CH. Minas quidem jam decem habet a me filia, ACTUS IV. SCENA VII I. MENEDEMUS, CHREMES. MULTO omnium me nunc fortunatissimum Factum puto esse, gnate, cum te intelligo Resipisse. C. Ut errat! M. Teipsum quærebam, Chreme : 7. Minas-decem] It is the custom of fathers to reflect on expenditure of money, even though given to their daughters. E. habet a me filia,] ¶ He says this as he looks upon the ten minæ, just given, as paid on her account, to redeem her. 8. pro alimentis] I consider this money as due by me and paid, no matter to whom, for the expense of rearing Antiphila. Bacchis under the supposition which possesses Chremes, would not be the gainer (as only receiving back what she lent) but Philtera, as having her debt paid. 9. Hasce ornamentis] Chremes justly expects that he will be obliged to pay a second sum of ten minæ to Bacchis for dress. For, in selling slaves, first the bare person was taken into account; then, the clothes. Hence the parasite, Plaut. Stich. ii. 1. 18. "nunc si ridiculum quæret hominem quispiam, venalis ego sum cum ornamentis omnibus." Comp. Plaut. Curcul. iii. 3. 65. B. Hasce] ¶ Scil. decem minas. altera.] Scil. decem minæ. 10. hæc] ¶ Put, as frequently it is, for hæ; scil. hæ viginti minæ. talenta] See i. 1. 93. talenta dotis apposcunt duo.] There is no sense in the vulgar reading, therefore Bentley's emendation is the more acceptable. Porro hæc talenta dotis apposcet duo;-hæc, scil. filia mea jam reperta. The genitive dotis depends, not on talenta, but on a noun understood, causá or nomine. Plaut. Pers. iii. 2. 66. "dabuntur dotis tibi inde sexcenti logi." R. D. apposcunt] "These minæ (from the readiness with which they are obtained from me) demand a dowry of two talents to follow them." A dowry of two talents may fairly be expected of me, as I have paid ten minæ pro alimentis, and am ready to pay ten more pro ornamentis. 11. Quàm multa] Adopt the approved conjectural reading--" Quam multa, justa, injusta, fiunt moribus ?" Comp. Adel. v. 9. 33. The meaning is,-Whether they be just or unjust, yet they are the effect of manners, and hold their sway in common life. B. 66 12. nunc,] T In the present instance, now, for instance." In point with what he complains of in previous line. rclictis rebus,] T See And. ii. 5. I. inveniendus] ¶ Playfully; alluding to his daughter just found.One would think that I find it necessary to look for a person on whom to spend my money; that I have to procure the object, as I procure the money, scil. inveniendo. See And. i. 1. 37. MENEDEMUS repeats to Chremes the statement relative to Bacchis, which has just now been truly given him by Clinia (according to Syrus' direction, iv. 3. 24, 25.) but is so far influenced by Chremes' contrary explanation, as to adopt the erroneous ideas supplied to him (Chremes) by Syrus, iv. 5. 19, &c. See note on iv. 3. 33. 1. IAMBIC TRIMETERS.--Multo] T Menedemus, as he comes out at his own door speaks these words to his son Clinia who is within. 3. Resipisse.] Anciently, for resipuisse. So sapisset for sapuisset in Plautus, Rud. iv. 1. 8. Resipiscere is, to return to a better mind. R. D. T See And. iv. 2. 15. He is Serva, quod in te est, filium, et me, et familiam. 5 C. Cedo, quid vis faciam? M. Invenisti hodie filiam. M. Hanc uxorem sibi dari vult Clinia. C. Quid tum? C. Quæso, quid tu hominis es? M. Quid est? C. Jamne oblitus Ut ea via abs te argentum auferretur? M. Scio. 10 C. Ea res nunc agitur ipsa. M. Quid dixti, Chreme? Imo hæc quidem, quæ apud me est, Clitiphonis est Et illum aiunt velle uxorem, ut, cum desponderim, [es, 15 Des, qui aurum, ac vestem, atque alia, quæ opus sunt, comparet. 20 Ne sentiat me sensisse, atque ægre ferat? C. Ægre? nimium illi, Menedeme, indulges. M. Sine, pleased at having just heard from Clinia that he wishes to seek Antiphila in marriage. Ut] Quam valdė. See iv. 2. 51. Chremes exclaims thus on hearing his friend bestowing on his son Clinia praise which, he conceives, he little deserves. 4. Serva,] Compare Simo's request to Chremes, And. iii. 3. 9. " Cujus tibi potestas summa servandi datur." The respectable marriage of a son of irregular habits, in a measure, preserves his own reputation, as well as that of his family connections. quod in te est, For quantum in te est; as iii. 1. 7. R. D. T quod in te est might here be a parenthesis: "Preserve (which is in your power) my son," &c. 5. quid vis faciam ?] T See And. ii. 3. 6. 7. quid tu hominis es?] See Hec. iv. 4. 21. And. i. 5. 16. What is come upon you? where are your senses? 8. quid sit dictum] ¶ viz. in iii. 1. 60, 61. and 89. 9. ea via] Scil. per fallaciam. 10. Ea res nunc agitur ipsa.] The execution of that very scheme of cheating you is now in progress; you are this moment under deception in crediting Clinia's account. 11. Erravi] ¶ I have actually fallen under the delusion, instead of merely pretending to do so. res acta] T In opposition to res agitur; "the thing is (not doing, but) actually done." de spe decidi] His son uses the same words, ii. 3. 9. 12. Imo hæc] ¶ I have given, in this passage, the arrangement of the speakers as adopted by Bentley and Faernus, and approved by Zeunius.-Menedemus, unwilling to admit the disappointment conveyed to him by Chremes, returns to his original idea: “Nay, now, I was not deceived after all; for this Bacchis, who is at my house, surely must be Clitipho's mistress, as I have been informed." 13. Ita aiunt.] T So they tell you, and you lend a credulous ear to all their stories. AI. ita aiunt. C. Et tu credis? uxorem,] 14. illum] ¶ Scil. Cliniam. Unnecessary to mention Antiphila's name, as she had been just now spoken of, line 6. 15. qui aurum,] ¶ See note on iv. 5. 20. quæ opus sunt,] See And. ii. 1. 37. I now 16. Id est] ¶ factum, verum. plainly see that what you state is the fact: that money which I am to give to Clinia, prcfessedly for "aurum ac vestis" will be handed by him to this Bacchis, his mistress. Scilicet Daturum.] ¶ Scire licet eum id amica esse daturum. There is no doubt that he intends to make that use of it. 19. Quid nunc] What am I to say your answer is to his proposal for your daughter in marriage? 20. Ne sentiat] T The answer should be of such a kind, that he may not perceive that my eyes have been opened to the insincerity of his suit, and be displeased. 21. Ægrè? ¶ Chremes is astonished at Inceptum est: perfice hoc mihi perpetuo, Chreme. M. Dicam; quid deinde? C. Me facturum esse omn'a; 25 Generum placere: postremo etiam, si voles, Desponsam quoque esse dicito. M. Hem, istuc volueram. Quam ocissime ut des. M. Cupio. C. Na tu propediem, 30 Sed, hæc ut ut sunt, cautim et paulatim dabis, Si sapies. M. Faciam. C. Abi intro: vide quid postulet. ACTUS V.-SCENA I. MENEDEMUS, CHREMES. EGO me non tam astutum, neque ita perspicacem, esse, certo scio : the father being so indulgent to a supposed spendthrift as to dread his being displeased. 22. Inceptum est:] Scil. indulgere; the work of indulgence has been begun by me: complete this for me. perpetuo] ¶ "Once for all," so, Eun. v. 8. 13. "perpetuò perierim;" I ask as a lasting favour, that you would fulfill this my wish of indulging Clinia. 23. convenisse,] T The impersonal verb; scil. convenisse inter nos. 24. Me facturum esse] ¶ Dic me facturum, &c. omnia ;] ¶ Quæ poscat, velit. 25. Generum placere:] T That the sonin-law (i. e. the proposal, the match) is agreeable to me. So, v. 1. 63. "gener et affines placent." 26. Desponsam] ¶ Tell him that the engagement has absolutely passed between us, that she has been betrothed to him. 27. poscat,] Scil. argentum; which it was Menedemus' earnest wish to give him. See note on 15. 29. Ut istam rem video] ¶"As I view that matter; (i. e. if I am not mistaken,) you will grow weary of that son." There is something sarcastic in the double application of iste. Obsaturabere is equivalent to satur fies; hence istius the genitive. Hor. Sat. i. 7. 35. "Satur altitium." 30. cautim et paulatim] These adverbs in im are formed from the supines of verbs, as minutim, certatim, strictim, festinatim; and sometimes from adjectives, as, paulatim, propriatim, immutatim. Ds. dabis] ¶ Cliniæ nummos. 32. si quid me voles] T See iv. 1. 10. Sane volo] ¶ Doubtless I require you, inasmuch as, whatever I shall do, I will acquaint you with it. 32. te scientem] T Al. te sciente; i. e. whatever I shall do, I will do with your knowledge. MENEDEMUS, in relating to Chremes the effect produced on Clinia by the answer to his suit (see iv. 8. 23. and 26.) and mentioning other circumstances which fell under his own observation, convinces him of the true state of affairs, that Bacchis is Clitipho's mistress. Thence Chremes consents, in earnest, to give Antiphila to Clinia, and promises a dowry of two talents, but desires Menedemus to state that he intends to give, with Antiphila, his whole property. Thereby he wishes to alarm his son Clitipho and constrain him to resign his extravagancies with Bacchis. 1. TROCHAIC TETRAMETERS CATALECTIC.Ego me ] ¶ Five lines of soliloquy, containing irony, and ridicule of Chremes, who, as Menedemns now perceives, has been the dupe of artifice, and had endeavoured to make him Sed hic adjutor meus, et monitor, et præmonstrator, Chremes Hoc mihi præstat. in me quidvis harum rerum convenit, Quæ sunt dicta in stultum, caudex, stipes, asinus, plumbeus: 5 In illum nil potest: exsuperat ejus stultitia hæc omnia. C. Ohe, jam desine deos, uxor, gratulando obtundere, Tuam esse inventam gnatam; nisi illos ex tvo ingenio judicas, Ut nil credas intelligere, nisi idem dictum est centies. Sed interim quid illic jamdudum gnatus cessat cum Syro? 10 M. Quos ais homines, Chreme, cessare? C. Ehem, Menedeme, advenis? Dic mihi, Cliniæ, quæ dixi, nuntiasti'n'? M. Omnia. C. Quid ait? M. Gaudere adeo occepit, quasi qui cupiunt nuptias. C. Ha, ha, hæ. M. Quid risisti? C. Servi venere in men [scelus. tem Syri Calliditates. M. Itane? C. Vultus quoque hominum fingit 15 M. Gnatus quod se adsimulat lætum, id dicis? C. Id. M. Idem istuc mihi so, likewise. "I surely know that I am not so cunning, nor quick-sighted to such a degree," as to see through such knaveries as these, which my friend Chremes perceives at once; i. e. "I am no doubt, a simpleton ;" an ironical retort, perhaps, for his having been asked "quid tu hominis es ?" (iv. 8. 7.) while he saw aright. Bentley has id for certo. 3. Hoc mihi præstat.] i. e. in hoc me antecedit. E. Rather, "supplies this to me;" i. e. affords to me, by his wisdom, this astutia and perspicacitas, which I lack foresooth. In me convenit,] Is appropriate when pronounced against me. 4. Quæ sunt dicta] Bentley reads dicta, on account of res preceding. But no change is necessary, for the feminine is often followed by a different gender. Eun. v. 5. 28. See Duker. on Liv. i. 3. R. D. ¶ Enallage of gender. Thucyd. i. 59. Τρέπονται ἐπὶ τὴν Μακεδονίαν ἐφ' ὅπερ καὶ τὸ πρότερον ἐξεπέμποντο. Comp. Hec. iii. 1. 7. and 28. 5. In illum nihil potest;] ¶ "But against him (Chremes) nothing (of this kind, nulla harum rerum) can be applicable " exsuperat ejus stultitia hæc omnia.] ¶ȧgoodónnτov. See v. 2. 28. 6. gratulando] Gratulari is properly gratias agere; and gratulationes are, gratiarum uctiones. R. D. obtundere,] ¶ See And. ii. 2. 11. This verb here governs deos. 7. Tuam esse inventam filiam ;] ¶i. e. gratulando quod tua sit inventa filia. nisi illos, &c.] Comp. Eun. i. 2. 118. "Ex 12. adeo coepit, quasi] ¶ The occurence of adeo quasi for ita ut is very rare. See Tursellinus, where this passage is the only instance given. "He grew quite transported to hear it, like those who wish for marriage." 13. Servi venere] Your account of Clinia's demeanour on the occasion brings to my mind the deceits of Syrus, so admirably contrived as to cause even him thus to assume a feigned deportment. 14. Itane?] Ridiculing Chremes as it were, for suffering himself to be deceived by the slave. C. "Really?" Vultus quoque hominum fingit scelus.] T The villain fashions to his pleasure the appearances (not merely of circumstances, but) also of individuals." fingit] Fingere is properly the part of the potter (figulus) who moulds figures of clay. C. scelus] For scelestus. See And. iii. 5. 1. 15. quod se assimulat lætum,] ¶ On the ground that my son feigns himself glad;”— "under the supposition that,-meaning that -my son is merely pretending joy." id dicis ?] ¶ Scil. "Vultus quoque h. f. scelus." Id.] T Scil. dico. "I do"-that is my Venit in mentem. C. Veterator. M. Magis, si magis noris, putes Ita rem esse. C. Ai'n' tu? M. Quin tu ausculta. C. ManE: hoc prius scire expeto, Quid perdideris: nam ubi desponsam nuntiasti filio, Continuo injecisse verba tibi Dromonem, scilicet, 20 Sponsæ vestem, aurum, atque ancillas, opus esse, argentum ut dares. M. Non. C. Quid? non? M. Non, inquam. C. Neque ipse gnatus? M. Nil prorsum, Chreme. Magis unum etiam instare, ut hodie conficerentur nuptiæ. C. Quamobrem? M. Nescio equidem : sed te miror, qui alia. 25 Sed ille tvum quoque Syrus idem mire finxit filium, very meaning. Idem istuc] That very same idea occurred to me; namely, suspicion that this was only mere appearance. Observe, Venit is the preterite; Menedemus could not now sincerely use the present tense here. Accomplished villain that he is; Scil. Syrus. He is still under the same error which dictated "Servi venerecalliditates" line 13. where see note. noris,] Tillum, Syrum. 16. Veterator.] 17. Ita rem esse. e.] That what you say is true; that he is "Veterator." Aisne tu?] ¶ He now first begins to fear that there is something as yet latent, of which he knows not. There is emphasis on tu ; he may be supposed tacitly to argue thus:-"Do you say it," who were so credulous just now to the misrepresentations made by Clinia? and are so little suspicious Then, indeed, I apprehend something worse. 18. Quid perdideris:] ¶ i. e. How much money you are obliged to give him, in other words, to lose; inasmuch as what you give, you give but to be squandered away. 19. scilicet,] T See ii. 3. 117. "I take it for granted that Dromo (as being Clinia's accomplice in the stratagem) immediately threw in a word or two, importing, that," &c. On injecisse verba, compare Hor. Sat. i. 4. 93. "mentio si qua De Capitolini furtis injecta Pitillî Te coram fuerit." 20. Sponsæ] For Antiphila, the bride (according to their understanding, and our stratagem). opus] ¶ For necessaria scil. negotia. And. ii. 1. 37. argentum ut dares.] ¶ With the view (on the part of Dromo) that you might give money. 21. Non.] Scil. injecit verba Dromo. Quid? non?] What? said not a word? Chremes imagines that to procure money from Menedemus was the sole object of a feigned suit for Antiphila; as set forth, iv. 8. 14, 15. 22. unum] ¶ The one thing, namely that the marriage, to which you had returned your consent, might be ratified at once. etiam instare,] T So far was he from drawing back of his proposal, that he even urged the fulfilment of it. 23. quid Syrus meus?] This seems still more wonderful, that Syrus did not utter a word to extort money. C. 24. miror, qui] Scil. te miror, qui ;— or, miror, quî, "I wonder how you can know other things so clearly," and be deceived in this. 25. ille] Whom you consider to be such a "veterator." C. Sed ille tuum] ¶ "But that same Syrus (cunning fellow that he is!) has wondrously fashioned your son also (as well as mine) to contribute to effect that," &c. Menedemus goes on ironically to praise Syrus for succeeding so far as to model the conduct of the two young men so well, as that no one could conceive that Bacchis belonged (as is the fact, forsooth) to Clinia;-but Menedemus sees very well that no modelling or fashioning was necessary, where nature and the true state of affairs guided. finxit] i. e. formavit. Hor. Ep. ii. 3. 366. "voce paternâ fingeris ad rectum." R. D. See note on 14. |