II. 2.

    Scene 2.

    ENTER Hegio FROM HOUSE.

Hegio

  Iam ego revertar intro, si ex his quae volo exquisivero.
  ubi sunt isti quos ante aedis iussi huc produci foras?

(to those within) I shall be back directly, if I find out what I want to know from these fellows. (to overseers) Where are those prisoners I had brought out in front of the house here?

Philocr.

  Edepol tibi ne in quaestione essemus cautum intellego,
  ita vinclis custodiisque circum moeniti sumus.

      (advancing, pertly) Gad!  You guarded against having to
      look for us far, I perceive,—­see how we’re barricaded with
      chains and watchmen.

Hegio

Qui cavet ne decipiatur, vix cavet, cum etiam cavet; etiam cum cavisse ratus est, saepe is cautor captus est. an vero non iusta causa est, ut vos servem sedulo, quos tam grandi sim mercatus praesenti pecunia?

The man on his guard against being deceived is hardly on his guard even when he is on his guard, even when he supposed he was on his guard, your guarder has often enough been gulled.  Really though, haven’t I good reason to take pains to keep you, when I paid so high for you, cash down?

Philocr.

  Neque pol tibi nos, quia nos servas, aequomst vitio vortere,
  neque te nobis, si abeamus hinc, si fuat occasio. 260

      Bless your heart, sir, we haven’t any right to find fault
      with you for trying to keep us, or you with us, if we clear
      out—­if we get a chance.

Hegio

  Ut vos hic, itidem illic apud vos meus servatur filius.

      My son is kept prisoner there in your country just as you
      are here.

Philocr.

  Captus est?

      Captured?

Hegio

  Ita.

      Yes.

Philocr.

  Non igitur nos soli ignavi fuimus.

      Then other folks besides us have been cowards.

Hegio

  Secede huc. nam sunt quae ex te solo scitari volo.
  quarum rerum te falsilocum mi esse nolo.

      (leading him farther from Tyndarus) Step over here.  There
      are some matters I wish to ask you about in private.  No
      lying about them, mind.

Philocr.

  Non ero
  quod sciam. si quid nescibo, id nescium tradam tibi.

      Not I, sir, not if I know.  If I don’t know about a thing,
      I’ll (innocently) tell you what I don’t know.

Tynd.