Publius Terentius Afer (Terence), Eunuchus, ed. Edward St. John Parry, 5.5

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970 (LACHES. PARMENO.)

LACHES

Ex meo propinquo rure hoc capio commodi,
970

Neque agri neque urbis odium me umquam percipit.

Ubi satias coepit fieri commuto locum.

Sed estne ille noster Parmeno? et certe ipsus est.

Quem praestolare, Parmeno, hic ante ostium?

PARMENO

Quis homo est? ehem, salvum te advenire, here, gaudeo.
975

LACHES

Quem praestolare?

PARMENO

Perii: lingua haeret metu.

LACHES

Hem, quid est? quid trepidas? satin salve? dic mihi.

PARMENO

Here, primum te arbitrari quod res est velim;

Quicquid huius factum est culpa non factum est mea.

LACHES

Quid?
980

PARMENO

Recte sane interrogasti: oportuit

Rem praenarrasse me. Emit quendam Phaedria

Eunuchum quem dono huic daret.

LACHES

Cui?

PARMENO

Thaidi.

LACHES

Emit? perii hercle: quanti?

PARMENO

Viginti minis.

LACHES

Actum est.

PARMENO

Tum quandam fidicinam amat hic Chaerea.

LACHES

Hem, quid? amat? an scit iam ille quid meretrix siet?
985

An in Astu venit? aliud ex alio malum.

PARMENO

Here, ne me spectes: me impulsore haec non facit.

LACHES

Omitte de te dicere: ego te, furcifer,

Si vivo—Sed istuc, quicquid est, primum expedi.

PARMENO

Is pro illo eunucho ad Thaidem deductus est.
990

LACHES

Pro eunuchon?

PARMENO

Sic est: hunc pro moecho postea

Comprehendere intus, et constrinxere.

LACHES

Occidi.

PARMENO

Audaciam meretricum specta.

LACHES

Numquid est

Aliud mali damnive quod non dixeris

Reliquum?
995

PARMENO

Tantum est.

LACHES

Cesso huc introrumpere?

PARMENO

Non dubium est quin mihi magnum ex hac re sit malum;

Nisi quia necessus fuit hoc facere, id gaudeo,

Propter me hisce aliquid esse eventurum mali.

Nam iam diu aliquam causam quaerebat senex,

Quamobrem insigne aliquid faceret iis. Nunc repperit.
1000

Eunuchus. Publius Terentius Afer (Terence). ed. Edward St. John Parry. London. 1857.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by NSF, NEH: Digital Libraries Initiative, Phase 2.

Current edition Perseus

Eunuchus (Terence. Publii Terentii Comoediae Sex. Parry, Edward St. John, editor. London: Whittaker and Co.; George Bell, 1857.)

Translations (1)

Eunuchus; or, The Eunuch Perseus (Terence. The Comedies of Terence. Riley, Henry Thomas; Colman, George, translators. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1872.) — 5.5 focus

970 (Enter LACHES.)

LACHES

(to himself.)

I have this advantage¹ from my country-house being so near at hand; no weariness, either of country or of town, ever takes possession of me; when satiety begins to come on, I change my locality. But is not that our Parmeno? Surely it is he. Whom are you waiting for, Parmeno, before the door here?
970

PARMENO

(pretends not to see him.)

Who is it (Turning round.) Oh, I’m glad that you have returned safe.
975

LACHES

Whom are you waiting for?

PARMENO

(aside.)

I’m undone: my tongue cleaves to my mouth through fright.

LACHES

Why, what is it you are trembling about? Is all quite right? Tell me.

PARMENO

Master, in the first place, I would have you persuaded of what is the fact; whatever has happened in this affair has happened through no fault of mine.

LACHES

What is it?
980

PARMENO

Really you have reason to ask. I ought first to have told you the circumstances. Phaedria purchased a certain Eunuch, to make a present of to this woman here.

LACHES

To what woman?

PARMENO

To Thais.

LACHES

Bought? Good heavens, I’m undone! For how much?

PARMENO

Twenty minae.

LACHES

Done for, quite.

PARMENO

Then, Chaerea is in love with a certain music-girl here.

(Pointing to THAIS’s house.)

LACHES

How! What? In love? Does he know already what a courtesan means? Is he come to town? One misfortune close upon another.
985

PARMENO

Master, don’t look so at me; he didn’t do these things by my encouragement.

LACHES

Leave off talking about yourself. If I live, you hang-dog, I’ll— But first give me an account of it, whatever it is.

PARMENO

He was taken to the house of Thais in place of the Eunuch.
990

LACHES

In place of the Eunuch?

PARMENO

Such is the fact. They have since apprehended him in the house as a ravisher, and bound him.

LACHES

Death!

PARMENO

Mark the assurance of courtesans.

LACHES

Is there any other calamity or misfortune besides, that you have not told me of?

PARMENO

That’s all.

LACHES

Do I delay rushing in here?

(Runs into the house of THAIS.)

PARMENO

(to himself.)

There’s no doubt but that I shall have a heavy punishment for this affair, only that I was obliged to act thus. I’m glad of this, that some mischief will befall these women here through my agency, for the old man has, for a long time, been on the look-out for some occasion²

to do them a bad turn; at last he has found it.
1000

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LACHES Ex meo propinquo rure hoc capio commodi, 970 Neque agri neque urbis odium me umquam percipit. Ubi satias coepit fieri commuto locum. Sed estne ille noster Parmeno? et certe ipsus est. Quem praestolare, Parmeno, hic ante ostium?

PARMENO Quis homo est? ehem, salvum te advenire, here, gaudeo. 975

LACHES Quem praestolare?

PARMENO Perii: lingua haeret metu.

LACHES Hem, quid est? quid trepidas? satin salve? dic mihi.

PARMENO Here, primum te arbitrari quod res est velim; Quicquid huius factum est culpa non factum est mea.

LACHES Quid? 980

PARMENO Recte sane interrogasti: oportuit Rem praenarrasse me. Emit quendam Phaedria Eunuchum quem dono huic daret.

LACHES Cui?

PARMENO Thaidi.

LACHES Emit? perii hercle: quanti?

PARMENO Viginti minis.

LACHES Actum est.

PARMENO Tum quandam fidicinam amat hic Chaerea.

LACHES Hem, quid? amat? an scit iam ille quid meretrix siet? 985 An in Astu venit? aliud ex alio malum.

PARMENO Here, ne me spectes: me impulsore haec non facit.

LACHES Omitte de te dicere: ego te, furcifer, Si vivo—Sed istuc, quicquid est, primum expedi.

PARMENO Is pro illo eunucho ad Thaidem deductus est. 990

LACHES Pro eunuchon?

PARMENO Sic est: hunc pro moecho postea Comprehendere intus, et constrinxere.

LACHES Occidi.

PARMENO Audaciam meretricum specta.

LACHES Numquid est Aliud mali damnive quod non dixeris Reliquum? 995

PARMENO Tantum est.

LACHES Cesso huc introrumpere?

PARMENO Non dubium est quin mihi magnum ex hac re sit malum; Nisi quia necessus fuit hoc facere, id gaudeo, Propter me hisce aliquid esse eventurum mali. Nam iam diu aliquam causam quaerebat senex, Quamobrem insigne aliquid faceret iis. Nunc repperit. 1000

Current edition Perseus

PARMENO (pretends not to see him.) Who is it (Turning round.) Oh, I’m glad that you have returned safe. 975

LACHES Whom are you waiting for?

PARMENO (aside.) I’m undone: my tongue cleaves to my mouth through fright.

LACHES Why, what is it you are trembling about? Is all quite right? Tell me.

PARMENO Master, in the first place, I would have you persuaded of what is the fact; whatever has happened in this affair has happened through no fault of mine.

LACHES What is it? 980

PARMENO Really you have reason to ask. I ought first to have told you the circumstances. Phaedria purchased a certain Eunuch, to make a present of to this woman here.

LACHES To what woman?

PARMENO To Thais.

LACHES Bought? Good heavens, I’m undone! For how much?

PARMENO Twenty minae.

LACHES Done for, quite.

PARMENO Then, Chaerea is in love with a certain music-girl here. (Pointing to THAIS’s house.)

LACHES How! What? In love? Does he know already what a courtesan means? Is he come to town? One misfortune close upon another. 985

PARMENO Master, don’t look so at me; he didn’t do these things by my encouragement.

LACHES Leave off talking about yourself. If I live, you hang-dog, I’ll— But first give me an account of it, whatever it is.

PARMENO He was taken to the house of Thais in place of the Eunuch. 990

LACHES In place of the Eunuch?

PARMENO Such is the fact. They have since apprehended him in the house as a ravisher, and bound him.

LACHES Death!

PARMENO Mark the assurance of courtesans.

LACHES Is there any other calamity or misfortune besides, that you have not told me of?

PARMENO That’s all.

LACHES Do I delay rushing in here? (Runs into the house of THAIS.)

Stable identifiers

LACHES

Ex meo propinquo rure hoc capio commodi,
970

Neque agri neque urbis odium me umquam percipit.

Ubi satias coepit fieri commuto locum.

Sed estne ille noster Parmeno? et certe ipsus est.

Quem praestolare, Parmeno, hic ante ostium?

PARMENO

Quis homo est? ehem, salvum te advenire, here, gaudeo.
975

LACHES

Quem praestolare?

PARMENO

Perii: lingua haeret metu.

LACHES

Hem, quid est? quid trepidas? satin salve? dic mihi.

PARMENO

Here, primum te arbitrari quod res est velim;

Quicquid huius factum est culpa non factum est mea.

LACHES

Quid?
980

PARMENO

Recte sane interrogasti: oportuit

Rem praenarrasse me. Emit quendam Phaedria

Eunuchum quem dono huic daret.

LACHES

Cui?

PARMENO

Thaidi.

LACHES

Emit? perii hercle: quanti?

PARMENO

Viginti minis.

LACHES

Actum est.

PARMENO

Tum quandam fidicinam amat hic Chaerea.

LACHES

Hem, quid? amat? an scit iam ille quid meretrix siet?
985

An in Astu venit? aliud ex alio malum.

PARMENO

Here, ne me spectes: me impulsore haec non facit.

LACHES

Omitte de te dicere: ego te, furcifer,

Si vivo—Sed istuc, quicquid est, primum expedi.

PARMENO

Is pro illo eunucho ad Thaidem deductus est.
990

LACHES

Pro eunuchon?

PARMENO

Sic est: hunc pro moecho postea

Comprehendere intus, et constrinxere.

LACHES

Occidi.

PARMENO

Audaciam meretricum specta.

LACHES

Numquid est

Aliud mali damnive quod non dixeris

Reliquum?
995

PARMENO

Tantum est.

LACHES

Cesso huc introrumpere?

PARMENO

Non dubium est quin mihi magnum ex hac re sit malum;

Nisi quia necessus fuit hoc facere, id gaudeo,

Propter me hisce aliquid esse eventurum mali.

Nam iam diu aliquam causam quaerebat senex,

Quamobrem insigne aliquid faceret iis. Nunc repperit.
1000

PARMENO

(pretends not to see him.)

Who is it (Turning round.) Oh, I’m glad that you have returned safe.
975

LACHES

Whom are you waiting for?

PARMENO

(aside.)

I’m undone: my tongue cleaves to my mouth through fright.

LACHES

Why, what is it you are trembling about? Is all quite right? Tell me.

PARMENO

Master, in the first place, I would have you persuaded of what is the fact; whatever has happened in this affair has happened through no fault of mine.

LACHES

What is it?
980

PARMENO

Really you have reason to ask. I ought first to have told you the circumstances. Phaedria purchased a certain Eunuch, to make a present of to this woman here.

LACHES

To what woman?

PARMENO

To Thais.

LACHES

Bought? Good heavens, I’m undone! For how much?

PARMENO

Twenty minae.

LACHES

Done for, quite.

PARMENO

Then, Chaerea is in love with a certain music-girl here.

(Pointing to THAIS’s house.)

LACHES

How! What? In love? Does he know already what a courtesan means? Is he come to town? One misfortune close upon another.
985

PARMENO

Master, don’t look so at me; he didn’t do these things by my encouragement.

LACHES

Leave off talking about yourself. If I live, you hang-dog, I’ll— But first give me an account of it, whatever it is.

PARMENO

He was taken to the house of Thais in place of the Eunuch.
990

LACHES

In place of the Eunuch?

PARMENO

Such is the fact. They have since apprehended him in the house as a ravisher, and bound him.

LACHES

Death!

PARMENO

Mark the assurance of courtesans.

LACHES

Is there any other calamity or misfortune besides, that you have not told me of?

PARMENO

That’s all.

LACHES

Do I delay rushing in here?

(Runs into the house of THAIS.)