Adelphi
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Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
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SYRUS
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That’s the thing.
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DEMEA
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That is considered blamable—
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SYRUS
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Extremely good.
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DEMEA
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And then, moreover—
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SYRUS
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Upon my honor, I have not the leisure
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to listen to you just at present: I have got some fish just to my taste, and must take care they are not spoiled; for that would be as much a crime in me, as for you, Demea, not to observe those maxims which you have just been mentioning; and so far as I can, I lay down precepts for my fellow-servants on the very same plan;
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this is too salt, that is quite burned up, this is not washed enough, that is very well done; remember and do so another time. I carefully instruct them so far as I can to the best of my capacity. In short, Demea, I bid them look into their sauce-pans as though into a mirror,As though into a mirror: He parodies the words of Demea in l. 415, where he speaks of looking into the lives of men as into a mirror. and suggest to them what they ought to do.
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I am sensible these things are trifling which we do; but what is one to do? According as the man is, so must you humor him. Do you wish any thing else?
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DEMEA
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That more wisdom may be granted you.
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SYRUS
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You will be going off into the country, I suppose?
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DEMEA
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Directly.
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SYRUS
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For what should you do here, where, if you do give any good precepts, no one will regard them?
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DEMEA
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I certainly will be off, as he on whose account I came hither has gone into the country. I have a care for him: that alone is my own concern, since my brother will have it so; let him look to the other himself. But who is it I see yonder at a distance? Isn’t it Hegio of our tribes?Of our tribe: Solon divided the Athenians into ten tribes, which he named after ten of the ancient heroes: Erectheis, Aegeis, Pandionis, Leontis, Acamantis, OEneis, Cecrops, Hippothoontis, Aeantis, and Antiochis. These tribes were each divided into ten Demi. If I see right, i’ faith, it is he. Ah,
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a man I have been friendly with from a child! Good Gods! we certainly have a great dearth of citizens of that stamp nowadays, with the old-fashioned virtue and honesty. Not in a hurry will any misfortune accrue to the public from him.
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How glad I am to find some remnants of this race even still remaining; now I feel some pleasure in living. I’ll wait here for him, to ask him how he is, and have some conversation with him.
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HEGIO
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Oh immortal Gods! a disgraceful action, Geta! What is it you tell me?
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GETA
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Such is the fact.
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HEGIO
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That so ignoble a deed should come from that family! Oh Aeschinus,
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assuredly you haven’t taken after your father in that!
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DEMEA
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Why surely, he has heard this about the Music-girl; that gives him concern, though a stranger; this father of his thinks nothing of it. Ah me! I wish he were somewhere close at hand to overhear this.
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HEGIO
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Unless they do as they ought to do, they shall not come off so easily.
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GETA
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All our hopes, Hegio, are centred in you; you we have for our only friend; you are our protector, our father. The old man, Simulus, when dying, recommended us to you; if you forsake us, we are undone.
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HEGIO
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Beware how you mention that; I neither will do it, nor do I think that, with due regard to the ties of relationship, I could.
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DEMEA
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I’ll accost him. (Approaches HEGIO.) Hegio, I bid you welcome right heartily;
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HEGIO
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Oh! you are the very man I was looking for. Greetings to you, Demea.
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DEMEA
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Why, what’s the matter?
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HEGIO
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Your eldest son Aeschinus, whom you gave to your brother to adopt, has been acting the part of neither an honest man nor a gentleman.
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DEMEA
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What has he been doing?
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HEGIO
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You knew my friend and year’s-mate, Simulus?
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DEMEA
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Why not?
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HEGIO
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He has debauched his daughter, a virgin.
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DEMEA
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Hah!
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HEGIO
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Stay, Demea. You have not yet heard the worst.
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DEMEA
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Is there any thing still worse?
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HEGIO
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Worse, by far: for this indeed might in some measure have been borne with.
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The hour of night prompted him; passion, wine, young blood; ’tis human nature. When he was sensible of what he had done, he came voluntarily to the girl’s mother, weeping, praying, entreating, pledging his honor, vowing that he would take her home.Would take her home: As his wife. The affair was pardoned, hushed up, his word taken. The girl from that
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intercourse became pregnant: this is the tenth month. He, worthy fellow, has provided himself, if it please the Gods, with a Music-girl to live with; the other he has cast off.
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DEMEA
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Do you say this for certain?
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HEGIO
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The mother of the young woman is among us,Is among us: In medio, is alive, or in the midst of us. the young woman too; the fact speaks for itself; this Geta,
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besides, according to the common run of servants, not a bad one or of idle habits; he supports them; alone, maintains the whole family; take him, bind him,Take him, bind him.: In allusion to the method of examining slaves, by binding and torturing them. examine him upon the matter.
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GETA
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Aye, faith, put me to the torture, Demea, if such is not the fact: besides, he will not deny it. Confront me with him.
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DEMEA
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I am ashamed; and what to do, or how to answer him, I don’t know.
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PAMPHILA
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Ah me! I am racked with pains! Juno Lucina,Juno Lucina: So in the Andria, l. 473, where Glycerium is overtaken with the pains of labor, she calls upon Juno Lucina. bring aid, save me, I beseech thee.
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HEGIO
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Hold; is she in labor, pray?
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GETA
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No doubt of it, Hegio.
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HEGIO
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Ah! she is now imploring your protection, Demea;
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let her obtain from you spontaneously what the power of the law compels you to give. I do entreat the Gods that what befits you may at once be clone. But if your sentiments are otherwise, Demea, I will defend both them and him who is dead to the utmost of my power.
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He was my kinsman:He was my kinsman: In the Play of Menander, Hegio was the brother of Sostrata. we were brought up together from children, we were companions in the wars and at home, together we experienced the hardships of poverty. I will therefore exert myself, strive, use all methods, in fine lay down my life, rather than forsake these women. What answer do you give me?
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DEMEA
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I’ll go find my brother, Hegio:
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the advice he gives me upon this matter I’ll follow.Upon this matter I’ll follow: Is, quod mihi de hac re dederat consilium, id sequar. Colman has the following Note on this passage: Madame Dacier rejects this line, because it is also to be found in the Phormio. But it is no uncommon thing with our author to use the same expression or verse for different places, especially on familiar occasions. There is no impropriety in it here, and the foregoing hemistich is rather lame without it. The propriety of consulting Micio, or Demea’s present ill-humor with him, are of no consequence. The old man is surprised at Hegio’s story, does not know what to do or say, and means to evade giving a positive answer, by saying that he would consult his brother.
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HEGIO
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But, Demea, take you care and reflect upon this: the more easy you are in your circumstances, the more powerful, wealthy, affluent, and noble you are, so much the more ought you with equanimity to observe the dictates of justice, if you would have yourselves esteemed as men of probity.
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DEMEA
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Go back now;Go back now: Redite. Demea most probably uses this word, because Hegio has come back to him to repeat the last words for the sake of greater emphasis. every thing shall be done that is proper to be done.
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HEGIO
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It becomes you to act thus. Geta, show me in to Sostrata.
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DEMEA
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Not without warning on my part have these things happened: I only wish it may end here; but this immoderate indulgence will undoubtedly lead to some great misfortune.
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I’ll go find my brother, and vent these feelings upon him.
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HEGIO
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Be of good heart,Be of good heart: Colman has the following Note here: Donatus tells us, that in some old copies this whole Scene was wanting. Guyetus therefore entirely rejects it. I have not ventured to take that liberty; but must confess that it appears to me, if not supposititious, at least cold and superfluous, and the substance of it had better been supposed to have passed between Hegio and Sostrata within. Sostrata, and take care and console her as far as you can. I’ll go find Micio, if he is at the Forum, and acquaint him with the whole circumstances in their order; if so it is that he will do his duty by you,
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let him do so; but if his sentiments are otherwise about this matter, let him give me his answer, that I may know at once what I am to do.
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CTESIPHO
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My father gone into the country, say you?
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SYRUS
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Some time since.
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CTESIPHO
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Do tell me, I beseech you.
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SYRUS
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He is at the farm at this very moment,At this very moment: It is very doubtful whether the words cum maxime mean to signify exactly at this moment, or are intended to signify the intensity with which Demea is laboring. I warrant—hard at some work or other.
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CTESIPHO
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I really wish, provided it be done with no prejudice to his health, I wish that he may so effectually tire himself,
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that, for the next three days together, he may be unable to arise from his bed.
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SYRUS
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So be it, and any thing still better than that,Any thing still better than that: Lemaire suggests that by these words Syrus intends to imply that he should not care if Demea were never to arise from his bed, but were to die there. Ctesipho, only taking him heartily to second his own wishes for the old man’s absence, answers affirmatively ita, by all means, exactly so. if possible.
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CTESIPHO
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Just so; for I do most confoundedly wish to pass this whole day in merry-making as I have begun it; and for no reason do I detest that farm so heartily as for its being so near town. If it were at a greater distance,
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night would overtake him there before he could return hither again. Now, when he doesn’t find me there, he’ll come running back here, I’m quite sure; he’ll be asking me where I have been, that I have not seen him all this day: what am I to say?
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SYRUS
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Does nothing suggest itself to your mind?
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CTESIPHO
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Nothing whatever.
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SYRUS
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So much the worseSo much the worse: Schmieder observes that tanto nequior might have two meanings,—so much the worse for us, or, as the spectators might understand it, so much the more worthless you.—have you no client, friend, or guest?
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CTESIPHO
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I have; what then?
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SYRUS
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You have been engaged with them.
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CTESIPHO
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When I have not been engaged? That can never do.
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SYRUS
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It may.
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CTESIPHO
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During the daytime; but if I pass the night here, what excuse can I make, Syrus?
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SYRUS
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Dear me, how much I do wish it was the custom for one to be engaged with friends at night as well! But you be easy; I know his humor perfectly well. When he raves the most violently, I can make him as gentle as a lamb.
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CTESIPHO
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In what way?
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SYRUS
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He loves to hear you praised: I make a god of you to him, and recount your virtues.
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CTESIPHO
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What, mine?
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SYRUS
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Yours; immediately the tears fall from him as from a child, for very joy. (Starting.) Hah take care—
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CTESIPHO
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Why, what’s the matter?
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SYRUS
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The wolf in the fableThe wolf in the fable: This was a proverbial expression, tantamount to our saying, Talk of the devil, he’s sure to appear. Servius, in his Commentary on the Ninth Eclogue of Virgil, says that the saying arose from the common belief that the person whom a wolf sets his eyes, upon is deprived of his voice, and thence came to be applied to a person who, coming, upon others in the act of talking about him, necessarily put a stop to their conversation. Cooke says, in reference to this passage, This certainly alludes to a Fable of Aesop’s, of the Wolf, the Fox, and the Ape: which is translated by Phaedrus, and is the tenth of his First Book. It is much more certain that Cooke is mistaken here, and that the fable of the arbitration of the Ape between the Wolf and the Fox has nothing to do with this passage. If it alludes to any fable (which from the expression itself is riot at all unlikely), it is more likely to be that where the Nurse threatens that the wolf shall take the naughty Child, on which he makes his appearance, but is disappointed in his expectations, or else that of the Shepherd-boy and the Wolf. See the Stichus of Plautus, 1. 57, where the same. expression occurs.—
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CTESIPHO
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What! my father?
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SYRUS
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His own self.
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CTESIPHO
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What shall we do, Syrus?
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SYRUS
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You only be off in-doors, I’ll see to that.
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CTESIPHO
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If he makes any inquiries, you have seen me no-where; do you hear?
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SYRUS
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Can you not be quiet?
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DEMEA
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I certainly am an unfortunate man. In the first place, I can find my brother nowhere; and then, in the next place, while looking for him, I met a day-laborerMet a day-laborer: Donatus remarks that the Poet artfully contrives to detain Demea in town, his presence being necessary in the latter part of the Play. from the farm; he says that my son is not in the country, and what to do I know not—
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CTESIPHO
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Syrus!
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SYRUS
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What’s the matter?
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CTESIPHO
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Is he looking for me?
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SYRUS
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Yes.
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CTESIPHO
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Undone!
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SYRUS
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Nay, do be of good heart.
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DEMEA
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Plague on it! what ill luck is this? I can not really account for it,
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unless I suppose myself only born for the purpose of enduring misery. I am the first to feel our misfortunes; the first to know of them all; then the first to carry the news; I am the only one, if any thing does go wrong, to take it to heart.
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SYRUS
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I’m amused at him; he says that he is the first to know of every thing, while he is the only one ignorant of every thing.
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DEMEA
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I’ve now come back; and I’ll go see whether perchance my brother has yet returned.
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CTESIPHO
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Syrus,
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pray do take care that he doesn’t suddenly rush in upon us here.