T. Maccius Plautus Bacchides 3.3

LYDUS

I’ll now make trial, whether your heart is sharpened by wisdom in your breast. Follow me.

405

PHILOXENUS

Whither shall I follow? Whither are you now leading me?

LYDUS

To her who has undone, utterly destroyed your single, only son.

PHILOXENUS

How now, Lydus; those are the wiser who moderate their passion. ’Tis less to be ² wondered at if this age does some of these things

than if it does not do so; I, as well, did the same in my youth.

410

LYDUS

Ah me! ah me! this over-indulgence has proved his ruin. For had he been without you, I should have had him trained up to moral rectitude; now, by reason of you and your trusting disposition, Pistoclerus has become abandoned.

MNESILOCHUS

(aside.)

Immortal Gods! he names my friend.

What means this, that Lydus is thus exciting his master, Pistoclerus?

415

PHILOXENUS

’Tis but a little time, Lydus, that a man has a desire to indulge his inclinations; the time will soon come, when he will hate himself even. Humour him; so that care is taken that he offends not beyond the line of honor, e’en suffer him.

LYDUS

I’ll suffer him not, nor, for my part, while I’m alive, will I allow him to be corrupted.

But you, who are pleading his cause for a son so profligate, was this same your own training, when you were a young man? I declare that for your first twenty years you had not even this much liberty, to move your foot out of the house even a finger’s length away from your tutor.

420

When it did happen so, this evil, too, was added to the evil; both pupil and preceptor were esteemed disgraced.

Before the rising of the sun had you not come to the school for exercise ³ , no slight punishment would you have had at the hands of the master of the school.

There did they exercise themselves rather with running, wrestling, the quoit, the javelin, boxing, the ball, and leaping, rather than with harlots or with kissing;

there did they prolong their lives ⁴ , and not in secret-lurking holes. Then, when from the hippodrome ⁵ and school of exercise you had returned home, clad in your belted frock ⁶ , upon a stool by your masters ⁷ would you sit; and there, when you were reading your book, if you made a mistake in a single syllable, your skin would be made as spotted as your nurse’s gown ⁸ .

430

MNESILOCHUS

(aside.)

I’m sorely vexed, to my sorrow, that on my account these things should be said about my friend. In his innocence he incurs this suspicion for my sake.

435

PHILOXENUS

The manners, Lydus, now are altered.

LYDUS

That, for my part, I know full well. For formerly, a man used to receive public honors by the votes of the people, before he ceased to be obedient to one appointed his tutor.

But now-a-days, before he is seven years old, if you touch a boy with your hand, at once the child breaks his tutor’s head with his tablet. When you go to complain to the father, thus says the father to the child: Be you my own dear boy, since you can defend yourself from an injury. The tutor then is called for; Hallo! you old good-for-nothing ⁹ ,

440

don’t you be touching the child for this reason, that he has behaved so boldly. and thus the despised tutor becomes just like a lantern ¹⁰ with his oiled linen rags. Judgment pronounced, they go away thence. Can this preceptor then, on these terms, keep up his authority, if he himself is to be beaten the first?

445

MNESILOCHUS

(aside.)

This is a severe accusation. So far as I understand his words,

’tis strange if Pistoclerus has never thumped Lydus with his fists.

450

LYDUS

(seeing MNESILOCHUS.)

But who is it that I see standing here before the door? O Philoxenus, I would not prefer for myself to behold even the propitious Gods rather than him.

PHILOXENUS

Who’s this?

LYDUS

Why, he’s Mnesilochus, the friend of your son. He is not of a like turn of mind with him who reclines and takes his meals in brothels.

Fortunate Nicobulus! who begot him for himself.

455

PHILOXENUS

(advancing.)

My greetings to you, Mnesilochus; I’m glad that you have arrived safe.

MNESILOCHUS

May the Gods favour you, Philoxenus.

LYDUS

He, now, was born at a lucky moment for his father; he goes to sea, attends to the interests of his family, takes care of the house, is obedient and attentive to the wish and commands of his father.

He, when but a boy, was the companion of Pistoclerus in his boyhood; ’tis not by three days that he is the older in age, but his disposition is more improved by thirty years than that of the other.

460

PHILOXENUS

Beware of a mischief ¹¹ , and forbear to speak of him unjustly.

LYDUS

Hold your peace. You’re a foolish man, who cannot bear to have him badly spoken of who does badly.

But I would rather have him draw upon my mishaps than upon my savings ¹² .

465

PHILOXENUS

Why so?

LYDUS

Because, if he were to draw upon my mishaps, he would each day be making them less.

MNESILOCHUS

Why, Lydus, are you censuring your pupil, my friend?

LYDUS

Your friend is ruined.

MNESILOCHUS

May the Gods forbid it.

LYDUS

’Tis so as I say. And further, I myself saw it when he was undone; I am not censuring him from hearsay.

MNESILOCHUS

What has been done by him?

470

LYDUS

He is disgracefully doting upon a harlot.

MNESILOCHUS

Won’t you be silent now?

LYDUS

She, too, like a tide, most voraciously swallows all up, whenever she has touched any one.

MNESILOCHUS

Where does this woman live?

LYDUS

Here.

(Points to the house.)

MNESILOCHUS

Whence do they say she comes?

LYDUS

From Samos.

MNESILOCHUS

What’s her name?

LYDUS

Bacchis.

MNESILOCHUS

You are wrong, Lydus; I know the whole affair, just as it is. You are blaming Pistoclerus without reason, and in his innocence.

For he is carefully performing the business enjoined on him by his friend and companion, his sincere well-wisher. Neither is he himself in love, nor do you suppose him so.

475

LYDUS

Is it necessary for him carefully to perform the business enjoined upon him by his friend in this fashion—for himself, sitting down, to hold a damsel in his lap who is kissing him? Can the business thus entrusted be in no way transacted unless ever and anon

he is placing his hand upon the bosom of Bacchis, or never withdraws his lips from hers? But I’m ashamed to make mention of other things which I have seen him do; when, in my presence, I saw him take most unbecoming liberties with the person of Bacchis, and yet not be at all ashamed. What need of words is there? My pupil, your friend, his son (pointing to PHILOXENUS), is ruined.

480

For I say that he is ruined, whose modesty in fact is lost. What need of words is there? Had I been willing to wait only a little time, that I might have had a better opportunity of viewing him, I then should, I think, have seen more than would have been proper for me to see, and for him to do.

485

MNESILOCHUS

(aside.)

Friend, you have undone me. And ought I not to punish this woman with death? I should prefer that I should perish after some dreadful fashion.

Isn’t it the fact, you know not whom to deem faithful to yourself, or in whom to put your trust?

LYDUS

Don’t you see how much he grieves that your son, his friend, has been corrupted? and how he is afflicting himself with sorrow?

PHILOXENUS

Mnesilochus, I beg this of you, that you will influence his feelings and his disposition.

Preserve for yourself a friend as well as a son for me.

495

MNESILOCHUS

I fain would do so.

LYDUS

(to PHILOXENUS.)

Much better, too, would you leave me here together with him.

PHILOXENUS

Mnesilochus has cares,

more than enough.

LYDUS

Rate the man soundly, ¹³ who disgraces me, yourself his friend, and others, by his excesses.

PHILOXENUS

(to MNESILOCHUS.)

Upon you do I impose all this responsibility. Lydus, follow me this way.

LYDUS

I follow you.

(Exeunt PHILOXENUS and LYDUS.)