nam postquam meus rex est potitus hostium—­ ita nunc belligerant Aetoli cum Aleis; nam Aetolia haec est, illic est captus in Alide, Philopolemus, huius Hegionis filius senis, qui hie habitat, quae aedes lamentariae mihi sunt, quas quotienscumque conspicio fleo;

For after my patron fell in with the enemy—­the Aetolians, you see, are at war now with the Eleans; this is Aetolia, you understand, and it’s there in Elis that Philopolemus is a captive, Philopolemus being the son of Hegio here, the old gentleman that lives in (pointing) that house (and a lamentatious house it is! every time I look at it, it makes me weep!)

nunc hic occepit quaestum hunc fili gratia inhonestum et maxime alienum ingenio suo:  homines captives commercatur, si queat 100 aliquem invenire, suom qui mutet filium. quod quidem ego nimis quam cupio[4] ut impetret:  nam ni illum recipit, nihil est quo me recipiam.

—­well, now Hegio has taken up his present business, all for his son’s sake, ungentlemanly business as it is, and quite beneath a man of his type.  He’s buying up prisoners of war, to see if he can’t come across one to exchange for his boy.  And Lord! how I do yearn for him to succeed!  You see, it’s a matter of his coming home, or my going hungry.

nam nulla est spes iuventutis, sese omnis amant; ille demum antiquis est adulescens moribus, cuius numquam voltum tranquillavi gratiis. condigne pater est eius moratus moribus. nunc ad eum pergam. sed aperitur ostium, unde saturitate saepe ego exii ebrius.

For our young fellows are absolutely unpromising—­egoists, the whole lot of ’em!  But he is a young gentleman of the old school, that lad:  I never smoothed the wrinkles out of his brow without getting more than a thankye for it.  His father is just such another perfect gentleman.  Now for a call on him. (moves toward Hegio’s house) But there goes his door, out of which I’ve often come so full of food I was fairly tipsy. (withdraws)

I. 2.

    Scene 2.

    ENTER Hegio WITH Slave Overseer.

Hegio

Advorte animum sis tu:  istos captives duos, 110 heri quos emi de praeda a quaestoribus, eis indito catenas singularias istas, maiores, quibus sunt iuncti, demito;

Attention, please, my man.  Those two captives that I bought yesterday from the commissioners in charge of the spoils—­ put the light irons on them and take off the heavy ones they’re coupled with.

sinito ambulare, si foris si intus volent, sed uti adserventur magna diligentia. liber captivos avis ferae consimilis est:  semel fugiendi si data est occasio, satis est, numquam postilla possis