Adelphi
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Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
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MICIO
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On what grounds is it so? Who betrothed her?Who betrothed her?: Donatus observes that these questions, which enumerate all the proofs requisite for a marriage, are an indirect and very delicate reproof of Aeschinus for the irregular and clandestine nature of his proceedings. Who gave her away? When and to whom was she married? Who was the author of all this? Why did he connect himself with a woman who belonged to another?
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AESCHINUS
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Was it to be expected that a young woman of her age should sit at home, waiting till a kinsman of hers should come from a distance? This, my father,
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you ought to have represented, and have insisted on it.
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MICIO
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Ridiculous! Was I to have pleaded against him whom I was to, support But what’s all this, Aeschinus, to us? What have we to do with them? Let us begone:— What’s the matter?
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Why these tears?
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AESCHINUS
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Father, I beseech you, listen to me.
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MICIO
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Aeschinus, I have heard and know it all; for I love you, and therefore every thing you do is the more a care to me.
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AESCHINUS
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So do I wish you to find me deserving of your love, as long as you live, my dear father, as I am sincerely sorry for the offense I have committed, and am ashamed to see you.
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MICIO
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Upon my word I believe it, for I know your ingenuous disposition:
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but I am afraid that you are too inconsiderate. In what city, pray, do you suppose you live? You have debauched a virgin, whom it was not lawful for you to touch. In the first place then that was a great offense; great, but still natural. Others, and even men of worth, have frequently done the same. But after it happened, pray,
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did you show any circumspection? Or did you use any foresight as to what was to be done, or how it was to be done? If you were ashamed to tell me of it, by what means was I to come to know it? While you were at a loss upon these points, ten months have been lost. So far indeed as lay in your power, you have periled both yourself and this poor girl, and the child. What did you imagine—that the Gods would set these matters to rights for you while you were asleep,
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and that she would be brought home to your chamber without any exertions of your own? I would not have you to be equally negligent in other affairs. Be of good heart, you shall have her for your wife.
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AESCHINUS
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Hah!
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MICIO
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Be of good heart, I tell you.
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AESCHINUS
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Father, are you now jesting with me, pray?
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MICIO
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I, jesting with you! For what reason?
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AESCHINUS
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I don’t know; but so anxiously do I wish this to be true, that I am the more afraid it may not be.
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MICIO
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Go home, and pray to the Gods that you may have your wife; be off.
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AESCHINUS
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What! have my wife now?
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MICIO
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Now.
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AESCHINUS
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Now?
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MICIO
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Now, as soon as possible.
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AESCHINUS
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May all the Gods detest me, father, if I do not love you better than even my very eyes!
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MICIO
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What! better than her?
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AESCHINUS
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Quite as well.
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MICIO
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Very kind of you !
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AESCHINUS
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Well, where is this Milesian?
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MICIO
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Departed, vanished, gone on board ship; but why do you delay?
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AESCHINUS
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Father,
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do you rather go and pray to the Gods; for I know, for certain, that they will rather be propitious to you,Propitious to you: Donatus remarks that there is great delicacy in this compliment of Aeschinus to Micio, which, though made in his presence, does not bear the semblance of flattery. Madame Dacier thinks that Terence here alludes to a line of Hesiod, which says that it is the duty of the aged to pray. Colman suggests that the passage is borrowed from some lines of Menander still in existence. as being a much better man than I am.
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MICIO
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I’ll go in-doors, that what is requisite may be prepared. You do as I said, if you are wise.
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AESCHINUS
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What can be the meaning of this? Is this being a father, or this being a son? If he had been a brother or familiar companion, how could he have been more complaisant!
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Is he not worthy to be beloved? Is he not to be imprinted in my very bosom? Well then, the more does he impose an obligation on me by his kindness, to take due precaution not inconsiderately to do any thing that he may not wish. But why do I delay going in-doors this instant, that I may not myself delay my own nuptials?
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DEMEA
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I am quite tired with walking: May the great Jupiter confound you, Syrus, together with your directions!
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I have crawled the whole city over; to the gate, to the pond—where not? There was no joiner’s shop there; not a soul could say he had seen my brother; but now I’m determined to sit and wait at his house till he returns.
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MICIO
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I’ll go and tell them there’s no delay on our part.
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DEMEA
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But see here’s the very man: O Micio, I have been seeking you this long time.
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MICIO
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Why, what’s the matter?
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DEMEA
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I’m bringing you some new and great enormities of that hopeful youth.
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MICIO
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Just look at that!
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DEMEA
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Fresh ones, of blackest dye.
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MICIO
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There now—at it again.
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DEMEA
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Ah, Micio! you little know what sort of person he is.
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MICIO
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I do.
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DEMEA
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O simpleton! you are dreaming that I’m talking about the Music-girl; this crime is against a virgin and a citizen.
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MICIO
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I know it.
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DEMEA
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So then, you know it, and put up with it!
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MICIO
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Why not put up with it?
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DEMEA
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Tell me, pray, don’t you exclaim about it? Don’t you go distracted?
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MICIO
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Not I: certainly I had ratherCertainly I had rather: He pauses after quidem, but he means to say that if he had his choice, he would rather it had not been so.—
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DEMEA
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There has been a child born.
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MICIO
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May the Gods be propitious to it.
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DEMEA
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The girl has no fortune.
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MICIO
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So I have heard.
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DEMEA
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And he—must he marry her without one?
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MICIO
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Of course.
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DEMEA
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What is to be done then?
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MICIO
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Why, what the case itself points out: the young woman must be brought hither.
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DEMEA
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O Jupiter! must that be the way then?
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MICIO
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What can I do else?
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DEMEA
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What can you do? If in reality this causes you no concern,
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to pretend it were surely the duty of a man.
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MICIO
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But I have already betrothed the young woman to him; the matter is settled: the marriage takes place to-day. I have removed all apprehensions. This is rather the duty of a man.
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DEMEA
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But does the affair please you, Micio?
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MICIO
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If I were able to alter it, no; now, as I can not, I bear it with patience.
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The life of man is just like playing with dice:Playing with dice: The tesserae of the ancients were cubes, or what we call dice; while the tali were in imitation of the knuckle-bones of animals, and were marked on four sides only. For some account of the mode of playing with the tali, see the last Scene of the Asinaria, and the Curculio of Plautus, l. 257-9. Madame Dacier suggests that Menander may possibly have borrowed this passage from the Republic of Plato, B. X., where he says, We should take counsel from accidents, and, as in a game at dice, act according to what has fallen, in the manner which reason tells us to be the best. if that which you most want to throw does not turn up, what turns up by chance you must correct by art.
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DEMEA
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O rare corrector! of course it is by your art that twenty minae have been thrown away for a Music-girl; who, as soon as possible,
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must be got rid of at any price; and if not for money, why then for nothing.
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MICIO
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Not at all, and indeed I have no wish to sell her.
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DEMEA
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What will you do with her then?
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MICIO
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She shall be at my house.
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DEMEA
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For heaven’s sake, a courtesan and a matron in the same house!
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MICIO
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Why not?
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DEMEA
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Do you imagine you are in your senses
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MICIO
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Really I do think so.
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DEMEA
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So may the Gods prosper me, I now see your folly; I believe you are going to do so that you may have somebody to practice music with.
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MICIO
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Why not?
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DEMEA
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And the new-made bride to be learning too?
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MICIO
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Of course.
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DEMEA
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Having hold of the rope,Hold of the rope: Restim ductans saltabis. Donatus and Madame Dacier think that this is only a figurative expression for a dance in which all joined hands; according to some, however, a dance is alluded to where the person who led off drew a rope or cord after him, which the rest of the company took hold of as they danced; which was invented in resemblance of the manner in which the wooden horse was dragged by ropes into the city of Troy. you will be dancing with them.
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MICIO
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Like enough;
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and you too along with us, if there’s need.
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DEMEA
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Ah me!
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are you not ashamed of this?
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MICIO
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Demea, do, for once, lay aside this anger of yours, and show yourself as you ought at your son’s wedding, cheerful and good-humored. I’ll just step over to them, and return immediately.
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DEMEA
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O Jupiter! here’s a life! here are manners! here’s madness!
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A wife to be coming without a fortune! A music-wench in the house! A house full of wastefulness! A young man ruined by extravagance! An:old man in his dotage!—Should Salvation herselfSalvation herself:: See an observation relative to the translation of the word Salus, in the Notes to Plautus, vol. i. pages 193. 450. desire it, she certainly could not save this family.
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SYRUS
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Upon my faith, my dear little Syrus, you have taken delicate care of yourself,
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and have done your dutyHave done your duty: His duty of providing the viands and drink for the entertainment. So Ergasilus says in the Captivi of Plautus, l. 912 Now I will go off to my government (praefecturam), to give laws to the bacon. with exquisite taste; be off with you. But since I’ve had my fill of every thing in-doors, I have felt disposed to take a walk.
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DEMEA
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Just look at that—there’s an instance of their good training!
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SYRUS
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But see, here comes our old man. (Addressing him.) What’s the matter ? Why out of spirits?
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DEMEA
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Oh you rascal!
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SYRUS
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Hold now; are you spouting your sage maxims here?
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DEMEA
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If you were my servant—
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SYRUS
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Why, you would be a rich man, Demea, and improve your estate.
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DEMEA
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I would take care that you should be an example to all the rest.
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SYRUS
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For what reason? What have I done ?
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DEMEA
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Do you ask me? in the midst of this confusion, and during the greatest mischief,
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which is hardly yet set right, you have been getting drunk, you villain, as though things had been going on well.
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SYRUS
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Really, I wish I hadn’t come out.