III. 2.

    Scene 2.

    ENTER Hegio WITH Aristophontes AND Slaves.

Hegio

Quid est suavius, quam bene rem gerere, bono publico, sic ut ego feci heri, cum emi hosce homines:  ubi quisque vident, 500 eunt obviam gratulanturque eam rem, ita me miserum restitando retinendoque lassum reddiderunt:  vix ex gratulando miser iam eminebam.

(highly pleased with himself) Now what makes you feel better than managing your affairs properly and contributing to the common good, just as I did yesterday in buying these prisoners?  Whenever anyone sees me up he comes and congratulates me on it!  Dear, dear!  I was so worn out with all their stopping and detaining me, it got to be frightfully hard work emerging from the flood of felicitations.

tandem abii ad praetorem; ibi vix requievi:  rogo syngraphum, datur mi ilico; dedi Tyndaro:  ille abiit domum. inde ilico praevortor domum, postquam id actum est; eo protinus ad fratrem, mei ubi sunt alii captivi.

At last I escaped to the praetor’s.  Barely waiting to catch my breath, I asked for a passport, got it on the spot, gave it to Tyndarus:  he’s off for home.  After seeing to that, I first start straight for home.  Then I go on to my brother’s where the rest of my prisoners are.

rogo, Philocratem ex Alide ecquis hominum noverit:  tandem his exclamat, eum sibi esse sodalem; 510 dico eum esse apud me; hic extemplo orat obsecratque, eum sibi ut liceat videre:  iussi ilico hunc exsolvi. nunc tu sequere me, ut quod me oravisti impetres, eum hominem uti convenias.

      Inquire if any one of ’em knows Philocrates of Elis.  Finally
      this fellow (pointing to Aristophontes) calls out that
      Philocrates is a particular friend of his.  I tell him he’s
      at my house; the next instant he’s begging and beseeching me
      for a chance to see him.  I had him unfettered at once. (to
      Aristophontes) Now, sir, come this way, so as to obtain
      your request and meet your friend.
          [EXEUNT INTO HOUSE:  AS THEY GO IN Tyndarus RUSHES OUT.

III. 3.

Scene 3.

Tynd.

Nunc illud est, cum me fuisse quam esse nimio mavelim: 
nunc spes opes auxiliaque a me segregant spernuntque se.
hic illest dies, cum nulla vitae meae salus sperabilest,
neque exitium[14] exitio est neque adeo spes, quae mi hunc
aspellat metum,
nec subdolis mendaciis mihi usquam mantellum est meis,[15] 520