152 Specimens of Latin Comedy [FEB. 



ARIST. What father ? He's a slave.* 



TYND. And so are you 

 Once free as I was, as, I trust, I shall be, 

 When I have gained this old man's son his liberty. 



ARIST. How, rascal ! dare you say you're born a freeman ? 



TYND. Not freeman; but Philocrates, I say. 



ARIST. See, Hegio, how the rogue makes sport with you ! 

 For he's a slave, and never owned a slave 

 Besides himself. 



Aristophontes here taunts him with his having been a slave ; and 

 Tyndarus, resolved not to be behind hand with Aristophontes in this 

 way, begins rallying him, in his turn, with his quondam servitude : 



TYND. So then because you lived 

 A beggar in your country, without means 

 For your support, you would have every one 

 Placed on the self-same footing with yourself ? 

 No wonder : 'tis the nature of the poor 



rii -i , j /. 



1 o hate and envy men of property. 



ARIST. Hegio, take care ; nor rashly credit him ; 

 As far as I can see, he means to trick you : 

 Nor do I like at all his talking to you 

 Of the redemption of your son. 



TYND. I know you wish it not ; but with the help 

 Of Heaven I shall accomplish it : I shall restore 

 His son to him, and he will send me back 

 To Elis to my father ; for which purpose 

 Have I sent Tyndarus. 



ARIST. Why, you are he ; 

 Nor is there any other slave at Elis 

 Of that name but yourself. 



TYND. And will you still 

 Reproach me with my state of servitude 

 Brought on me by the chance of hapless war ? 



Aristophontes now grows quite enraged at the shameless impudence 

 and assumption of Tyndarus., and Tyndarus takes advantage of his fury 

 to confirm what he had before said to Hegio about his madness. 



ARIST. I can't contain myself. 



TYND. Ha ! do you hear him ? 



Wont you fly out of his way ? He'll pelt us with stones 

 Unless you have him seized. 



ARIST. I'm vext to death. 



TYND. Look how his eyes strike fire ! A cord, a cord, 

 Good Hegio ! Don't you see his body's charged 

 With livid spots all over ? The black bile 

 Disorders him, poor fellow ! 



ARIST. The black pitch 

 Disorder you beneath the hangman's hand. 



TYND. How wild he talks ! By evil spirits he's possessed. 



HEG. Suppose I order he be seized ? 



TYND. You would act by far the wisest part. 



ARIST. It vexes me I cannot find a stone 

 To dash the villain's brains out, who insists 

 That I am mad. 



In law, slaves were not considered as having any relations. 



