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 1. 
SCENE I.
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SCENE I.

Enter ÆSCHINUS, SANNIO, PARMENO, the Musick Girl, and a Croud of People.
San.
Help, help, dear countrymen, for heaven's sake!
Assist a miserable harmless man!
Help the distrest!

Æsch.
to the Girl.]
Fear nothing: stand just there!
Why d'ye look back? you're in no danger. Never,
While I am by, shall he lay hands upon you.

San.
Ay, but I will, in spite of all the world.

Æsch.
Rogue as he is, he'll scarce do any thing
To make me cudgel him again to-day.

San.
One word, Sir Æschinus! that you may not
Pretend to ignorance of my profession;
I'm a Procurer.

Æsch.
True.

San.
And in my way

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Of as good faith as any man alive.
Hereafter, to absolve yourself, you'll cry,
That you repent of having wrong'd me thus.
I shan't care that for your excuse. [snapping his fingers.]
Be sure,

I'll prosecute my right; nor shall fine words
Atone for evil deeds. I know your way.
—“I'm sorry that I did it: and I'll swear
“You are unworthy of this injury”—
Though all the while I'm us'd most scurvily.

Æsch.
to Par.]
Do you go forwards, Parmeno, and throw
The door wide open.

San.
That sha'n't signify.

Æsch.
to Parmeno.]
Now in with her!

San.
stepping between.]
I'll not allow it.

Æsch.
to Parmeno.]
Here!
Come hither, Parmeno!—you're too far off.—
Stand close to that Pimp's side—There—there—just there!
And now be sure you always keep your eyes
Stedfastly fix'd on mine; and when I wink,
To drive your fist directly in his face.

San.
Ay, if he dare.

Æsch.
to Par.]
Now mind!— [to Sannio.]
Let go the girl!


[Sannio still struggling with the Girl, Æschinus winks, and Parmeno strikes Sannio.

341

San.
Oh monstrous!

Æsch.
He shall double it, unless
You mend your manners. [Parmeno strikes Sannio again.


San.
Help, help: murder, murder!

Æsch.
to Parmeno.]
I did not wink: but you had better err
That way than t'other.—Now go in with her.

[Parmeno leads the Girl into Micio's House.
San.
How's this?—Do you reign King here, Æschinus?

Æsch.
Did I reign King, you should be recompens'd
According to your virtues, I assure you.

San.
What business have you with me?

Æsch.
None.

San.
D'ye know
Who I am, Æschinus?

Æsch.
Nor want to know.

San.
Have I touch'd ought of your's, Sir?

Æsch.
If you had,
You should have suffer'd for't.

San.
What greater right
Have you to take away my slave, for whom
I paid my money? answer me!

Æsch.
'Twere best,

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You'd leave off bellowing before our door:
If you continue to be troublesome,
I'll have you dragg'd into the house, and there
Lash'd without mercy.

San.
How, a freeman lash'd!

Æsch.
Ev'n so.

San.
O monstrous tyranny! Is this,
Is this the liberty they boast of here,
Common to all?

Æsch.
If you have brawl'd enough,
Please to indulge me with one word, you Pimp.

San.
Who has brawl'd most, yourself, or I?

Æsch.
Well, well!
No more of that, but to the point!

San.
What point?
What wou'd you have?

Æsch.
Will you allow me then
To speak of what concerns you?

San.
Willingly:
Speak but in justice.

Æsch.
Very fine! a Pimp,
And talks of justice!

San.
Well, I am a Pimp;

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The common bane of youth, a perjurer,
A publick nuisance, I confess it: yet
I never did You wrong.

Æsch.
No, that's to come.

San.
Prithee return to whence you first set out, Sir!

Æsch.
You, plague upon you for it! bought the girl
For twenty Minæ; which sum we will give you.

San.
What if I do not chuse to sell the girl?
Will you oblige me?

Æsch.
No.

San.
I fear'd you would.

Æsch.
She's a free-woman, and should not be sold,
And, as such, by due course of law I claim her.
Now then consider which you like the best,
To take the money, or maintain your action.
Think on this, Pimp, till I come back again.

[Exit.
 

He says this to Æschinus to intimidate him, alluding to the privileges allowed to the Procurers at Athens, on account of the profit accruing to the republick from their traffick in slaves. It was forbid to abuse them, on pain of disinheritance. Hence in Lucian a young man, complaining of being disinherited by his father, says, τις πορνοβοσκος υβρισται; “what slave-merchant accuses me of having mal-treated him?” Dacier.

Nostin' qui sim? A law term, signifying, “Do I owe you any thing?” Donatus.

This seems to be a translation from Diphilus, from whom this part of the fable was taken.

Ουκ εστιν ουδε τεχνιον εξωλεστερον
Του πορνοβοσκου.
No calling is more baneful and pernicious,
Than that of a Procurer.
Westerhovious.

The Procurer was a common character in the comedy of the antients; but if we may pronounce from their remains, we may venture to say that the character was never so finely painted in any part of their works, as in the following lines of Shakespeare.

Fie, sirrah, a bawd, a wicked bawd!
The evil that thou causest to be done,
That is thy means to live. Dost thou but think,
What 'tis to cram a maw, or cloath a back
From such a filthy vice? Say to thyself,
From their abominable and beastly touches
I drink, I eat, array myself, and live.
Canst thou believe thy living is a life,
So stinkingly depending! Go mend, mend.
Measure for Measure.

Ego liberali illam assero causâ manu. Law terms. The defenders of the liberty of another were called Assertores, and the suit commenced on that account called Liberalis causa, an action of freedom. Donatus.