T. Maccius Plautus Cistellaria 1.1

SILENIUM

Inasmuch as hitherto I have loved you, and have deemed you to be my friend, my dear Gymnasium, and your mother as well; so have you shown it to me this day, both you and she. If you had been my own sister, how more you two could possibly have held me in esteem

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I know not; but, according as is my way of thinking, I conceive it could not possibly be, such ready assistance, all other things laid aside, have you given me. For this reason do I love you, and for it a vast obligation have you both conferred upon me.

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GYMNASIUM

I’ faith, at such a price as this, indeed, it’s easy for us to give you our attendance and to do you good offices;

so handsomely and so elegantly have you entertained us at breakfast at your house, as we shall ever remember.

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SILENIUM

It has been done with hearty good will by me, and will be done, to get those things which I shall think you are desirous of.

A PROCURESS

As the man said, who was borne by a prospering breeze on a calm sea:

I rejoice that we came ² to you; in such a delightful manner have we been here this day received; nor except in the management, was there anything there at your house but what pleased me.

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SILENIUM

How so, prithee?

A PROCURESS

Too seldom did the servant give me something to drink, and, as it was, it clouded the colour of the wine.

GYMNASIUM

Pray, is that becoming to be mentioned here?

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A PROCURESS

It’s both right and proper; there’s no other person here.

SILENIUM

With reason do I love you both, who esteem and honor me.

A PROCURESS

I’ faith, my dear Silenium, it befits this class to be kindly disposed among themselves, and carefully to keep up friendships,

when you see these matrons of elevated rank, born of the noblest families, how they value friendship, and how carefully they keep it united between themselves. If we do that same thing, if we imitate the same example, still as it is, with difficulty do we exist with their extreme dislike. Of their own enjoyments they would have us to be in want,

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in resources of our own they would have us not to possess any power, and to stand in need of them in all matters, that we may be their humble servants ³ . If you wait upon them, you’d rather be giving your room than your company. So very kind are they before the world to our class; in private, if ever there’s the opportunity,

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underhandedly they pour cold water ⁴ upon us. They declare that we are in the habit of having commerce with their husbands; they say that we are their supplanters; they attempt to crush us. Because we are the free daughters of slaves ⁵ , both I and your mother, we became Courtesans; she brought up yourself, and I this girl (pointing to GYMNASIUM),

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by chance-fathers. Nor yet for the sake of vanity have I driven her to the calling of a Courtesan, but that I mightn’t starve.

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SILENIUM

But it had been better to give her in marriage to a husband in preference.

A PROCURESS

Heyday, now! Surely, faith, she’s married to a husband every day; she has both been married to one to-day, she’ll be marrying again to-night. I’ve never allowed her to go to bed a widow.

For if she weren’t to be marrying, the household would perish with doleful famine.

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GYMNASIUM

It behoves me, mother, to be just as you wish I should be.

A PROCURESS

I’ troth, I don’t regret it, if you will prove such as you say you’ll be; for if, indeed, you shall be such as I intend, you’ll never be a Hecale ⁶ in your old age, and you’ll ever keep that same tender age which you now have,

and you’ll prove a loss to many and a profit to myself full oft, without any outlay of my own.

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GYMNASIUM

May the Gods grant it.

A PROCURESS

Without your own energies ⁷ , the Gods cannot possibly do anything in this.

GYMNASIUM

I’ faith, for my own part, I’ll zealously devote my energies to it. But what mean you amid this conversation, apple of my eye, my own Silenium? (never did I see you more sad); prithee, do tell me, why does mirth so shun you?

And you are not so neat as you usually are. (SILENIUM sighs.) Do look at that, please, how deep a sigh she heaved. You are pale too. Tell us both what’s the matter with you, and in what you want our aid; so that we may know. Prithee, don’t by your tears be causing me anxiety.

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SILENIUM

My dear Gymnasium, I’m sadly affected; I feel ill, I am shockingly distrest;

I am pained in spirits, I feel pain in my eyes, I am in pain from faintness. What shall I say, but that my own folly drives me to sadness?

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GYMNASIUM

Take you care, then, that you have your folly entombed in that very same place from which it takes its rise.

SILENIUM

What shall I do?

GYMNASIUM

Hide it in darkness, in the very deepest recesses of your breast. Take you care and have it so, that you yourself are alone sensible of your own folly, without any other witnesses.

SILENIUM

But I’ve got the heart-ache.

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GYMNASIUM

Why so? For what reason have you the heartache, prithee, tell me, a thing that I neither have, nor any other woman whatever, according as the men say?

SILENIUM

If there’s any heart to feel pain, it does feel pain; but if there isn’t, still this pains me here.

(Pointing to her left-side.)

A PROCURESS

This woman’s in love.

GYMNASIUM

Come now, to begin to be in love, is it bitter, prithee?

A PROCURESS

Why, troth, love is most fruitful both in honey and in gall;

inasmuch as it produces sweetness in a mere taste, but causes bitterness even to repletion.

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SILENIUM

Of that character is the malady that afflicts me, my dear Gymnasium.

GYMNASIUM

Love is full of treachery.

SILENIUM

He’s taking his spoils of me, then.

GYMNASIUM

Be of good courage, you’ll get the better of this malady.

SILENIUM

I trust it will be so, if the physician comes that can administer the medicine to this malady.

GYMNASIUM

He will come.

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SILENIUM

A hard expression is that to one in love, He will come, unless he does come. But by my own fault and foolishness, am I, wretched creature, more afflicted, because for him alone have I longed for myself, with whom to pass my life.

A PROCURESS

That is more suitable to a married woman, my dear Silenium, to love but one, and with him to pass her life, to whom she has once been married;

but, indeed, a Courtesan is most like a flourishing city; she cannot alone increase her fortunes without a multitude of men.

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SILENIUM

I want you to give heed to this matter; the thing on account of which you have been sent for to me, I’ll disclose. Now, my mother, because I don’t wish myself to be called a Courtesan, complied with my desire; in that matter she indulged myself who have been obedient to her;

to allow me to live with him alone whom I so ardently loved.

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A PROCURESS

I’ faith, she acted foolishly. But look, have you ever kept company with any man?

SILENIUM

With no one, indeed, except Alcesimarchus; nor has any other person whatever committed an infringement on my chastity.

A PROCURESS

Prithee, by what means did this man gain your good graces?

SILENIUM

At the festival of Bacchus

my mother took me to see the procession. While I was returning home, from a secret look-out he secretly traced me even to the door; after that, he insinuated himself into the friendship of my mother and myself as well, by endearments, presents, and gifts.

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A PROCURESS

I should like a man of that sort to be offered me. How I’d work him.

SILENIUM

What need is there of words? Through intercourse, I on the other hand began to love him, and he myself.

A PROCURESS

O my dear Silenium—!

SILENIUM

What’s the matter?

A PROCURESS

You ought to pretend to be in love; for if you fall in love at once, you’ll be much better consulting the interests of him whom you love than your own.

SILENIUM

But in solemn form he took an oath before my mother that he would take me as his wife. Now, another woman is about to be taken home by him,

a Lemnian lady, his relation, who is living here hard by (pointing to DEMIPHO’S house); for his father has compelled him. Now my mother is enraged with me, because I didn’t return home to her, when I came to know of this matter, that he was about to take another as his wife.

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A PROCURESS

Nothing’s unfair in love.

SILENIUM

Now, I entreat you that you’ll let her (pointing to GYMNASIUM) be here only for the next three days,

and keep house for me; for I’ve been sent for to my mother’s house.

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A PROCURESS

Although this will be a troublesome three days for me, and you’ll be causing me a loss, I’ll do so.

SILENIUM

You act kindly and like a friend. But you, my dear Gymnasium, if in my absence Alcesimarchus shall come, don’t you chide him roughly; however he has deserved of myself, still he has my affections;

but, prithee, act gently, so that you mayn’t say anything that may cause him pain. Take the keys (giving them to her); if you have need to take out anything for use, take it out. I wish to go—

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GYMNASIUM

(weeping.) How you have drawn tears from me.

SILENIUM

My dear Gymnasium, kindly, farewell.

GYMNASIUM

Take care of yourself, there’s a dear. Prithee, will you go in this dishabille?

(Pointing to her dress.)

SILENIUM

It’s right that such neglect should attend upon my prospects thus disarranged.

GYMNASIUM

At least do lift up that outer garment ⁸ .

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SILENIUM

Let it be dragged, while I myself am being dragged down.

GYMNASIUM

Since so it pleases you, fare you well and prosper.

SILENIUM

If I could, I would.

(Exit.)

GYMNASIUM

Mother, do you wish anything of me, before I go indoors? Upon my faith, to me she does seem to be in love.

A PROCURESS

For this reason, then, it is, that I’m repeatedly dinning it into your ears, not to be in love with any man. Go in-doors.

GYMNASIUM

Do you wish anything of me?

A PROCURESS

That you may fare well.

GYMNASIUM

Fare you well.

(GYMNASIUM goes into the house of SILENTIUM.)