The haunted house tr by HA Strong Author:Titus Maccius Plautus Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE HAUNTED HOUSE. ACT I. SCENE I. Grumio. Tranio. Grumio. UT, rascal, from my kitchen—out, I say ! I will not bear to hear thee talk that way. Amongst... more » my very dishes wilt thou sit And nag at me, and deem thy prattling wit ? Out, rascal, spendthrift, spoiler of my master! If we were in the country,1 thou'dst go faster ! Tra. You villain! in the street this horrid noise! You seem to like the country and its joys ! 1 One of the punishments inflicted upon the Roman slaves was his transference from the Familia Urbana or town gang, to the Famttia Rustica, in which he was allowed less freedom, enjoyed fewer luxuries, and had more severe labours to perform. Then to the country! Yonder lies the way! But take this little something with you, pray! [Strikes him. Gru. Confound you; hands off! Tra. All the fault's with you ! Gru. I'll bear it now, but this tall talk you'll rue; You backbite master now; he'll soon be home. Tra. How can I bite his back until he come ? Gru. So you—the people's pet, the town-bred swell, Talk of the country ! true, you know it well, You needs must talk of chaff; for soon you'll find That you will have our master's corn to grind. Now drink all day and night, and take your pleasure; Corrupt your master's son while you have leisure;— Play the true Greek : feed parasites at will, So you'll our master's dearest wish fulfil:— For what can please an anxious father more Than when his son grows sharper than before ? Thus, for our master now, when home returning, What joy to find his son advanced in learning! Our master's son, whom all the country once Held for so simple, almost for a dunce, Is now so sharp become, that I'm afraid He'll bear the prize for sharpness off instead. You've tutor'd him, and who shall say in vain ? Tra. My b...« less