Da mi, optuma femina, manum.

      (warmly) Let’s have your hand, you best of women!

Eun.

  Ubi ea est? quis ea est nam optuma?

      (pretending to look about) Where is she?  Who on earth is
      that best of women?

Mega.

  Tu.

      Yourself.

Eun.

  Tune ais?

      You say that—­you?

Mega.

  Si negas, nego.

      (banteringly) Oh well, if you deny it—­

Eun.

  Decet te equidem vera proloqui;
  nam optuma nulla potest eligi: 
  alia alia peior, frater, est.

      Really now, you ought to be truthful.  There’s no such
      thing, you know, as picking out the best woman; it’s only a
      question of comparative badness, brother.

Mega.

  Idem ego arbitror, 140
  nec tibi advorsari certum est de istac re umquam, soror.

      My own opinion precisely.  I’ll never differ with you there,
      sister, you may count on that.

Eun.

  Da mihi operam amabo.

      Now do give me your attention, there’s a dear.

Mega.

  Tuast, utere atque impera, si quid vis.

      It is all your own; use me, command me—­anything you wish.

Eun.

  Id quod in rem tuam optumum esse arbitror, ted id monitum advento.

      I’m going to advise you to do something that I think will be
      the very best thing in the world for you.

Mega

  Soror, more tuo facis.

      Quite like you, sister.

Eun.

  Factum volo.

      I certainly hope so.

Mega.

  Quid est id, soror?

      And what is this something, my dear?

Eun.

Quod tibi sempiternum salutare sit:  liberis procreandis—­ ita di faxint—­volo te uxorem domum ducere.

      Something that will make for your everlasting welfare.  You
      should have children.  God grant you may!—­and I want you to
      marry.

Mega.

  Ei occidi.

      Oh-h-h, murder!

Eun.

  Quid ita? 150

      How so?

Mega.

  Quia mihi misero cerebrum excutiunt
  tua dicta, soror:  lapides loqueris.

      Well, you’re knocking my poor brains out with such a
      proposition, my dear girl:  you’re talking cobble-stones.

Eun.

  Heia, hoc face quod te iubet soror.

      Now, now, do what your sister tells you.

Mega.

  Si lubeat, faciam.