T. Maccius Plautus Cistellaria 2.3

PHANOSTRATA

(to herself.)

I seemed just now to be hearing the voice of my servant Lampadiscus before the house.

LAMPADISCUS

(stepping forward.)

You are not deaf, mistress, you heard aright.

PHANOSTRATA

What are you doing here?

LAMPADISCUS

A thing for you to rejoice at.

PHANOSTRATA

What’s that?

LAMPADISCUS

(pointing to the house of SILENIUM.)

A little while ago, I saw a woman coming out of that house there.

PHANOSTRATA

Her that took up my daughter?

LAMPADISCUS

You have the matter rgiht.

PHANOSTRATA

What after that?

LAMPADISCUS

I told her in what way I had seen her take up the daughter of my mistress from the Hippodrome.

Then she was in a fright.

MELAENIS

(apart.) Now my body’s in a shudder, my heart is throbbing; for I recollect that from the Hippodrome the little female infant was brought to me, and that I brought it up as my own.

PHANOSTRATA

Come, prithee, do go on; my soul’s longing to hear

how the matter proceeded.

555

MELAENIS

(apart.) I only wish you couldn’t hear.

LAMPADISCUS

I proceed saying ¹ , This old woman calls you her daughter wrongfully. For this woman here is your foster-mother, so don’t think she is your mother. I’m to take you back and invite you to opulence, where you may be settled in a noble family,

where your father may present you with twenty great talents for a portion. For this is not a place where after the Etrurian mode ² you are disgracefully to earn a dowry for yourself by prostitution of your person.

560

PHANOSTRATA

Is she, pray, a Courtesan, who took it up?

LAMPADISCUS

Yes, she was a Courtesan. But how it happened, I’ll tell you about that matter. I was now winning her over to me by my persuasion. The old woman embraced her knees, weeping and entreating that she would not forsake her; saying that she was her own daughter; and she took a solemn oath to me that she herself had borne her.

565

Her, said she, whom you are in search of, I gave to a friend of mine to bring her up as her own daughter; and she is alive, said she. Where is she? immediately said I.

570

PHANOSTRATA

Preserve me, ye Gods, I do entreat you.

MELAENIS

(apart.)

But me you are undoing!

PHANOSTRATA

You ought to have enquired to whom she gave it.

LAMPADISCUS

I did enquire, and she said to the Courtesan Melaenis.

575

MELAENIS

(apart.)

He has mentioned my name? I’m utterly undone!

LAMPADISCUS

When she mentioned her, I straightway asked, Where does she live? said I; take and show me. She has been carried off hence, says she, to live abroad.

MELAENIS

He’s sprinkling ³ a little cold water now.

LAMPADISCUS

Wherever she has been carried off, thither we will follow. Do you trifle in this fashion? You are undone, if, i’ faith, you don’t disclose this.I insisted to such a degree, that the old woman swore that she would soon inform me.

PHANOSTRATA

But you oughtn’t to have let her go.

LAMPADISCUS

She’s all safe; but she said that she wished first to meet a certain woman, a friend of hers, with whom this was a matter of interest in common, and I’m sure she’ll come.

585

MELAENIS

(apart.)

She’ll be discovering me, and adding her own distress to mine.

PHANOSTRATA

Make me acquainted what you now wish me to do.

LAMPADISCUS

Go in-doors, and be of good heart. If your husband shall come, bid him wait at home, lest he should be required by me, if I want him for anything. I’m going to run back to the old woman.

PHANOSTRATA

Lampadio, prithee, do take care.

LAMPADISCUS

I’ll have this matter well managed.

PHANOSTRATA

I trust in the Gods and in yourself.

LAMPADISCUS

And I in the same.—that you’ll now go home.

(PHANOSTRATA goes into her house.)

MELAENIS

(coming forward.)

Young man, stay and listen.

LAMPADISCUS

What, are you calling to me, woman?

MELAENIS

To you.

LAMPADISCUS

What’s the matter? For I’m fully engaged.

MELAENIS

(Pointing to the house of DEMIPHO.)

Who lives there?

LAMPADISCUS

Demipho, my master.

MELAENIS

It is he, I suppose, that has betrothed his daughter with such great wealth to Alcesimarchus?

600

LAMPADISCUS

It is he himself.

MELAENIS

How now, you? What other daughter, then, are you people now in search of?

LAMPADISCUS

I’ll tell you; not his daughter by his wife, but his wife’s daughter.

MELAENIS

What’s the meaning of that speech?

605

LAMPADISCUS

By a former woman, I say, my master had a daughter born.

MELAENIS

Surely, just now you said you were in search of the daughter of her who has been talking here.

LAMPADISCUS

Her daughter I am in search of.

MELAENIS

In what way then, pray, is she a former woman, who is now his wife?

LAMPADISCUS

Woman, whoever you are, you weary me with your prating.

The middle woman ⁴ whom he had for a wife, of her this maiden was born that’s being given to Alcesimarchus. That wife is dead. Do you understand now?

MELAENIS

I understand that quite well; but it’s this knotty point I’m enquiring about, how

the first can be the last, the last be the first.

615

LAMPADISCUS

The fact is this; this woman he ravished before he took her home as his wife; before that she was pregnant, and before that she gave birth to a daughter: after she gave birth to her, she ordered the infant to be exposed; I myself exposed her; another woman took her away;

I was on the look-out; after that, my master married her. That girl, her daughter, we are now in search of. (MELAENIS turns aside her head.) Why now, with face upturned, are you looking up towards the heavens?

620

MELAENIS

Now, then, be off at once whither you were hastening; I won’t detain you; I understand it now.

LAMPADISCUS

I’ troth, to the Deities I do give thanks;

for if you hadn’t understood me, I do think you would never have let me go.

625

(Exit.)

MELAENIS

(to herself.)

Now it’s necessary for me to be honest, whether I will or no, although I had rather not; I find the thing is discovered. Now will I myself lay them under an obligation to me, rather than she shall peach upon me. I’ll go home,

and I’ll bring Silenium to her parents.

630

(Exit.)