THE SUBJECT. ARGYRIPPUS, the son of Demænetus, is violently in love with Philenium, a young woman, who is living with her mother, Cleæreta, a procuress. The latter has made an agreement with a Captain, of the name of Diabolus, to transfer Philenium to him for twenty minæ, on condition, however, that if Argyrippus shall first pay that sum, he shall have her. Argyrippus, having exhausted all his own resources, applies to his father, Demænetus, an over-indulgent and immoral old man, and requests him to furnish him with twenty minæ. Demænetus is married to Artemona, a rich woman, and is totally dependant on the will of herself and her favourite slave, the chamberlain Saurea. Being destitute of money, Demænetus orders his servant, Libanus, by some means or other to cheat his mistress or the chamberlain out of that sum. Just then an ass-dealer arrives, to pay to Saurea twenty minæ, the price of some asses which he has previously purchased. Libanus then arranges with his fellow-servant, Leonida, that the latter shall personate Saurea, and so receive the money from the ass-dealer. This is done, and the money is paid to Leonida, in the presence of Demænetus, who assures the dealer that Leonida really is the person to whom the money is payable. This sum is then given to Argyrippus, but with the disgraceful stipulation that for one day his father shall enjoy the company of Philenium. This he submits to, and the three sit down to a banquet. The Captain discovers this, and sends his Parasite to inform Artemona of her husband's conduct. She accordingly accompanies the Parasite, and discovers her husband in the company of his son and the young woman; after soundly rating him, she leads him off; while Argyrippus remains in possession of Philenium. ASINARIA; OR, THE ASS-DEALER. THE ACROSTIC ARGUMENT. [Supposed to have been written by Priscian the Grammarian.] THE son in love (Amanti), the old man, who lives under (Sub) his wife's control, wishes to help him with money; therefore (Itaque), some money that has been brought in payment for the asses for Saurea he orders to be paid (Numerari) to his servant Leonida. This is carried to (Ad) his mistress, and the son yields her favours to his father. His rival (Rivinus) is furious on account of the woman thus taken from him: he (Is) tells all the matter, through the Parasite, to the wife. The wife rushes (Adcurrit) to the place, and drags her husband from the den. THE PROLOGUE. ATTEND now, Spectators, if you please, forthwith to this, and may this matter turn out fortunately for me and for yourselves, and for this company, and for our employers1, and for our managers?. Now, crier, do you at once make all the people give attentive ear. Come, be seated now, only be careful that 'tis not for nought. Now I will tell you why I have. come forward here, and what my intention is, that you may know the name of this play. For, so far as relates to the plot, it really is a short one. Now I will tell you what I said I was wishful to inform you upon. The name of this play in Greek For our employers)-Ver. 3. By "dominis" he probably means the Ediles, by whom the actors were engaged for the public entertainment. 2 And for our managers)—Ver.3. The " conductores" were probably the leaders or managers of the company, who made the contract with the Ediles. is Onagos1-Demophilus composed it-Marcus Plautus turned it into Latin. He wishes it to be called Asinaria1, if by your leaves it may be so. In this play there is both pleasantry and fun. 'Tis a droll story; kindly lend me your attention; may Mars, too, as, full oft at other times he has done, so give you now his aid. ACT I.-SCENE I. Enter DEMANETUS and LIBANUS, from the house of the former. LIB. As you desire your own only son to survive your own existence, prosperous, and living on; so by your lengthened years, and by that wife of yours of whom you stand in awe, do I conjure you, that if this day you have said anything that's false against myself, your wife may then survive your own existence, and that, she living, you, still alive, may come to utter destruction5. DEM. By the Gods above, as to what you seek to know, I see that I must, perforce, speak out, whatever you question me upon, being thus conjured; so determinedly have you accosted me, that I really do not dare otherwise than to disclose everything to you making all these enquiries. Say then at once what it is that you desire so much to know; as I myself shall know, so will I let you know. 1 Is Onagos)-Ver. 10. "Onagos." The Greek name for an "ass-driver.” 2 Demophilus)-Ver. 11. No particulars are known of Demophilus the Comic Writer. Some would suggest Diphilus as the reading here: he is mentioned in the Adelphi of Terence, and was a Comic Poet, contemporary with Menander. 3 Marcus)-Ver. 11. Marcus is the word used here. It is supposed to be a corruption of, or an abbreviation for, Maccius or M. Accius, whichever was the prænomen of the poet. Asinaria)-Ver. 12. "Asinaria" seems to be the nominative feminine singular or neuter plural of the adjective "asinarius," of or "relating to asses." 5 Come to utter destruction)-Ver. 22. "Pestem obpetas." Literally, 66 meet with a plague." This expression held a somewhat similar rank with our uncourteous invitation, "Go to the devil." 6 By the Gods above)-Ver. 23. "Per Deum Fidium." Literally, "by the God Fidius." This God had a Temple in the Capitol at Rome. He was represented as having Honor on his right hand, and Truth on the left. He is mentioned by Ovid, in the Sixth Book of the Fasti, as having the names also of Sancus and Semo. He was also called Sangus and Sanctus, and is generally supposed to have been the Sabine Hercules. Saint Augustine says that he was a king of the Sabines, whom they had deified. LIB. Troth now, prithee answer me seriously what I ask you; take care that you tell me no falsehood. DEM. Why, then, don't you ask? LIB. Will you, then, be sending me there, where stone grinds stone1? DEM. What place is that? Or where in the world is that place? LIB. Where worthless men are weeping, who breakfast upon pearled barley2. DEM. What that place is, or where it is, I cannot understand, where worthless men are weeping, who breakfast upon pearled barley. LIB. Why, in the islands of club-land and rattle-chains, where dead oxen attack living men. DEM. I' faith, I now understand, Libanus, what place it is; that perhaps you mean, where the pearled barley is prepared LIB. O dear: I'm not speaking of that, i' faith, nor do I wish to speak of it. Troth now, prithee, do spit out the words that you have spoken. DEM. Be it so; you shall be indulged. (He coughs and spits.) LIB. Come, come-hawk away. DEM. What, still more? (Spits on.) LIB. Troth now; prithee, do go on-still more. DEM. What from the very bottom of my throat? (Spits.) DEM. Take you care of a woful mishap, if DEM. For that speech, I give you leave to be free from apprehension. 1 Stone grinds stone)-Ver. 31. He alludes to the "pistrinum," or hand-mill, where refractory slaves were often sent and set to grind the corn, which was a very laborious employment. 2 Pearled barley)-Ver. 33. "Polenta." This was barley-meal, dried before the fire, soaked in water for a night, and then baked. 3 Club-land and rattle-chain) Ver. 36. “Fustitudinas, ferricrepinas." These are words coined by the author for the occasion. In the next line he alludes to flogging with thongs of hide. 4 Do spit out)-Ver. 41. The ancients signified extreme disgust by spitting. Libanus is so frightened at the bare "idea" of the "pistrinum," or "mill," that he deems the attempt to mention it as of bad omen, and begs that his master will spit away from him the very notion of it. LIB. May the Gods grant you whatever you desire. DEM. In return, give me your attention. Why should I ask this of you? Or why should I threaten you, because you have not made me acquainted with it? Or why, in fine, should I censure my son as other fathers do? LIB. What new affair is this? (Aside.) I wonder much what it is, and I'm in dread what the upshot of it may be. DEM. In fact, I'm now aware that my son's in love with that Courtesan Philenium, that lives close by. Is not this as I say, Libanus? LIB. You are upon the right track; such is the fact. But a dreadful malady has overtaken him. DEM. What is the malady? LIB. Why, that his presents don't equal his promises. DEM. Are you, then, one who assists my son in his amours? LIB. I really am, and our Leonida is another. DEM. I' faith, you do kindly, and you gain thanks from me. But this wife of mine, Libanus, don't you know what sort of a person she is? LIB. You are the first to experience it, but we give a guess beforehand. DEM. I confess that she is troublesome, and not to be pleased. LIB. You say that later than I believed you in it. DEM. All parents, Libanus, who listen to me, will show indulgence to their children, inasmuch as they will find their sons more kindly disposed and more affectionate; and that do I desire to do myself. I wish to be loved by mine; I wish myself to be like my father, who, for my sake, himself in the disguise of a ship-master, carried off from a procurer a female with whom I was in love; nor was he ashamed, at that time of life, to devise stratagems, and to purchase with good turns me, his son, for himself. These ways of my father have I resolved to imitate. For to-day my son Argyrippus has entreated me to give him a supply of money for his amours; and I very much wish in that to oblige my son. I wish to forward his amours; I wish him to be fond of myself, his father. Although his mother keeps him strictly, and with a tight rein, as fathers have been in the habit of doing, all that I dismiss. Especially as he has deemed me deserving, for him |