Thais, I've been here some time.
O my dear Chremes, you are the very person I was wanting. Are you aware that this quarrel took place on your account, and that the whole of this affair, in fact, bore reference to yourself?
To me? How so, pray?
Because, while I've been doing my best to recover and restore your sister to you, this and a great deal more like it I've had to put up with.
Where is she?
At home, at my house.
What's the matter? She has been brought up in a manner worthy of yourself and of her.
What is it you say?
That which is the fact. Her I present to you, nor do I ask of you any return for her.
Thanks are both felt and shall be returned in such way, Thais, as you deserve.
But still, take care, Chremes, that you don't lose her, before you
receive her from me; for it is she, whom the Captain is now coming to
take away from me by force. Do you go, Pythias, and bring out of the
house the casket with the tokens.Casket with the
tokens
: It was the custom with the ancients when they
exposed their children, to leave with them some pledge or token of
value, that they might afterward be recognized by means of them. The
catastrophes of the Curculio, the Rudens, and other Plays of
Plautus, are brought about by taking advantage of this circumstance.
The reasons for using these tokens will be stated in a future
Note.
In the clothes' chest. Tiresome creature, why do you delay?
What a large body of troops the Captain is bringing with him against you. Bless me!
Prithee, are you frightened, my dear sir?
Get out with you. What, I frightened? There's not a man alive less so.
Then now is the time to prove it.
Why, I wonder what sort of a man you take me to be.
Nay, and consider this too; the person that you have to deal with is a
foreigner;Is a foreigner
: And therefore the
more unlikely to obtain redress from an Athenian tribunal. See the
I'm aware of that; but it's foolish to run the risk of what you are able
to avoid. I had rather we should prevent it, than, having received an
injury, avenge ourselves upon him. Do you go in and fasten the door,
while I run across hence to the Forum; I should like us to have the aid
of some legal adviser in this disturbance.
Let me go, I'll be here presently.
There's no occasion, Chremes. Only say that she is your sister, and that
you lost her when a little girl, and have now recognized her; then show
the tokens.
Perfectly.
Take care and say this with presence of mind.
I'll take care.
Gather up your cloak.
Am I to submit, Gnatho, to such a glaring affront as this being put upon me? I'd die sooner. Simalio, Donax, Syriscus, follow me! First, I'll storm the house.
Quite right.
I'll carry off the girl.
Very good.
I'll give her own self a mauling.
Very proper.
And his maniple
: We learn from the Fasti of Ovid, B.
iii., l. 117-8, that in early times the Roman armies carried bundles
or wisps of hay upon poles by way of standards. "A long pole used to
bear the elevated wisps, from which circumstance the manipular
soldier derives his name." It appears from this passage, and from
other authors, that to every troop of one hundred men a "manipulus"
or wisp of hay (so called from "manum implere," to "fill the hand,"
as being "a handful"), was assigned as a standard, and hence in time
the company itself obtained the name of "manipulus," and the
soldier, a member of it, was called "manipularis." The "centurio,"
or "leader of a hundred," was the commanding officer of the
"manipulus."
What, you booby, do you think of fighting with a dish-clout,With a dish-clout
: "Peniculo." This word meant a sponge
fastened to a stick, or the tail of a fox or an ox, which was used
as dusters or dish-clouts are at the present day for cleaning
tables, dishes, or even shoes. See the Menaechmi of Plautus, ver. 77
and 391.
What, I? I knew the valor of the general, and the prowess of the soldiers; and that this could not possibly go on without bloodshed; how was I to wipe the wounds?
Where are the others?
Plague on you, what others? Sannio is the only one left on guard at home.
Be behind the second
rank
: "Post principia." The Captain, with that
discretion which is the better part of valor, chooses the safest
place in his army. The "principes" originally fought in the van,
fronting the enemy, and behind them were the "hastati" and the
"triarii." In later times the "hastati" faced the enemy, and the
"principes" were placed in the middle, between them and the
"triarii;" but though no longer occupying the front place, they
still retained the name. Thraso, then, places himself behind the
middle line.
Pyrrhus used to proceed
:
He attempts to defend his cowardice by the example of Pyrrhus, the
powerful antagonist of the Romans, and one of the greatest generals
of antiquity. He might have more correctly cited the example of
Xerxes, who, according to Justin, did occupy that position in his
army.
Do you see, Thais, what plan he is upon? Assuredly, that advice of mine about closing the door was good.
He who now seems to you to be a hero, is in reality a mere vaporer; don't be alarmed.
I could very muchI could very much
:
Although Vollbehr gives these words to Gnatho, yet, judging from the
context, and the words "ex occulto," and remembering that Thais and
Chremes are up at the window, there is the greatest probability that
these are really the words of Thais addressed aside to
Chremes.
How soon are we to fall to?
Hold
Ye Gods, by our trust in you, what a thing it is to be wise! I never come near you but what I go away from you the wiser.
Thais, in the first place, answer me this. When I presented you that girl, did you not say that you would give yourself up to me alone for some days to come?
Well, what then?
Do you ask the question? You, who have been and brought your lover under my very eyes? What business had you with him? With him, too, you clandestinely betook yourself away from me.
I chose to do so.
Then give me back Pamphila; unless you had rather she were taken away by force.
Give her back to you, or you lay hands upon her? Of all the—
Ha! What are you about? Hold your tongue.
What do you mean? Am I not to touch my own?
Your own, indeed, you gallows-bird!You
gallows-bird
: "Furcifer;" literally, "bearer of the
furca."
I pity you, who are making so great a man as this your enemy.
I'll break your head this instant if you are not off.
Do you really say so, puppy? Is it that you are at?
I'll let you know: in the first place, I assert that she is a freeborn woman.
A citizen of
Whew!
My own sister.
Brazen face!
Now, therefore, Captain, I give you warning; don't you use any violence toward her. Thais, I'm going to Sophrona, the nurse, that I may bring her here and show her these tokens.
What! Are you to prevent me from touching what's my own?
I will prevent it, I tell you.
Do you say the same, Thais?
Go, find some one to answer you.
Why, go back again: she'll soon be with you, of her own accord, to entreat forgiveness.
Do you think so?
Certainly, yes. I know the disposition of women: when you will, they won't; when you won't, they set their hearts upon you of their own inclination.
You judge right.
Shall I dismiss the army then?
Whenever you like.
Sanga, as befits gallant soldiers,As befits gallant
soldiers
: Beaumont and Fletcher not improbably had this scene
in view in their picture of the mob regiment in Philaster. The
ragged regiment which Shakspeare places under the commend of
Falstaff was not very unlike it, nor that which owned the valiant
Bombastes Furioso as its Captain.
My thoughts have been for some time among the sauce-pans.
You are a worthy fellow.
What! do you persist, hussy, in talking ambiguously to me? "I do know;" "I don't know;" "he has gone off;" "I have heard;" "I wasn't there." Don't you mean to tell me plainly, whatever it is? The girl in tears, with her garments torn, is mute; the Eunuch is off: for what reason? What has happened? Won't you speak?
Wretch that I am, what am I to say to you? They declare that he was not a Eunuch.
What was he then?
That Chaerea.
What Chaerea?
That stripling, the brother of Phaedria.
What's that you say, you hag?
And I am satisfied of it.
Pray, what business had he at my house? What brought him there?
I don't know; unless, as I suppose, he was in love with Pamphila.
Alas! to my confusion, unhappy woman that I am, I'm undone, if what you tell me is true. Is it about this that the girl is crying?
I believe so.
How say you, you arch-jade? Did I not warn you about this very thing, when I was going away from here?
What could I do? Just as you ordered, she was intrusted to his care only.
Hussy, I've been intrusting the sheep to the wolf. I'm quite ashamed to have been imposed upon in this way. What sort of man was he?
Hush! hush! mistress, pray; we are all right. Here we have the very man.
Where is he?
Why there, to the left. Don't you see?
I see.
Order him to be seized as quickly as possible.
What can we do to him, simpleton?
What do to him, do you ask? Pray, do look at him; if his face doesn't seem an impudent one.
Not at all.
Besides, what effrontery he has.
At
Antipho's
: Madame Decier here observes that Chaerea
assigns very natural reasons for not having changed his dress; in
which the art of Terence is evident, since the sequel of the Play
makes it absolutely necessary that Chaerea should appear again
before Thais in the habit which he wore while in the house.
Madam, I did so.
Are you quite pleased with it?
No.
Do you fancy that you'll get off with impunity?
Forgive this one fault; if I'm ever guilty of another, then kill me.
Were you in fear of my severity?
No.
No? What then?
What had you done?
A mere trifle.
Come now, a trifle, you impudent fellow. Does this appear a trifle to you, to ravish a virgin, a citizen?
I took her for my fellow-servant.
Fellow-servant? I can hardly restrain myself from flying at his hair. A miscreant! Even of his own free will he comes to make fun of us.
Why so? Really, I do believe I should be something in this hang-dog's debt, if I were to do so; especially as he owns that he is your servant.
We'll pass that by. Chaerea, you have behaved unworthily of yourself; for if I am deserving in the highest degree of this affront, still it is unbecoming of you to be guilty of it. And, upon my faith, I do not know what method now to adopt about this girl: you have so confounded all my plans, that I can not possibly return her to her friends in such a manner as is befitting and as I had intended; in order that, by this means, I might, Chaerea, do a real service to myself.
But now, from henceforth, I hope, Thais, that there will be lasting good-will between us. Many a time, from some affair of this kind and from a bad beginning, great friendships have sprung up. What if some Divinity has willed this?
I'faith, for my own part I both take it in that view and wish to do so.
Yes, prithee, do so. Be sure of this one thing, that I did not do it for the sake of affronting you, but in consequence of passion.
I understand, and, i'faith, for that reason do I now the more readily forgive you. I am not, Chaerea, of a disposition so ungentle, or so inexperienced, as not to know what is the power of love.
So may the Deities kindly bless me, Thais; I am now smitten with you as well.
Then, i'faith, mistress, I foresee you must have a care of him.
I would not dare—
I won't trust you at all in any thing.
Now I entreat you that you will be my assistant in this affair. I intrust and commit myself to your care; I take you, Thais, as my protectress; I implore you; I shall die if I don't have her for my wife.
But if your father should say any thing—
Oh, he'll consent, I'm quite sure of that, if she is only a citizen.
If you will wait a little, the brother himself of the young woman will be here presently; he has gone to fetch the nurse, who brought her up when a little child; you yourself, shall be present Chaerea, at his recognition of her.
I certainly will stay.
In the mean time, until he comes, would you prefer that we should wait for him in the house, rather than here before the door?
Why yes, I should like it much.
Why, what's the matter?
Do you ask? Do you think of admitting him after this into your house?
Why not?
Trust my word for it, he'll be creating some new disturbance.
O dear, prithee, do hold your tongue.
You seem to me to be far from sensible of his assurance.
I'll not do any thing, Pythias.
Upon my faith, I don't believe you, Chaerea, except in case you are not trusted.
Nay but, Pythias, do you be my keeper.
Upon my faith, I would neither venture to give any thing to you to keep, nor to keep you myself: away with you!
Most opportunely the brother himself is coming.
I'faith, I'm undone. Prithee, let's be gone in-doors, Thais. I don't want him to see me in the street with this dress on.
For what reason, pray? Because you are ashamed?
Just so.
Just so? But the young woman—
Go first; I'll follow. You stay here, Pythias, that you may show Chremes
in.
Really, do bestir yourself more quickly, nurse.
I am bestirring.
So I see; but you don't stir forward.
All of them.
Prithee, what does she say? Does she recognize them?
Yes, with a full recollection of them.
Upon my faith, you do bring good news; for I really wish well to this
young woman. Go in-doors: my mistress has been for some time expecting
you at home.
Pick daintily about
: He seems here
to reprehend the same practice against which Ovid warns his fair
readers, in his Art of Love, B. iii. l. 75. He says, "Do not first
take food at home," when about to go to an entertainment.
Westerhovius seems to think that "ligurio" means, not to "pick
daintily," but "to be fond of good eating;" and refers to the
Bacchides of Plautus as portraying courtesans of the "ligurient"
kind, and finds another specimen in Bacchis in: the
Heautontimorumenos.
What's the matter?
I do pity him; and so that I mightn't see it, wretched creature that I am, I hurried away out of doors. What a dreadful example they talk of making him!
O Jupiter! What is this tumult? Am I then undone? I'll accost her. What's all this, Pythias? What are you saying? An example made of whom?
Do you ask the question, you most audacious fellow? You've proved the ruin of the young man whom you brought hither for the Eunuch, while you were trying to put a trick upon us.
How so, or what has happened? Tell me.
I'll tell you: that young woman who was to-day made a present to Thais, are you aware that she is a citizen of this place, and that her brother is a person of very high rank?
I didn't know that.
But so she has been discovered to be; he, unfortunate youth, has ravished her. When the brother came to know of this being done, in a most towering rage, he—
Did what, pray?
First, bound him in a shocking manner.
Bound him?
And even though Thais entreated him that he wouldn't do so—
What is it you tell me?
Now he is threatening that he will also do that which is usually done to ravishers; a thing that I never saw done, nor wish to.
With what assurance does he dare perpetrate a crime so heinous?
How "so heinous?"
Is it not most heinous? Who ever saw any one taken up as a ravisher in a courtesan's house?
I don't know.
But that you mayn't be ignorant of this, Pythias, I tell you, and give you notice that he is my master's son.
How! Prithee, is it he?
Don't let Thais suffer any violence to be done to him. But why don't I go in myself?
Take care, Parmeno, what you are about, lest you both do him no good and come to harm yourself; for it is their notion, that whatever has happened, has originated in you.
What then, wretch that I am, shall I do, or how resolve? But look, I see the old gentleman returning from the country; shall I tell him or shall I not? By my troth, I will tell him; although I am certain that a heavy punishment is in readiness for me; but it's a matter of necessity, in order that he may rescue him.
You are wise. I'm going in-doors; do you relate to him every thing
exactly as it happened.
This advantage
: Donatus here
observes that the Poet introduces Laches, as he has Parmeno just
before, in a state of perfect tranquillity, that their sudden change
of feeling may be the more diverting to the Audience.
Whom are you waiting for?
Why, what is it you are trembling about? Is all quite right? Tell me.
Master, in the first place, I would have you persuaded of what is the fact; whatever has happened in this affair has happened through no fault of mine.
What is it?
Really you have reason to ask. I ought first to have told you the circumstances. Phaedria purchased a certain Eunuch, to make a present of to this woman here.
To what woman?
To Thais.
Bought? Good heavens, I'm undone! For how much?
Twenty minae.
Done for, quite.
Then, Chaerea is in love with a certain music-girl here.
How! What? In love? Does he know already what a courtesan means? Is he come to town? One misfortune close upon another.
Master, don't look so at me; he didn't do these things by my encouragement.
Leave off talking about yourself. If I live, you hang-dog, I'll— But first give me an account of it, whatever it is.
He was taken to the house of Thais in place of the Eunuch.
In place of the Eunuch?
Such is the fact. They have since apprehended him in the house as a ravisher, and bound him.
Death!
Mark the assurance of courtesans.
Is there any other calamity or misfortune besides, that you have not told me of?
That's all.
Do I delay rushing in here?
For some occasion
: We
learn from Donatus that Menander was more explicit concerning the
resentment of Laches against Thais, on account of her having
corrupted Phaedria.
As I knew
: She enjoyed it the more, knowing that the
old man had nothing to fear, as he had just heard the fiction which
she had imparted to Parmeno. Donatus observes that the terror of
Laches accounts for his sudden consent to the union of Chaerea with
Pamphila; for though he could not settle the matter any other way
with credit, he was glad to find that his son had made an unequal
match rather than endangered his life. Colman, however, observes
with considerable justice: "I think Chaerea apologizes still better
for this arrangement in the Scene with Thais at the opening of this
Act, where he says that he is confident of obtaining his father's
consent, provided Pamphila proves to be a citizen; and, indeed, the
match between them is rather a reparation of an injury done to her
than a degradation of himself."
Now I'm come out to meet with Parmeno. But, prithee, where is he?
And there he is, I see; I'll go up to him.
What's the matter, simpleton? What do you mean? What are you laughing about? Still going on?
Why so?
Do you ask? Upon my faith, I never did see, nor shall see, a more silly
fellow. Oh dear, I can not well express what amusement you've afforded
in-doors. And still I formerly took you to be a clever and shrewd
person. Why, was there any need for you instantly to believe what I told
you? Or were you not content with the crime, which by your advice the
young man had been guilty of, without betraying the poor fellow to his
father as well? Why, what do you suppose his feelings must have been at
the moment when his father saw him clothed in that dress? Well, do you
now understand that you are done for?
Hah! what is it you say, you hussy? Have you been telling me lies? What, laughing still? Does it appear so delightful to you, you jade, to be making fools of us?
Yes, indeed, if you can do it with impunity.
Exactly so.
By heavens, I'll repay you!
I believe you; but, perhaps, that which you are threatening, Parmeno,
will need a future day; you'll be trussed up directly, for rendering a
silly young man remarkable for disgraceful conduct, and then betraying
him to his father; they'll both be making an example of you.
I'm done for!
This reward has been found you in return for that present of
yours;In return for that present of
yours
: By the present she means Chaerea in the disguise
of the Eunuch.
Through
betrayal of myself
: Which betrays itself by its own
squeaking.
What, I? To surrender myself to Thais, and do what she bids me.
What is it you say?
Why any the less so, than Hercules
served Omphale
: He alludes to the story of Omphale,
Queen of
The precedent pleases me. With a
slipper
: He doubtless alludes to the treatment of
Confusion! Why, what mischiefs this? I never saw this person before;
why, I wonder, is he rushing out in such a hurry?
I have heard so.
Do you know that she is betrothed to me?
So may the Gods bless me, happily done.
And then, besides, I am delighted that my brother's mistress is secured
to him; the family is united. Thais has committed herself to the
patronage of my father;To the patronage of my
father
: It was the custom at
Thais, then, is wholly your brother's.
Of course.
Then this is another reason for us to rejoice, that the Captain will be beaten out of doors.
Wherever my brother is, do you take care that he hears this as soon as possible.
I'll go look for him at home.
I'm overjoyed.
I quite believe you. There is no one, brother, more worthy to be loved than this Thais of yours: so much is she a benefactress to all our family.
Whew! are you commending her too to me?
Who is it I hear so close at hand?
Perhaps you are not aware what has taken place here.
I am quite aware.
Why, then, do I see you in this neighborhood?
Depending on your kindness.
Do you know what sort of dependence you have? Captain, I give you notice, if ever I catch you in this street again, even if you should say to me, "I was looking for another person, I was on my road this way," you are undone.
Come, come, that's not handsome.
I've said it.
I didn't know you gave yourself such airs.
So it shall be.
First hear a few words from me; and when I have said the thing, if you approve of it, do it.
Let's hear.
Do you step a little that way, Thraso.
What is it?
I'm of opinion that the Captain, your rival, should be received among you.
Be received?
And this besides, which I deem to be of even greater importance,—not a single person entertains in better style or more bountifully.
It's a wonder if this sort of man can not be made use of in some way or other.
I think so too.
You act properly. One thing I have still to beg of you,—that you'll
receive me into your fraternity; I've been rolling that stoneBeen rolling that stone
: Donatus thinks that he alludes
to the story of Sisyphus, who, in the Infernal Regions, was
condemned eternally to roll a stone up a hill, which, on arriving at
the summit, immediately fell to the bottom.
We admit you.
And with all my heart.
Then I, in return for this, Phaedria, and you, Chaerea, make him over to
you
Agreed.
He quite deserves it.
Prithee, how goes it?
How? Why, these people didn't know you; after I had discovered to them your qualities, and had praised you as your actions and your virtues deserved, I prevailed upon them.
You have managed well; I give you my best thanks. Besides, I never was any where but what all were extremely fond of me.
He is no other than you mentioned.