Sine perlegam. “ego ius iurandum verbis conceptis dedi, daturum id me hodie mulieri ante vesperum, prius quam a me abiret. nunc, pater, ne perierem 1030 cura atque abduce me hinc ab hac quantum potest, quam propter tantum damni feci et flagiti. cave tibi ducenti nummi dividiae fuant; sescenta tanta reddam, si vivo, tibi. vale atque haec cura.” quid nunc censes, Chrysale?

Let me read it through.  “I took an oath in express terms to give the woman this sum before evening comes and she leaves me.  Now, father, do see to it that I don’t forswear myself, and do rescue me just as soon as you can from this creature on account of whom I have been so wasteful and wicked.  See you don’t let a matter of two hundred pounds vex you; I will pay it back to you a thousand times over, if I live.  Good-bye and do look out for this.”  What do you recommend now, Chrysalus?

Chrys.

Nihil ego tibi hodie consili quicquam dabo, neque ego haud committam ut, si quid peccatum siet, fecisse dicas de mea sententia. verum, ut ego opinor, si ego in istoc sim loco, dem potius aurum quam illum corrumpi sinam. 1040 duae condiciones sunt:  utram tu accipias vide:  vel ut aurum perdas vel ut amator perieret. ego neque te iubeo neque veto, neque suadeo.

(vehemently) Never a bit of advice will I give you this day!  I’ll take no chance of your saying, if anything goes wrong, that you did it at my suggestion.  However, in my opinion, if I was in your place, I should rather give up the money than let him be debauched.  There are two alternatives:  see for yourself which to choose:  you must either lose the money, or let our lover be forsworn.  I do not order you, or forbid you, or urge you, either, not I.

Nic.

  Miseret me illius.

      (earnestly) I’m sorry for the lad.

Chrys.

  Tuos est, non mirum facis.
  si plus perdundum sit, periisse suaviust,
  quam illud flagitium volgo dispalescere.

      Nothing strange in that, your own flesh and blood as he is.
      (casually) If more must be lost, that’s pleasanter than
      having such a piece of wickedness come to be the common talk.

Nic.

Ne ille edepol Ephesi multo mavellem foret, dum salvos esset, quam revenisset domum. quid ego istic? quod perdundumst properem perdere. binos ducentos Philippos iam intus ecferam. 1050 et militi quos dudum promisi miser et istos. mane istic, iam exeo ad te, Chrysale.

Good Lord!  I should certainly much rather have him at Ephesus, provided he was safe, than back home. (pauses) What am I to do in the matter? (another pause, then irritably) Let me hurry up and lose what has to be lost.  I’ll go in and get four hundred pounds at once—­the two hundred I promised the Captain a while ago, poor wretch that I am, and this last.  Wait where you are:  I’ll be with you again in a moment, Chrysalus. [EXIT INTO HOUSE.

Chrys.