Cal.
Recita modo: ex tabellis iam faxo scies
quam subito argento mi usus invento siet.
Ps.
‘Leno me peregre militi Macedonio
minis viginti vendidit, voluptas mea;
et prius quam hinc abiit, quindecim miles minas
dederat; nunc unae quinque remorantur minae.
ea caúsa miles hic reliquit symbolum,
expressam in cera ex anulo suam imaginem,
ut qui huc adferret eius similem symbolum,
cum eo simul me mitteret. ei rei dies
haec praestituta est, proxuma Dionysia.’
cras ea quidem sunt.
Cal.
Prope adest exitium mihi,
nisi quid mihi in te est auxili.
Ps.
Sine pellegam.
Cal.
Sino, nám mihi videor cúm ea fabularier;
lege: dulce amarumque una nunc misces mihi.

CALIDORUS Read on now; I’ll soon cause you to know from the letter how suddenly there’s need for me for one of silver to be found.
PSEUDOLUS (reading on) . « The procurer has sold me, my love, for twenty minæ, to a Macedonian officer from abroad. Before he departed hence, the Captain paid him fifteen minœ; only five minæ now are remaining unpaid. On that account the Captain left here a token–his own likeness impressed on wax by his ring–that he who should bring hither a token like to that, together with him the procurer might send me. The next day hence, on the Festival of Bacchus, is the one fixed for this matter. »
CALIDORUS Well, that’s to-morrow; my ruin is near at hand, unless I have some help in you.
PSEUDOLUS Let me read it through.
CALIDORUS I permit you; for I seem to myself to be talking to her. Read on; the sweet and the hitter are you now mingling together for me.

Dor.
Bene dictis tuís bene facta aurés meae auxilium expóscunt.
Tox.
Tuom prómeritumst, merito út faciam. et ut mé scias esse ita fácturum,
tabellás tene has, péllege.
Dor.
Istaé quid ad mé?
Tox.
Immo ád te attinént et tuá refert.
nam ex Pérsia sunt haec állatae mihi a méo ero.
D.
Quando?
T.
Haud dúdum.
Dor.
Quid istaé narrant?
Tox.
Percóntare ex ipsís. ipsae tibi nárrabunt.
Dor. (500)
Cedo sáne [mihi].
Tox.
At clare récitato.
Dor.
Tace, dúm pellego.
Tox.
Hau verbúm faciam
Dor.
Salutem dicit Toxilo Timarchides
et familiae omni. si valetis, gaudeo.
ego valeo recte et rem gero et facio lucrum,
neque istóc redire his octo possum mensibus, (505)
itaque hic est quod me detinet negotium.
Chrysopolim Persae cepere urbem in Arabia,
plenam bonarum rerum atque antiquom oppidum:
ea comportatur praeda, ut fiat auctio
publicitus; ea res me domo expertem facit. (510)
operam atque hospitium ego isti praehiberi volo,
qui tibi tabellas adfert. cura quae is volet,
nam is mihi honores suae domi habuit maxumos.
Quíd id ad me aut ad meam rem refert, Persae quid rerum gerant
aut quid erus tuos?
Tox.
Tace, stultiloque; nescis quid te instet boni (515)
neque quam tibi Fortuna faculam lucrifera adlucere volt.
(…)
Tox.
Quíd igitur? postquam recitasti quod erat cerae creditum,
iam mihi credis?DORDALUS My ears are wanting some kind deeds by way of assistance to these kind words.
TOXILUS It’s only your deserts, that I should do as you deserve. And that you may know that I will do so, take this letter (showing him a letter) ; read it over.
DORDALUS What has this got to do with me?
TOXILUS Why yes, it bears reference to yourself, and it does relate to you. But it has just now been brought me from Persia, from my master.
DORDALUS When?
TOXILUS Not long since.
DORDALUS What does it say?
TOXILUS Make enquiry of its own self: it will tell you itself.
DORDALUS Give it me, then. (Taking it from TOXILUS.)
TOXILUS But read it aloud.
DORDALUS Be silent while I read it over.
TOXILUS I’ll not utter a word.
DORDALUS (reading) . « Timarchides sends health to Toxilus and all the family. If you are well, I am glad; I am quite well, and carrying on my business, and am making money; and I am not able to return home for these eight months, for there is some business which detains me here; the Persians have taken Chrysopolis, a city of Arabia, full of good things, and an ancient town; there the booty is being collected, that a public auction may be made; this matter causes me to be absent from home. I wish attention and hospitality to be shown to the person who brings this letter to you. Attend to what he wants; for at his own house at home he has shown me the greatest attentions. » What has it to do with me or my welfare, what matters the Persians are about, or what your master is doing?
TOXILUS Hold your tongue, silly babbler; you don’t know what blessing awaits you. It’s in vain that Fortune is ready to light for you her torch that leads to profit.
(…)
TOXILUS What then? After you have read over what has been committed to the wax, do you believe me now?

CHRYS. Iustumst tuos tibi servos tuo arbitratu serviat.
NIC. Hoc age sis nunciam. C. Vbi lubet, recita: aurium operam tibi dico. 995
NIC. Cerae quidem haud parsit neque stilo;
sed quidquid est, pellegere certumst. 996a
‘Pater, ducentos Philippos quaeso Chrysalo
da, si esse salvom vis me aut vitalem tibi.’
malum quidem hercle magnum. CHRYS. Tibi dico. NIC. Quid est?
CHRYS. Non prius salutem scripsit? NIC. Nusquam sentio. 1000
CHRYS. Non dabis, si sapies; verum si das maxume,
ne ille alium gerulum quaerat, si sapiet, sibi:
nam ego non laturus sum, si iubeas maxume.
sat sic suspectus sum, cum careo noxia.
NIC. Ausculta porro, dum hoc quod scriptumst perlego. 1005
CHRYS. Inde a principio iam inpudens epistula est.
NIC. ‘Pudet prodire me ad te in conspectum, pater:
tantum flagitium te scire audivi meum,
quod cum peregrini cubui uxore militis.’
pol haud derides; nam ducentis aureis 1010
Philippis redemi vitam ex flagitio tuam.
CHRYS. Nihil est illorum quin ego illi dixerim.
NIC. ‘Stulte fecisse fateor. sed quaeso, pater,
ne me, in stultitia si deliqui, deseras.
ego animo cupido atque oculis indomitis fui; 1015
persuasumst facere quoius me nunc facti pudet.’
prius te cavisse ergo quam pudere aequom fuit.
CHRYS. Eadem istaec verba dudum illi dixi omnia.
NIC. ‘Quaeso ut sat habeas id, pater, quod Chrysalus
me obiurigavit plurumis verbis malis, 1020
et me meliorem fecit praeceptis suis,
ut te ei habere gratiam aequom sit bonam.’
CHRYS. Estne istuc istic scriptum? NIC. Em specta, tum scies.

Trad.Naudet, 1833:

CHRYSALE.
C’est juste. Ton esclave doit se soumettre à tes volontés.
NICOBULE.
Écoute donc, à la fin.
CHRYSALE.
Commence, quand tu voudras. Mes oreilles sont à ton service.
NICOBULE.
Il n’a pas ménagé le poinçon ni la cire. Quelle longueur ! Mais je veux tout lire : « Mon père, donne, je t’en prie, deux cents Philippes à Chrysale, si tu veux conserver ton fils et le rendre à la vie. »
CHRYSALE.
Mal (87); par Hercule! très mal ; (achevant la phrase de manière que Nicobule ne l’entende pas) pour toi, s’entend.
NICOBULE.
Qu’est-ce ?
CHRYSALE.
A-t-il commencé seulement par te saluer ?
NICOBULE.
Je ne vois pas.
CHRYSALE.
Si tu m’en crois, il n’aura pas ce qu’il demande. Mais, au surplus, si tu le lui donnes, qu’il choisisse un autre messager ; il fera bien : car je ne veux pas l’être; quand tu me le commanderais expressément. Mon innocence a déjà été assez en butte aux soupons.
NICOBULE.
Écoute donc la lecture et ne m’interromps pas.
CHRYSALE.
Le commencement de la lettre est déjà bien peu respectueux.
NICOBULE.
« Je n’ose me montrer devant toi, mon père. Je sais qu’on t’a instruit de mes déportements avec la femme du militaire étranger. » Je le crois. Cela n’est pas plaisant. Tes déportements me coûtent deux, cents Philippes d’or, qu’il a fallu payer pour te sauver de là.
CHRYSALE.
Tu ne dis rien, que je ne lui aie déjà dit.
NICOBULE.
« Je confesse ma faute, mon étourderie. Mais, mon père, si je suis coupable, ne m’abandonne pas. Ma passion a été sans frein, mes yeux sans retenue. J’ai succombé à la séduction. Combien je me repens ! » Il aurait mieux valu ne pas faillir d’abord (88), que de te repentir à présent.
CHRYSALE.
Je lui ai tenu tout-à-fait les mêmes discours il n’y a qu’un moment.
NICOBULE.
«.Je t’en supplie, mon père, qu’il te suffise de tous les reproches que j’ai essuyés de la part de Chrysale. Ses remontrances m’ont fait rentrer en moi-même. Tu dois lui en savoir gré. »
CHRYSALE.
Comment ! il t’écrit cela ?
NICOBULE.
Tiens, lis toi-même, tu le verras.