Chapter XXVI: Epilogue: Spoken by the Company

Hi senes nisi fuissent nihili iam inde ab adulescentia,
non hodie hoc tantum flagitium facerent canis capitibus;
neque adeo haec faceremus, ni antehac vidissemus fieri,
ut apud lenones rivales filiis fierent patres. 1210
spectatores, vos valere volumus et clare adplaudere.

Unless these old men had been worthless from their very
youth, they would not be guilty of such an enormity as this
to-day when their heads are hoary; nor, indeed, would we
have presented such a comedy, unless we had seen before now
how fathers become their sons’ rivals at places of unsavoury
repute. Spectators, we wish you health and--your loud
applause.

* * * * *

[Footnote 1: Leo notes lacuna here: _aedis_ Ritschl.]

[Footnote 2: Leo notes lacuna here: _fide_ Leo.]

[Footnote 3: Corrupt (Leo): _perii_ MSS: _prope_ Ritschl.]

[Footnote 4: Leo brackets following v., 67:
_ubi pro disco damnum capiam, pro cursura dedecus?_]

[Footnote 5: Leo brackets following v., 69:
_ubique imponat in manum alius mihi pro cestu cantharum._]

[Footnote 6: Leo brackets following v., 107:
_simul huic nescio cui, turbare qui huc it, decedamus._]

[Footnote 7: Leo brackets following v., 150:
_video nimio iam multo plus quam volueram._ ]

[Footnote 8: Leo brackets following v., 153, 154:
_nil moror discipulos mihi iam plenos sanguinis._
_valens afflictat me vacivom virium._]

[I have no liking for these full-blooded pupils: the
sturdy youngster is bullying me, destitute of strength as
I am.]

[Footnote 9: Leo brackets following v., 166, 167:
_edepol fecisti furtum in aetatum malum_
_cum istaec flagitia me celavisti et patrem._]

[Good heavens! Such villainy in a lad of your age,
concealing such atrocities from me and from your father!]

[Footnote 10: _Tardare_ Hauptius: _turbare_ MSS.]

[Footnote 11: Leo brackets following v., 377-378:
_quibus patrem et me teque amicosque omnes affectas tuos_
_ad probrum, damnum, flagitium appellere una et perdere._]

[You are doing your best by such conduct to bring
ignominy, loss, disgrace, upon every one of us, your
father and me and yourself and all your friends, and
ruin us.]

[Footnote 12: Leo brackets following v., 382:
_nunc prius quam malum istoc addis, certumst iam dicam patri_]

[Footnote 13: _sed eccum video incedere_ follows in MSS:
Leo brackets.]

[Footnote 14: Leo brackets following v., 446:
_it magister quasi lucerna uncto expretus linteo._]

[Footnote 15: _Pistocleri_ follows in MSS: Leo brackets.]

[Footnote 16: Leo brackets following v., 465, 466:
_nam illum meum malum promptare malim quam peculium._
Phil.
_Quidem?_
Lydus
_Quia, malum si promptet, in dies faciat minus._ ]

[Yes, yes, I should rather have him administer my
punishment than my money.
_Phil._
Why so?
_Lydus_
Because if he administered my punishment, there would
soon be none left.]

[Footnote 17: Leo brackets following v., 486-488:
_quid opust verbis? si opperiri vellem paulisper modo,_
_ut opinor, illius inspectandi mi esset maior copia,_
_plus viderem quam deceret, quam me atque illo aequom foret._]

[Why say more? If I had wished to remain but a little
longer, I should have had further opportunity to observe
his conduct, I suppose, and I should have seen more than
was proper, more than became me and him.]

[Footnote 18: Leo brackets the following v., 519a-519c:
_sed autem quam illa umquam meis opulentiis_
_ramenta fiat gravior aut propensior,_
_mori me malim excruciatum inopia._]

[However, rather than have my money make her a fraction
the weightier or heavier, I’d prefer to perish in the
pangs of want.]

[Footnote 19: Corrupt (Leo): _tute (etiam)_ Seyffert:
_tute (eam)_ Lindsay.]

[Footnote 20: Leo notes lacuna here:
_Quae te (male) mala_ Lindsay.]

[Footnote 21: Corrupt (Leo).
_At quidem hercle est ad perdundum magis quam ad scribundum cita_
Camerarius: various readings MSS.]

[Footnote 22: Leo notes lacuna here: _tu (scelus)_ Ritschl.]

[Footnote 23: Corrupt (Leo): _Latona Spes_ MSS:
_Luna Spes_ Bergk: _Lato Spes_ Ussing.]

[Footnote 24: Leo brackets the following v., 931:
_cepi expugnavi amanti erili filio aurum ab suo patre._]

[Footnote 25: Leo brackets the following v., 937-940:
_Epiust Pistoclerus: ab eo haec sumptae; Mnesilochus Sino est_
_relictus, ellum non in busto Achilli, sed in lecto accubat;_
_Bacchidem habet secum: ille olim habuit ignem qui signum daret,_
_hunc ipsum exurit; ego sum Vlixes, cuius consilio haec gerunt._]

[Our Epius is Pistoclerus: from his hands were they taken.
Mnesilochus is Sinon the abandoned. Behold him! not lying
at Achilles’ tomb, but on a couch, he has a Bacchis with
him, that one of old had a fire, to give the signal,--but
this Sinon is burning himself. I am Ulysses whose counsel
directs it all.]

[Footnote 26: Leo brackets the following v., 962-965:
_ibi vix me exsolvi: id periclum adsimilo, Vlixem ut praedicant_
_cognitum ab Helena esse proditum Hecubae, sed ut olim ille se_
_blanditiis exemit et persuasit se ut amitteret,_
_item ego dolis me illo extuli e periclo et decepi senem_]

[Then it was I just managed to get free: this danger I
liken to that they tell of when Ulysses was recognized by
Helen and betrayed to Hecuba. But as he, in former days,
got away by means of his honeyed words and persuaded her
to let him go, so also I, by means of my wiles, got out of
danger and deceived the old man.]

[Footnote 27: Leo brackets the following v., 973-977:
_sed Priamus hic multo illi praestat: non quinquaginta modo,_
_quadringentos filios habet
atque equidem omnis lectos sine probro:_
_eos ego hodie omnis contruncabo duobus solis ictibus._
_nunc Priamo nostro si est quis emptor, comptionalem senem_
_vendam ego, venalem quem habeo,
extemplo ubi oppidum ex pugnavero._]

[But this Priam is far superior to that one, not a mere
fifty sons has he; he has four hundred, yes, and every one
is unquestionably a choice and flawless specimen. This day
I will annihilate ’em all with just two blows. Now, if
there is anyone who cares to buy our Priam, I will sell
off the old gentleman I have on sale, as a job lot, the
moment I have taken the town by storm.]

[Footnote 28: _ut quod iubeo facias_ follows in MSS: Leo brackets.]

[Footnote 29: Leo brackets the following v., 1081:
_duxi, habui scortum. potavi, dedi, donavi, sed enim id raro._]

[Footnote 30: Leo brackets the following v., 1100:
_immo edepol sic ludos factum_]

[Footnote 31: _Minae ambae_ Colerus: _thimiame_ MSS.]

[Footnote 32: _tis_ Schroeder: _is_ MSS.]

* * * * *

[Transcriber’s Corrections: _Bacchides_ (_The Two Bacchises_)

I. 2.
EXEUNT INTO THE HOUSE OF _Bacchis_
text reads THE HOUSE OF _Bacchus_

III. 5. l. 553
_Mnes._ Benevolens vivit tibi.
speaker not named in Latin text

IV. 4. l. 640
_Chrys._ Hunc hominem...
text reads _Cyhrs._

IV. 9. l. 1065
_Nic._ Ohe, odiose facis.
speaker not named in Latin text

V. 1. l. 1112
_Nic._ At mihi Chrysalus optumus homo...
text reads _At mhi..._

V. 2.
waiting for us to breathe our last with celerity
text reads _with clerity_ ]

* * * * *
* * * *
* * * * *

CAPTIVI

THE CAPTIVES

* * * * *

ARGVMENTVM

ARGUMENT OF THE PLAY

*C*aptust in pugna Hegionis filius;
*A*lium quadrimum fugiens servus vendidit.
*P*ater captivos commercatur Aleos,
*T*antum studens ut natum captum recuperet;
*E*t inibi emit olim amissum filium.
*I*s suo cum domino veste versa ac nomine
*V*t amittatur fecit: ipsus plectitur;
*E*t is reduxit captum, et fugitivum simul,
*I*ndicio cuius alium agnoscit filium.

One of Hegio’s sons has been taken prisoner in a battle with
the Eleans; the other was stolen by a runaway slave and sold
when he was four years old. The father, in his great anxiety
to recover the captured boy, bought up Elean prisoners of
war; and among those that he purchased was the son he had
lost many years before. This son, having exchanged clothes
and names with his Elean master, secured the latter’s
release, taking the consequences himself. This master of his
returned, bringing Hegio’s captive son, and along with him
that runaway slave, whose disclosures led to the recognition
of the other son.

PERSONAE

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

ERGASILVS PARASITUS
HEGIO SENEX
LORARIVS
PHILOCRATES ADULESCENS
TYNDARVS SERVUS
ARISTOPHONTES ADULESCENS
PVER
PHILOPOLEMVS ADULESCENS
STALAGMVS SERVUS

ERGASILUS, _a parasite._
HEGIO, _an old gentleman._
SLAVE OVERSEER, _belonging to Hegio._
PHILOCRATES, _a young Elean captive._
TYNDARUS, _his slave, captured with him._
ARISTOPHONTES, _a young Elean captive._
A PAGE, _in the service of Hegio._
PHILOPOLEMUS, _Hegio’s son._
STALAGMUS, _Hegio’s slave._

_Scene:--A city in Aetolia. A street on which stands Hegio’s
house._

PROLOGVS