“Vērum dīcis,” inquit Cornēlius; “nam Lūdīs Maximīs[1] populō dōna grātissima sparsit—avēs cuiusque generis, vestēs, gemmās, aliaque eius modī.”
“Multī hominēs, crēdō,” inquit Pūblius, “capita sua libenter praebeant vulneranda, dummodo aurum et gemmae prō tēlīs sint.”[2]
“Lūdōs aliquōs spectāre pervelim,” inquit Sextus. “Nē histriōnēs[3] quidem in scaenā umquam vīdī. Nōnne spectācula lepida et iūcunda sunt?”
“Interdum et[4] rīdicula,” inquit pater. “Velut erat Fūfius quīdam, quī ōlim partēs[5] mātris dormientis agēbat. Brevī in scaenam prōcessit umbra[6] fīlī inhumātī,[7] quī mātrem ōrābat ut corpus sepelīret.[8] Sed Fūfius, quī forte ēbrius erat, iam rē vērā dormiēbat; quārē neque umbram audīre poterat nec quidquam respondit. Quō animadversō, spectātōrēs omnēs ūnā vōce prō umbrā vōciferātī sunt: ‘Māter, tē appellō.’”[9]
“Hahahae!” inquit Sextus. “Hoc certē lūculentum fuit.”
“Sed,” inquit Cornēlius, “it diēs. Abeāmus[10] igitur, sī forte Onēsimus iam ē portū redeat.”
Ubi ad dēversōrium ventum est, ā Drūsillā certiōrēs factī sunt Onēsimum nōndum rediisse, et Cornēlius: “Multae nāvēs, ut opīnor,” inquit, “nūper hūc appulsae sunt; et vērī simile[11] est Onēsimum aliquantō diūtius āfutūrum. Quārē omnibus, ut cuique libet, sē interim licet[12] oblectāre.” Quae cum dicta essent, aliī in aliam[13] partem discessērunt omnēs.
- ↑ Lūdis Maximīs: time when.
- ↑ prō … sint, take the place of.
- ↑ histriō, -ōnis, m., actor.
- ↑ et, also.
- ↑ partēs, rôle.
- ↑ umbra, ghost.
- ↑ inhumātus, -a, -um, adj., unburied.
- ↑ corpus sepelīret: cf. the note on VI, 26.
- ↑ Māter, etc.: the words of the play.
- ↑ Abeāmus: hortatory.
- ↑ vērī simile: cf. IX, 84.
- ↑ libet: impers.
- ↑ aliī in aliam: cf. III, 111.
