  Don’t bother me.  Away with you: 
      get dinner, or else get to the devil out of here.

Cong.

  Abi tu modo.

      You just get to—­(mildly, as he pushes in past him) one
      side, then. [EXEUNT Congrio AND HIS ASSOCIATES INTO HOUSE.

III. 4.

    Scene 4.

Eucl.

Illic hinc abiit. di immortales, facinus audax incipit 460 qui cum opulento pauper homine coepit rem habere aut negotium.[7] veluti Megadorus temptat me omnibus miserum modis, qui simulavit mei honoris mittere huc causa coquos:  is ea causa misit, hoc qui surriperent misero mihi.

(looking after them) He’s disappeared.  My Lord, my Lord!  It’s an awful chance a poor man takes when he begins to have dealings or business with a wealthy man.  Here’s Megadorus now, trying to catch me—­oh, dear, dear!—­in all sorts of ways.  Sending cooks over here and pretending it’s because of regard for me!  Sent ’em to steal this (looking under cloak) from a poor old man—­that’s what his sending ’em was because of!

condigne etiam meus med intus gallus gallinacius,