routing me out from the harbour at this time of night,
against my will. Might have sent me on the same errand by
daylight, mightn't he?

opulento homini hoc servitus dura est,
hoc magis miser est divitis servos
noctesque diesque assiduo satis superque est,
quod facto aut dicto adeost opus, quietus ne sis.

This is where it comes hard slaving it for a nabob, this is
where a plutocrat's servant is worse off--night and day
there's work enough and more for him, no end, always
something to be done, yes, or said, so that you can't rest.

ipse dominus dives, operis et laboris expers, 170
quodcumque homini accidit libere, posse retur:
aequom esse putat, non reputat laboris quid sit[10] (172)
ergo in servitute expetunt multa iniqua: (174)
habendum et ferundum hoc onust cum labore.

And your plutocrat of a master, that never does a handsturn
of work himself, takes it for granted that any whim that
comes into a man's head can be gratified: yes, he counts
that the fair thing, and never takes account of how much
the work is. Ah, I tell you, there's a great deal of
injustice this slavery lets you in for: you've got to take
your load and carry it, and that is work.

_Mer._

Satius me queri illo modo servitutem:
hodie qui fuerim liber,
cum nunc potivit pater servitutis,
his qui verna natus est queritur.

(_aside_) It would be more in order for Mercury to do some
of this grumbling about menial station--was free this very
day, and now his father has made a slave of him. It's this
fellow, a born drudge, that is grumbling.

_Sos._

Sum vero verna verbero: num numero mi in mentem fuit, 180
dis advenientem gratias pro meritis agere atque alloqui?
ne illi edepol si merito meo referre studeant gratiam,
aliquem hominem allegent qui mihi advenienti os occillet probe,
quoniam bene quae in me fecerunt ingrata ea habui atque inrita.

(_frightened again_) I need a drubbing, I do, drudge
that I am. I was not too quick, was I, to think of
addressing the gods and giving 'em due thanks on my arrival?
Oh Lord! if they took a notion to pay me back my dues,
they'd commission some one to mash my face for me in fine
shape on my arrival, now that I haven't appreciated the good
turns they've done me an