lay hands on what was mine, without my
permission?

_Lyc._

Quia vini vitio atque amoris feci.

It was all because of drink ... and ... love, sir.

_Eucl._

Homo audacissime,
cum istacin te oratione huc ad me adire ausum, impudens!
nam si istuc ius est ut tu istuc excusare possies,
luci claro deripiamus aurum matronis palam,
post id si prehensi simus, excusemus ebrios
nos fecisse amoris causa. nimis vilest vinum atque amor, 750
si ebrio atque amanti impune facere quod lubeat licet.

The colossal impudence of it! To dare to come to me with a
tale like that, you shameless rascal! Why, if it's legal to
clear yourself that way, we should be stripping ladies of
their jewellery on the public highways in broad daylight!
And then when we were caught we'd excuse ourselves on the
score that we were drunk, and did it out of love. Drink and
love are altogether too cheap, if your drunken lover can do
what he likes and not suffer for it.

_Lyc._

Quin tibi ultro supplicatum venio obstultitiam meam.

Yes, but I've come of my own accord sir, to entreat you to
pardon my madness.

_Eucl._

Non mi homines placent qui quando male fecerunt purigant.
tu illam scibas non tuam esse. non attactam oportuit.

I have no patience with men who do wrong and then try to
explain it away. You knew you had no right to act so: you
should have kept hands off.

_Lyc._

Ergo quia sum tangere ausus, haud causificor quin eam
ego habeam potissimum.

Well, now that I did venture to act so, I have no objection
to holding to it, sir,--I ask nothing better.

_Eucl_

Tun habeas me invito meam?

(_more angry_) Hold to it? Against my will?

_Lyc._

Haud te invito postulo, sed meam esse oportere arbitror.
quin tu iam invenies, inquam, meam illam esse oportere, Euclio.

I won't insist on it against your will, sir, but I do think
my claim is just. Why, you'll soon come to realize the
justice of it yourself, sir, I assure you.

_Eucl._

Iam quidem hercle te ad praetorem rapiam et tibi scribam dicam,
nisi refers.

I'll march you off to court and sue you, by heaven I will,
this minute, unless you bring it back.

_Lyc._

Quid tibi ego referam?

I? Bring what back?

_Eucl._

Quod surripuisti meum. 76