enjoy a dinner and then
like to return the compliment. They do their marketing
themselves, too,--that used to be the parasites' province--
and away they go from the forum themselves to interview the
pimps, just as barefaced as they are in court when they
condemn guilty defendants. They don't care a farthing for
wits these days: they're egoists, every one.

nam uti dudum hinc abii, accessi ad adulescentes in foro.
"salvete" inquam. "quo imus una" inquam "ad prandium?"
atque illi tacent.
"quid ait 'hoc' aut quis profitetur?"
inquam. quasi muti silent, 480
neque me rident. "ubi cenamus?" inquam. atque illi abnuont.

Why, when I left here a little while ago, I went up to some
young fellows in the forum. "Good day," says I. "Where are
we going to lunch together?" says I. Sudden silence. "Who
says: 'This way'? Who makes a bid?" says I. Dumb as mutes,
didn't even give me a smile. "Where do we dine?" says I.
A shaking of heads.

dico unum ridiculum dictum de dictis melioribus,
quibus solebam menstruales epulas ante adipiscier:
nemo ridet; scivi extemplo rem de compecto geri;
ne canem quidem irritatam voluit quisquam imitarier,
saltem, si non arriderent, dentes ut restringerent.

I told 'em a funny story--one of my best, that used to find
me free board for a month. Nobody smiled. I saw in a moment
it was a put-up job; not a one of 'em was even willing to
act like a cross dog and at least show their teeth, no
matter if they wouldn't laugh.

abeo ab illis, postquam video me sic ludificarier;
pergo ad alios, venio ad alios, deinde ad alios: una res.
omnes de compecto rem agunt, quasi in Velabro olearii.
nunc redeo inde, quoniam me ibi video ludificarier. 490
item alii parasiti frustra obambulabant in foro.

I left 'em after I saw I was being made a fool of this way,
up I went to some others, and then to others, and to others
still,--same story. They re all in a combination, just like
the oil dealers in the Velabrum.[C] So here I am back again,
seeing I was trifled with there. Some more parasites were
prowling round the forum all for nothing, too.

[Footnote C: A market district in Rome.]

nunc barbarica lege certumst ius meum omne persequi:
qui consilium iniere, quo nos victu