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Re-enter PAMPHILUS with CRITO.
CRITO
to PAMPHILUS, as he is coming out. Forbear entreating. Of these, any one reason prompts me to do it, either your own sake, or the fact that it is the truth, or that I wish well for Glycerium herself. CHREMES
starting. Do I see Crito of Andros? Surely it is he. CRITO
Greetings to you, Chremes. CHREMES
How is it that, so contrary to your usage, you are at Athens? CRITO
So it has happened. But is this Simo? CHREMES
It is he. CRITO
Simo, were you asking for me? SIMO
How now, do you say that Glycerium is a citizen of this place? CRITO
Do you deny it? SIMO
ironically. Have you come here so well prepared? CRITO
For what purpose? SIMO
Do you ask? Are you to be acting this way with impunity? Are you to be luring young men into snares here, inexperienced in affairs, and liberally brought up, by tempting them, and to be playing upon their fancies by making promises? CRITO
Are you in your senses? SIMO
And are you to be patching up amours with Courtesans by marriage? PAMPHILUS
aside. I'm undone! I fear that the stranger will not put up with this. CHREMES
If, Simo, you knew this person well, you would not think thus; he is a worthy man. SIMO
He, a worthy man! To come so opportunely to-day just at the very nuptials, and yet never to have come before? Ironically. Of course, we must believe him, Chremes. PAMPHILUS
aside. If I didn't dread my father, I have something, which, in this conjuncture, I could opportunely suggest to him 1 SIMO
sneeringly, to CHREMES. A sharper! 2 CRITO
starting. Hah! CHREMES
It is his way, Crito; do excuse it. CRITO
Let him take heed how he behaves. If he persists in saying to me what he likes, he'll be hearing things that he don't like. Am I meddling with these matters or interesting myself? Can you not endure your troubles with a patient mind? For as to what I say, whether it is true or false what I have heard, can soon be known. A certain man of Attica, a long time ago, 3 his ship being wrecked, was cast ashore at Andros, and this woman together with him, who was then a little girl; he, in his destitution, by chance first made application to the father of Chrysis---- SIMO
ironically. He's beginning his tale. CHREM.
Let him alone. CRITO
Really, is he to be interrupting me in this way? CHREMES
Do you proceed. CRITO
He who received him was a relation of mine. There I heard from him that he was a native of Attica. He died there. CHREMES
His name? CRITO
The name, in such a hurry! PAMPHILUS
Phania. CHREMES
starting. Hah! I shall die! CRI.
I'faith, I really think it was Phania; this I know for certain, he said that he was a citizen of Rhamnus. 4 CHREMES
O Jupiter! CRITO
Many other persons in Andros have heard the same, Chremes. CHREMES
aside. I trust it may turn out as I hope. To CRITO. Come now, tell me, what did he then say about her? Did he say she was his own daughter? CRITO
No. CHREMES
Whose then? CRITO
His brother's daughter. CHREMES
She certainly is mine. CRITO
What do you say? SIMO
What is this that you say? PAMPHILUS
aside. Prick up your ears, Pamphilus. SIMO
Why do you suppose so? CHREMES
That Phania was my brother. SIMO
I knew him, and I am aware of it. CHREMES
He, flying from the wars, and following me to Asia, set out from here. At the same time he was afraid to leave her here behind; since then, this is the first time I have heard what became of him. PAMPHILUS
aside. I am scarcely myself, so much has my mind been agitated by fear, hope, joy, and surprise at this so great, so unexpected blessing. SIMO
Really, I am glad for many reasons that she has been discovered to be a citizen. PAMPHILUS
I believe it, father. CHREMES
But there yet remains one difficulty 5 with me, which keeps me in suspense. PAMPHILUS
aside. You deserve to be ----, with your scruples, you plague. You are seeking a knot in a bulrush. 6 CRITO
to CHREMES. What is that? CHREMES
The names don't agree. CRITO
Troth, she had another when little. CHREMES
What was it, Crito? Can you remember it? CRITO
I'm trying to recollect it. PAMPHILUS
aside. Am I to suffer his memory to stand in the way of my happiness, when I myself can provide my own remedy in this matter? I will not suffer it. Aloud. Hark you, Chremes, that which you are trying to recollect is "Pasibula." CHREMES
The very same. CRITO
That's it. PAMPHILUS
I've heard it from herself a thousand times. SIMO
I suppose, Chremes, that you believe that we all rejoice at this discovery. CHREMES
So may the Gods bless me, I do believe it. PAMPHILUS
What remains to be done, father? SIMO
The event itself has quite brought me to reconcilement. PAMPHILUS
O kind father! With regard to her as a wife, since I have taken possession of her, Chremes will not offer any opposition. CHREMES
The plea is a very good one, unless perchance your father says any thing to the contrary. PAMPHILUS
Of course, I agree. SIMO
Then be it so. 7 CHREMES
Her portion, Pamphilus, is ten talents. PAMPHILUS
I alm satisfied. CHREMES
I'll hasten to my daughter. Come now, beckoning along with me, Crito; for I suppose that she will not know me. They go into GLYCERIUM'S house. SIMO
To PAMPHILUS. Why don't you order her to be sent for hither, to our house? PAMPHILUS
Well thought of; I'll at once give charge of that to Davus. SIMO
He can't do it. PAMPHILUS
How so? SIMO
Because he has another matter that more nearly concerns himself, and of more importance. PAMPHILUS
What, pray? SIMO
He is bound. PAMPHILUS
Father, he is not rightly bound. 8 SIMO
But I ordered to that effect. PAMPHILUS
Prithee, do order him to be set at liberty, SIMO
Well, be it so. PAMPHILUS
But immediately. SIMO
I'm going in. PAMPHILUS
O fortunate and happy day! SIMO goes into his house.
1 Could opportunely suggest to him: Colman has the following remark on this line: "Madame Dacier and several English Translators make Pamphilus say that he could give Crito a hint or two. What hints he could propose to suggest to Crito, I can not conceive. The Italian translation, printed with the Vatican Terence, seems to understand the words in the same manner that I have translated them, in which sense (the pronoun 'ilium' referring to Simo instead of Crito) they seem to be the most natural words of Pamphilus on occasion of his father's anger and the speech immediately preceding."
2 A sharper: “"Sycophanta."” For some account of the "sycophantae," "swindlers" or "sharpers" of ancient times, see the Notes to the Trinummus of Plautus, Bohn's Translation.
3 A long time ago: The story begins with "Olim," just in the same way that with us nursery tales commence with "There was, a long time ago."
4 A citizen of Rhamnus: Rhamnus was a maritime town of Attica, near which many of the more wealthy Athenians had country-seats. It was famous for the Temple of Nemesis there, the Goddess of Vengeance, who was thence called "Rhamnusia." In this Temple was her statue, carved by Phidias out of the marble which the Persians brought to Greece for the purpose of making a statue of Victory out of it, and which was thus appropriately devoted to the Goddess of Retribution. The statue wore a crown, and had wings, and, holding a spear of ash in the right hand, it was seated on a stag.
5 One difficulty: “"Scrupus,"” or "scrupulus," was properly a stone or small piece of gravel which, getting into the shoe, hurt the foot; hence the word figuratively came to mean a "scruple," "difficulty," or "doubt." We have a similar expression: "to be graveled."
6 A knot in a bulrush: “"Nodum in scirpo quaerere"” was a proverbial expression implying a desire to create doubts and difficulties where there really were none; there being no knots in the bulrush. The same expression occurs in the Menaechmi of Plautus, 1. 247.
7 Of course----Then be it so: “"Nempe id. Scilicet."” Colman has the following remark on this line: "Donatus, and some others after him, understand these words of Simo and Pamphilus as requiring a fortune of Chremes with his daughter; and one of them' says that Simo, in order to explain his meaning, in the representation, should produce a bag of money. This surely is precious refinement, worthy the genius of a true Commentator. Madame Dacier, who entertains a just veneration for Donatus, doubts the authenticity of the observation ascribed to him. The sense I have followed is, I think, the most obvious and natural' interpretation of the words of Pamphilus and Simo, which refers to the preceding, not the subsequent, speech of Chremes."
8 He is not rightly bound: “"Non recte vinctus;"” meaning it was not well done to bind him." The father pretends to understand him as meaning (which he might equally well by using the same words), "non satis stricte," "he wasn't tightly enough" bound; and answers "I ordered that he should be," referring to his order for Davus to be bound hand and foot. Donatus justly observes that the disposition of the old gentleman to joke is a characteristic mark of his thorough reconciliation.
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