Pray, what does this mean? What behavior is this, Clitipho? Is this acting as becomes you?
What have I done;
Did I not see you just now putting your hand into this Courtesan's bosom ?
What, I?
With these self-same eyes I saw it—don't deny it. Besides, you wrong him unworthily in not keeping your hands off: for indeed it is a gross affront to entertain a person, your friend, at your house, and to take liberties with his mistress. Yesterday, for instance, at wine, how rude you were—
'Tis the truth
:
"Factum." "Done for" is another translation which this word will
here admit of.
How annoying you were So much so, that for my part, as the Gods may prosper me, I dreaded what in the end might be the consequence. I understand lovers. They resent highly things that you would not imagine.
But he has full confidence in me, father, that I would not do any thing of that kind.
Be it so; still, at least, you ought to go somewhere for a little time
away from their presence. Passion prompts to many a thing; your presence
acts as a restraint upon doing them. I form a judgment from myself.
There's not one of my friends this day to whom I would venture,
Clitipho, to disclose all my secrets. With one, his station forbids it;
with another, I am ashamed of the action itself, lest I may appear a
fool or devoid of shame; do you rest assured that he does the
same.That he does the sane
: Clinia.
Clitipho, these same injunctions I gave you. You have acted the part of
a prudent and discreet person.Of a prudent and discreet
person
: This is said ironically.
Hold your tongue, I beg.
Very good.
I believe it; and not without reason. Why, he vexes myself even.
I' faith, I'm saying the truth, as it appears to me.
May I not go near them?
How now—pray, is there but one wayIs there but one
way
: And that an immodest one.
What am I to do?
Bid him go somewhere out of the way.
Where am I to go ?
Where you please; leave the place to them; be off and take a walk.
Take a walk! where ?
Pshaw! Just as if there was no place to walk in. Why, then, go this way, that way, where you will.
He says right, I'm of his opinion.
May the Gods extirpate you, Syrus, for thrusting me away from here.
I'll take care of that.
But now, master, he must be looked after by you.
It shall be done.
If you are wise,—for now he minds me less and less every day.
What say you? What have you done, Syrus, about that matter which I was mentioning to you a short time since? Have you any plan that suits you, or not yet even ?
You mean the design upon Menedemus? I have; I have just hit upon one.
You are a clever fellow; what is it? Tell me.
I'll tell you; but, as one matter arises out of another—
Why, what. is it, Syrus?
This Courtesan is a very bad woman.
So she seems.
Aye, if you did but know. O shocking! just see what she is hatching.
There was a certain old woman here from
What then?
She is now dead: she has left a daughter, a young girl. She has been left with this Bacchis as a pledge for that sum.
I understand you.
She has brought her hither along with her, her I mean who is now with
your wife.With your wife
: Madame Dacier
remarks, that as Anitiphila is shortly to be acknowledged as the
daughter of Chremes, she is not therefore in company with the other
women at the feast, who arc Courtesans, but with the wife of
Chremes, and consequently free from reproach or scandal.
What then ?
She is soliciting Clinia at once to advance her this money; she says, however, that this girl is to be a security, that, at a future time, she will repay the thousand pieces of money.
And would she really be a security ?Would she really be a
security
: The question of Chremes seems directed to the
fact whether the girl is of value sufficient to be good security for
the thousand drachmae.
Dear me, is it to be doubted ? I think so.
What then do you intend doing?
What, I? I shall go to Menedemus; I'll tell him she is a captive from
You are in an error.
Why so ?
I'll now answer you for Menedemus—I will not purchase her.
What is it you say? Do speak more agreeably to our wishes.
But there is no occasion.
No occasion?
Certainly not, i' faith.
How so, I wonder?
You shall soon know.You shall soon know
:
Madame Dacier suggests that Chremes is prevented by his wife's
coming from making a proposal to advance the money himself, on the
supposition that it will be a lucrative speculation. This notion is
contradicted by Colman, who adds the following note from Eugraphius:
"Syrus pretends to have concerted this plot against Menedemus, in
order to trick him out of some money to be given to Clinia's
supposed mistress. Chremes, however, does not approve of this: yet
it serves to carry on the plot; for when Antiphila proves afterward
to be the daughter of Chremes, he necessarily becomes the debtor of
Bacchis, and is obliged to lay down the sum for which he imagines
his daughter is pledged."
Stop, stop; what is the reason that there is such a great noise at our
door ?
Enter SOSTRATA and a NURSE in haste from the house of CHREMES, and CHREMES and SYRUS on the other side of the stage unperceived.
Sos.
Nurse, how is it? Does it not seem to you the same?
As for me, I said it was the same the very instant that you showed it me.
But have you now examined it thoroughly, my dear nurse?
Thoroughly.
Then go in-doors at once, and if she has now done bathing, bring me word. I'll wait here in the mean time for my husband.
What it may be? I' faith, she'll now surely be announcing some important trifle, with a great parade.
Ha! my wife !
I was looking for you.
Tell me what you want.
In the first place, this I beg of you, not to believe that I have ventured to do any thing contrary to your commands.
Would you have me believe you in this, although so incredible? Well, I will believe you.
Do you remember me being pregnant, and yourself declaring to me, most peremptorily, that if I should bring forth a girl, you would not have it brought up.
I know what you have done, you have brought it up.
Has gained a loss
: He alludes to
Clitipho, who, by the discovery of his sister, would not come in for
such a large share of his father's property, and would consequently,
as Syrus observes, gain a loss.
Not at all; but there was here an elderly woman of
O
Alas! what have I done ?
And do you ask the question?
If I have acted wrong, my dear Chremes, I have done so in ignorance.
This, indeed, I know for certain, even if you were to deny it, that in every thing you both speak and act ignorantly and foolishly: how many blunders you disclose in this single affair! For, in the first place, then, if you had been disposed to obey my orders, the child ought to have been dispatched; you ought not in words to have feigned her death, and in reality to have left hopes of her surviving. But that I pass over; compassion, maternal affection, I allow it. But how finely you did provide for the future! What was your meaning ? Do reflect. It's clear, beyond a doubt, that your daughter was betrayed by you to this old woman, either that through you she might make a living by her, or that she might be sold in open market as a slave. I suppose you reasoned thus: " any thing is enough, if only her life is saved :" what are you to do with those who understand neither law, nor right and justice? Be it for better or for worse, be it for them or against them, they see nothing except just what they please.
My dear Chremes, I have done wrong, I own ; I am convinced. Now this I beg of you; inasmuch as you are more advanced in years than I, be so much the more ready to forgive; so that your justice may be some protection for my weakness.
I'll readily forgive you doing this, of course; but, Sostrata, my easy temper prompts you to do amiss. But, whatever this circumstance is, by reason of which this was begun upon, proceed to tell it.
As we women are all foolishly and wretchedly superstitious, when I
delivered the child to her to be exposed, I drew a ring from off my
finger, and ordered her to expose it, together with the child; that if
she should die, she might not be without
That was right; thereby you proved the saving of yourself and
her.Saving of yourself and her
: Madame Dacier
says that the meaning of this passage is this: Chremes tells his
wife that by having given this ring, she has done two good acts
instead of one—she has both cleared her conscience and saved the
child; for had there been no ring or token exposed with the infant,
the finder would not have been at the trouble of taking care of it,
but might have left it to perish, never suspecting it would be
inquired after, or himself liberally rewarded for having preserved
it.
Whence did you get it?
From the young woman whom Bacchis brought here with her.
What does she say?
She gave it me to keep for her, while she went to bathe. At first I paid no attention to it; but after I looked at it, I at once recognized it, and came running to you.
What do you suspect now, or have you discovered, relative to her ?
I don't know; unless you inquire of herself whence she got it, if that can possibly be discovered.
I see
more hopes
: Syrus is now alarmed that Antiphila should
so soon be acknowledged as the daughter of Chremes, lest he may lose
the opportunity of obtaining the money, and be punished as well, in
case the imposition is detected, and Bacchis discovered to be the
mistress of Clitipho and not of Clinia.
Is this woman living to whom you delivered the child?
I don't know.
What account did she bring you at the time?
That she had done as I had ordered her.
Tell me what is the woman's name, that she may be inquired after.
Philtere.
Sostrata, follow me this way in-doors.
How much beyond my hopes has this matter turned out! How dreadfully afraid I was, Chremes, that you would now be of feelings as unrelenting as formerly you were on exposing the child.
Many a time a man can not beA man can not be
: This
he says by way of palliating the cruelty he was guilty of in his
orders to have the child put to death.