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Enter DEMEA.
DEMEA
to himself. Utterly undone! I hear that Ctesipho was with Aeschinus at the carrying off of this girl. This sorrow still remains for unhappy me, should Aeschinus be able to seduce him, even him, who promises so fair, to a course of debauchery. Where am I to inquire for him? I doubt he has been carried off to some bad house; that profligate has persuaded him, I'm quite sure. But look--I see Syrus coming this way, I shall now know from him where he is. But, i 'faith, he is one of the gang; if he perceives that I am looking for him, the rascal will never tell me. I'll not let him know what I want. Enter SYRUS, at the other side of the stage. SYRUS
to himself. We just now told the old gentleman the whole affair just as it happened; I never did see any one more delighted. DEMEA
apart. O Jupiter! the folly of the man! SYRUS
continuing. He commended his son. To me, who put them upon this project, he gave thanks---- DEMEA
apart. I shall burst asunder. SYRUS
continuing. He told down the money instantly, and gave me half a mina besides to spend. That was laid out quite to my liking. DEMEA
apart. Very fine--if you would wish a thing to be nicely managed, intrust it to this fellow. SYRUS
overhearing him. Ha, Demea! I didn't see you; how goes it? DEMEA
How should it go? I can not enough wonder at your mode of living here. SYRUS
Why, really silly enough, and, to speak without disguise, altogether absurd. Calls at the door of MICIO'S house. Dromo, clean the: rest of the fish; let the largest conger-eel play a little in the water; when I come back it shall, be boned; 1 not before. DEMEA
Is profligacy like this---- SYRUS
As for myself, it isn't to my taste, and I often exclaim against it. Calls; at the door. Stephanio, take care that the salt fish is well soaked. DEMEA
Ye Gods, by our trust in you! Is he doing this for any purpose of his own, or does he think it creditable to ruin his son? Wretch that I am! methinks I already see the day when Aeschinus will be running away for want, to serve somewhere or other as a soldier. 2 SYRUS
O Demea ! That is wisdom indeed, not only to look at the present moment, but also to look forward to what's to come. DEMEA
Well--is this Music-girl still with you? SYRUS
Why, yes, she's in-doors. DEMEA
How now--is he going to keep her at home? SYRUS
I believe so; such is his madness! DEMEA
Is it possible? SYRUS
An imprudent lenity in his father, and a vicious inlulgence. DEMEA
Really, I am ashamed and grieved at my brother. SYRUS
Demea! Between you there is a great--I do not say it because you are here present--a too great difference. You are, every bit of you, nothing but wisdom; he a mere dreamer. Would you indeed have suffered that son of yours to act thus? DEMEA
I, suffer him? Would I not have smelt it out six months before he attempted it? SYRUS
Need I be told by you of your foresight? DEMEA
I pray he may only continue the same he is at present! SYRUS
Just as each person wishes his son to be, so he turns out. DEMEA
What news of him? Have you seen him to-day? SYRUS
What, your son? Aside. I'll pack him off into the country. To DEMEA. I fancy he's busy at the farm long before this. DEMEA
Are you quite sure he is there? SYRUS
What!--when I saw him part of the way myself---- DEMEA
Very good. I was afraid he might be loitering here. SYRUS
And extremely angry too. DEMEA
Why so? SYRUS
He attacked his brother in the Forum with strong language about this Music-girl. DEMEA
Do you really say so? SYRUS
Oh dear, he didn't at all mince the matter; for just as the money was being counted out, the gentleman came upon us by chance, and began exclaiming, "Oh Aeschinus, that you should perpetrate these enormities! that you should be guilty of actions so disgraceful to our family!" DEMEA
Oh, I shall weep for joy. SYRUS
"By this you are not squandering your money only, but your reputation." DEMEA
May he be preserved to me! I trust he will be like his forefathers. Weeping. SYRUS
aside. Heyday! DEMEA
Syrus, he is full of these maxims. SYRUS
aside. Strange, indeed! He had the means at home of learning them. DEMEA
I do every thing I can; I spare no pains; I train him up to it: in fine, I bid him look into the lives of men, as though into a mirror, and from others to take an example for himself. Do this, I say---- SYRUS
Quite right. DEMEA
Avoid that---- SYRUS
Very shrewd. DEMEA
This is praiseworthy---- SYRUS
That's the thing. DEMEA
That is considered blamable---- SYRUS
Extremely good. DEMEA
And then, moreover---- SYRUS
Upon my honor, I have not the leisure 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; "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, 3 and suggest to them what they ought to do. 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? DEMEA
That more wisdom may be granted you. SYRUS
You will be going off into the country, I suppose? DEMEA
Directly. SYRUS
For what should you do here, where, if you do give any good precepts, no one will regard them? Goes into MICIO'S house. DEMEA
to himself. 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? 4 If I see right, i' faith, it is he. Ah, 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. 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.
1 It shall be boned: The operation of boning conger-eels is often mentioned in Plautus, from whom we learn that they were best when eaten in that state, and cold.
2 Serve somewhere or other as a soldier: See a similar passage in the Trinummus of Plautus, l. 722, whence it appears that it was the practice for young men of ruined fortunes to go and offer their services as mercenaries to some of the neighboring potentates. Many of the ten thousand who fought for the younger Cyrus at the battle of Cunaxa, and were led back under the command of Xenophon (as described in his Anabasis, were, doubtless, of this class.
3 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.
4 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.
The Comedies of Terence. Henry Thomas Riley. Ney York. Harper and Brothers. 1874.
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