qui erat anu peculiaris, perdidit paenissume. ubi erat haec defossa, occepit ibi scalpurrire ungulis circum circa. quid opust verbis? ita mihi pectus peracuit:  capio fustem, obtrunco gallum, furem manufestarium.

And then of course that dunghill cock of mine in there, that used to belong to the old woman, had to come within an inch of ruining me, beginning to scratch and claw around where this (looking under cloak) was buried.  Enough said.  It just got me so worked up I took a club and annihilated that cock, the thief, the redhanded thief!

credo edepol ego illi mercedem gallo pollicitos coquos, 470 si id palam fecisset. exemi ex manu[8] manubrium.[9] (471) sed Megadorus meus affinis eccum incedit a foro. (473) iam hunc non ausim praeterire, quin consistam et conloquar.

By heaven, I do believe the cooks offered that cock a reward to show them where this (looking under cloak) was.  I took the handle (looking under cloak) out of their hands! (looking down street) Ah, but there is son-in-law Megadorus swaggering back from the forum.  I suppose it would hardly do for me to pass him without stopping for a word or two, now.

III. 5.

    Scene 5.

    ENTER Megadorus.

Mega.

  Narravi amicis multis consilium meum
  de condicione hac.  Euclionis filiam
  laudant. sapienter factum et consilio bono.

(not seeing Euclio) Well, I’ve told a number of friends of my intentions regarding this match.  They were full of praise for Euclio’s daughter.  Say it’s the sensible thing to do, a fine idea.

nam meo quidem animo si idem faciant ceteri opulentiores, pauperiorum filias ut indotatas ducant uxores domum, 480 et multo fiat civitas concordior, et invidia nos minore utamur quam utimur, et illae malam rem metuant quam metuont magis, et nos minore sumptu simus quam sumus.

Yes, for my part I’m convinced that if the rest of our well-to-do citizens would follow my example and marry poor men’s daughters and let the dowries go, there would be a great deal more unity in our city, and people would be less bitter against us men of means than they are, and our wives would stand in greater awe of marital authority than they do, and the cost of living would be lower for us than it is.

in maximam illuc populi partem est optimum; in pauciores avidos altercatio est, quorum animis avidis atque insatietatibus neque lex neque sutor capere est qui possit modum. namque hoc qui dicat “quo illae nubent divites dotatae, si istud ius pauperibus ponitur?” 490

It’s just the thing for the vast majority of the people; the fight comes with a handful of greedy fellows so stingy and