V. 2.

    Scene 2.

Bacch.

  Quis sonitu ac tumultu tanto nominat me atque pultat aedes? 1120

      (within) Who’s raising such a din and uproar, calling me
      and beating on the house?

      ENTER THE TWO Bacchises INTO DOORWAY.

Nic.

  Ego atque hic.

      This gentleman and I.

Bacch.

  Quid hoc est negoti nam, amabo?
  quis has hue ovis adegit?

      (to sister after surveying them) Mercy me, dear, what does
      this mean?  Who drove these sheep here?

Nic.

  Ovis nos vocant pessumae.

      (to Philoxenus) They’re calling us sheep, the sluts!

Soror

  Pastor harum
  dormit, quom haec eunt sic a pecu balitantes.

      Their shepherd must be taking a nap, to let them straggle
      off from the flock this way, bleating.

Bacch.

  At pol nitent, haud sordidae videntur ambae.

      My goodness, though!  They are sleek! they seem to be quite
      spick and span, both of them.

Soror

  Attonsae hae quidem ambae usque sunt.

      Yes, you see they’ve both been ever so well shorn.

Phil.

  Ut videntur
  deridere nos.

      (to Nicobulus) Hm!  They seem to be making fun of us.

Nic.

  Sine suo usque arbitratu.

      (sourly) Let them go as far as they like.

Bacch.

  Rerin ter in anno tu has tonsitari?

      Do you suppose they are generally sheared three times a year?

Soror

  Pol hodie altera iam bis detonsa certo est.

      Goodness me! that other one (indicating Nicobulus) has
      been shorn twice this very day for certain.

Bacch.

  Vetulae sunt minae ambae.[31]

      They’re both rather woolless old—­(with a sly glance at her
      sister) customers.

Soror

  At bonas fuisse credo.

      But they used to be good ones, I do believe.

Bacch.

  Viden limulis, obsecro, ut intuentur? 1130

      For heaven’s sake, do you see the little sidelong glances
      they’re casting at us?

Soror

  Ecastor sine omni arbitror malitia esse.

      Oh well, I don’t think they mean anything naughty by it.

Phil.

  Merito hoc nobis fit, qui quidem hue venerimus.

      (to Nicobulus) This serves us right for coming here!

Bacch.

  Cogantur quidem intro.

      They really ought to be pushed inside.