Publius Terentius Afer (Terence), Phormio, ed. Edward St. John Parry, 5.3

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(DEMIPHO. NAUSISTRATA. CHREMES.)

DEMIPHO

Agedum, ut soles, Nausistrata, fac illa ut placetur nobis;

Ut sua voluntate id quod est faciendum faciat.
785

NAUSISTRATA

Faciam.

DEMIPHO

Pariter nunc opera me adiuvas ac re dudum opitulata es.

NAUSISTRATA

Factum volo; at pol minus queo viri culpa quam me dignum est.

DEMIPHO

Quid autem?

NAUSISTRATA

Quia pol mei patris bene parta indiligenter

Tutatur; nam ex his praediis talenta argenti bina

Statim capiebat. Vir viro quid praestat!
790

DEMIPHO

Binan quaeso?

NAUSISTRATA

Ac rebus vilioribus multo, tamen talenta bina.

DEMIPHO

Hui.

NAUSISTRATA

Quid haec videntur?

DEMIPHO

Scilicet.

NAUSISTRATA

Virmn me natum vellem:

Ego ostenderem—

DEMIPHO

Certo scio.

NAUSISTRATA

quo pacto—

DEMIPHO

Parce, sodes,

Ut possis cum illa; ne te adolescens mulier defatiget.

NAUSISTRATA

Faciam ut iubes: sed meum virum abs te exire video.
795

CHREMES

Hem, Demipho,

Iam illi datum est argentum?

DEMIPHO

Curavi ilico.

CHREMES

Nollem datum.

Hei, video uxorem, paene plus quam sat erat.

DEMIPHO

Cur nolles, Chreme?

CHREMES

Iam recte.

DEMIPHO

Quid tu? ecquid locutus cum ista es quamobrem hanc ducimus?

CHREMES

Transegi.

DEMIPHO

Quid ait tandem?

CHREMES

Abduci non potest.

DEMIPHO

Qui non potest?

CHREMES

Quia uterque utrique est cordi.
800

DEMIPHO

Quid istuc nostra?

CHREMES

Magni: praeter haec,

Cognatam comperi esse nobis.

DEMIPHO

Quid? deliras?

CHREMES

Sic erit.

Non temere dico: redii mecum in memoriam.

DEMIPHO

Satin sanus es?

NAUSISTRATA

Au, obsecro, cave ne in cognatam pecces.

DEMIPHO

Non est.

CHREMES

Ne nega.

Patris nomen aliud dictum est: hoc tu errasti.

DEMIPHO

Non norat patrem?

CHREMES

Norat.
805

DEMIPHO

Cur aliud dixit?

CHREMES

Nunquamne hodie concedes mihi,

Neque intelliges?

DEMIPHO

Si tu nihil narras—

CHREMES

Pergis?

NAUSISTRATA

Miror quid hoc siet.

DEMIPHO

Equidem hercle nescio.

CHREMES

Vin scire? At ita me servet Iupiter

Ut propior illi quam ego sum ac tu nemo est.

DEMIPHO

Di vestram fidem!

Eamus ad ipsam: una omnes nos aut scire aut nescire hoc volo.

CHREMES

Ah.

DEMIPHO

Quid est?
810

CHREMES

Itan parvam mihi fidem esse apud te?

DEMIPHO

Vin me credere?

Vin satis quaesitum mihi istuc esse? Age, fiat: quid? illa filia

Amici nostri quid futurum est?

CHREMES

Recte.

DEMIPHO

Hanc igitur mittimus?

CHREMES

Quidni?

DEMIPHO

Illa maneat?

CHREMES

Sic.

DEMIPHO

Ire igitur tibi licet, Nausistrata.

NAUSISTRATA

Sic pol commodius esse in omnes arbitror quam ut coeperas,

Mancre hanc; nam perliberalis visa est quum vidi mihi.
815

DEMIPHO

Quid istuc negoti est?

CHREMES

Iamne operuit ostium?

DEMIPHO

Iam.

CHREMES

O Iupiter,

Di nos respiciunt: gnatam inveni nuptam cum tuo tilio.

DEMIPHO

Hem,

Quo pacto id potuit?

CHREMES

Non satis tutus est ad narrandum hic locus.

DEMIPHO

At tu abi intro.

CHREMES

Heus, ne filii quidem nostri hoc resciscant volo.

Phormio. 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

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

Translations (1)

Phormio; or, The Scheming Parasite Perseus (Terence. The Comedies of Terence. Riley, Henry Thomas; Colman, George, translators. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1872.) — 5.3 focus

784 (Enter DEMIPHO and NAUSISTRATA, from the house of CHREMES.)

DEMIPHO

Come now, Nausistrata, after your usual way, manage to keep her in good-humor with us,

and make her do of her own accord what must be done.
785

NAUSISTRATA

I will.

DEMIPHO

You are now seconding me with your endeavors, just as you assisted me with your money¹ before.

NAUSISTRATA

I wish to do so; and yet, i’ faith, through the fault of my husband, I am less able than I ought to be.

DEMIPHO

Why so?

NAUSISTRATA

Because, i’ faith, he takes such indifferent care of the property that was so industriously acquired by my father; for from those farms he used regularly to receive two talents of silver yearly; there’s an instance, how superior one man is to another.

DEMIPHO

Two talents, pray?

NAUSISTRATA

Aye, and when things were much worse, two talents even.

DEMIPHO

Whew!

NAUSISTRATA

What! does this seem surprising?

DEMIPHO

Of course it does.

NAUSISTRATA

I wish I had been born a man; I’d have shown—

DEMIPHO

That I’m quite sure of.

NAUSISTRATA

In what way—

DEMIPHO

Forbear, pray, that you may be able to do battle with her; lest she, being a young woman, may be more than a match for you.

NAUSISTRATA

I’ll do as you bid me; but I see my husband coming out of your house. (Enter CHREMES, hastily, from DEMIPHO’S house.)
795

CHREMES

Ha! Demipho, has the money been paid him yet?

DEMIPHO

I took care immediately.

CHREMES

I wish it hadn’t been paid him. (On seeing NAUSISTRATA, aside.): Halloo, I espy my wife; I had almost said more than I ought.

DEMIPHO

Why do you wish I hadn’t, Chremes?

CHREMES

It’s all right.

DEMIPHO

What say you? Have you been letting her know why we are going to bring her? (pointing to NAUSISTRATA.)

CHREMES

I’ve arranged it.

DEMIPHO

Pray, what does she say?

CHREMES

She can’t be got to leave.

DEMIPHO

Why can’t she?

CHREMES

Because they are fond of one another.
800

DEMIPHO

What’s that to us?

CHREMES

(apart, to DEMIPHO.)

A great deal; besides that, I’ve found out that she is related to us.

DEMIPHO

(apart.)

What! You are mad, surely.

CHREMES

(apart.)

So you will find; I don’t speak at random; I’ve recovered my recollection.

DEMIPHO

(apart.)

Are you quite in your senses?

CHREMES

(apart.)

Nay, prithee, do take care not to injure your kinswoman.

DEMIPHO

(apart.)

She is not.

CHREMES

(apart.)

Don’t deny it; her father went by another name; that was the cause of your mistake.

DEMIPHO

(apart.)

Did she not know who was her father?

CHREMES

(apart.)

She did.
805

DEMIPHO

(apart.)

Why did she call him by another name?

CHREMES

(apart, frowning.)

Will you never yield to me, nor understand what I mean?

DEMIPHO

(apart.)

If you don’t tell me of any thing—

CHREMES

(impatiently.)

Do you persist?

NAUSISTRATA

I wonder what all this can be.

DEMIPHO

For my part, upon my faith, I don’t know.

CHREMES

(whispering to him.)

Would you like to know? Then, so may Jupiter preserve me, not a person is there more nearly related to her than are you and I.

DEMIPHO

(starting.)

Ye Gods, by our trust in you! let’s away to her; I wish for all of us, one way or other, to be sure about this (going).

CHREMES

(stopping him.)

Ah!

DEMIPHO

What’s the matter?
810

CHREMES

That you should put so little confidence in me!

DEMIPHO

Do you wish me to believe you? Do you wish me to consider this as quite certain? Very well, be it so. Well, what’s to be done with our friend’s² daughter?

CHREMES

She’ll do well enough.

DEMIPHO

Are we to drop her, then?

CHREMES

Why not?

DEMIPHO

The other one to stop?

CHREMES

Just so.

DEMIPHO

You may go then, Nausistrata.

NAUSISTRATA

I’ faith, I think it better for all that she should remain here as it is,

than as you first intended; for she seemed to me a very genteel person when I saw her.
815
(Goes into her house.)

DEMIPHO

What is the meaning of all this?

CHREMES

(looking at the door of his house.)

Has she shut the door yet?

DEMIPHO

Now she has.

CHREMES

O Jupiter! the Gods do befriend us; I have found that it is my daughter married to your son.

DEMIPHO

Ha! How can that possibly be?

CHREMES

This spot is not exactly suited for me to tell it you.

DEMIPHO

Well then, step in-doors.

CHREMES

Hark, you, I don’t wish our sons even to come to know of this.

(They go into DEMIPHO’S house.)

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DEMIPHO Agedum, ut soles, Nausistrata, fac illa ut placetur nobis; Ut sua voluntate id quod est faciendum faciat. 785

NAUSISTRATA Faciam.

DEMIPHO Pariter nunc opera me adiuvas ac re dudum opitulata es.

NAUSISTRATA Factum volo; at pol minus queo viri culpa quam me dignum est.

DEMIPHO Quid autem?

NAUSISTRATA Quia pol mei patris bene parta indiligenter Tutatur; nam ex his praediis talenta argenti bina Statim capiebat. Vir viro quid praestat! 790

DEMIPHO Binan quaeso?

NAUSISTRATA Ac rebus vilioribus multo, tamen talenta bina.

DEMIPHO Hui.

NAUSISTRATA Quid haec videntur?

DEMIPHO Scilicet.

NAUSISTRATA Virmn me natum vellem: Ego ostenderem—

DEMIPHO Certo scio.

NAUSISTRATA quo pacto—

DEMIPHO Parce, sodes, Ut possis cum illa; ne te adolescens mulier defatiget.

NAUSISTRATA Faciam ut iubes: sed meum virum abs te exire video. 795

CHREMES Hem, Demipho, Iam illi datum est argentum?

DEMIPHO Curavi ilico.

CHREMES Nollem datum. Hei, video uxorem, paene plus quam sat erat.

DEMIPHO Cur nolles, Chreme?

CHREMES Iam recte.

DEMIPHO Quid tu? ecquid locutus cum ista es quamobrem hanc ducimus?

CHREMES Transegi.

DEMIPHO Quid ait tandem?

CHREMES Abduci non potest.

DEMIPHO Qui non potest?

CHREMES Quia uterque utrique est cordi. 800

DEMIPHO Quid istuc nostra?

CHREMES Magni: praeter haec, Cognatam comperi esse nobis.

DEMIPHO Quid? deliras?

CHREMES Sic erit. Non temere dico: redii mecum in memoriam.

DEMIPHO Satin sanus es?

NAUSISTRATA Au, obsecro, cave ne in cognatam pecces.

DEMIPHO Non est.

CHREMES Ne nega. Patris nomen aliud dictum est: hoc tu errasti.

DEMIPHO Non norat patrem?

CHREMES Norat. 805

DEMIPHO Cur aliud dixit?

CHREMES Nunquamne hodie concedes mihi, Neque intelliges?

DEMIPHO Si tu nihil narras—

CHREMES Pergis?

NAUSISTRATA Miror quid hoc siet.

DEMIPHO Equidem hercle nescio.

CHREMES Vin scire? At ita me servet Iupiter Ut propior illi quam ego sum ac tu nemo est.

DEMIPHO Di vestram fidem! Eamus ad ipsam: una omnes nos aut scire aut nescire hoc volo.

CHREMES Ah.

DEMIPHO Quid est? 810

CHREMES Itan parvam mihi fidem esse apud te?

DEMIPHO Vin me credere? Vin satis quaesitum mihi istuc esse? Age, fiat: quid? illa filia Amici nostri quid futurum est?

CHREMES Recte.

DEMIPHO Hanc igitur mittimus?

CHREMES Quidni?

DEMIPHO Illa maneat?

CHREMES Sic.

DEMIPHO Ire igitur tibi licet, Nausistrata.

NAUSISTRATA Sic pol commodius esse in omnes arbitror quam ut coeperas, Mancre hanc; nam perliberalis visa est quum vidi mihi. 815

DEMIPHO Quid istuc negoti est?

CHREMES Iamne operuit ostium?

DEMIPHO Iam.

CHREMES O Iupiter, Di nos respiciunt: gnatam inveni nuptam cum tuo tilio.

DEMIPHO Hem, Quo pacto id potuit?

CHREMES Non satis tutus est ad narrandum hic locus.

DEMIPHO At tu abi intro.

CHREMES Heus, ne filii quidem nostri hoc resciscant volo.

Current edition Perseus

DEMIPHO Come now, Nausistrata, after your usual way, manage to keep her in good-humor with us, and make her do of her own accord what must be done. 785

NAUSISTRATA I will.

DEMIPHO You are now seconding me with your endeavors, just as you assisted me with your money 1 before.

NAUSISTRATA I wish to do so; and yet, i’ faith, through the fault of my husband, I am less able than I ought to be.

DEMIPHO Why so?

NAUSISTRATA Because, i’ faith, he takes such indifferent care of the property that was so industriously acquired by my father; for from those farms he used regularly to receive two talents of silver yearly; there’s an instance, how superior one man is to another.

DEMIPHO Two talents, pray?

NAUSISTRATA Aye, and when things were much worse, two talents even.

DEMIPHO Whew!

NAUSISTRATA What! does this seem surprising?

DEMIPHO Of course it does.

NAUSISTRATA I wish I had been born a man; I’d have shown—

DEMIPHO That I’m quite sure of.

DEMIPHO

Agedum, ut soles, Nausistrata, fac illa ut placetur nobis;

Ut sua voluntate id quod est faciendum faciat.
785

NAUSISTRATA

Faciam.

DEMIPHO

Pariter nunc opera me adiuvas ac re dudum opitulata es.

NAUSISTRATA

Factum volo; at pol minus queo viri culpa quam me dignum est.

DEMIPHO

Quid autem?

NAUSISTRATA

Quia pol mei patris bene parta indiligenter

Tutatur; nam ex his praediis talenta argenti bina

Statim capiebat. Vir viro quid praestat!
790

DEMIPHO

Binan quaeso?

NAUSISTRATA

Ac rebus vilioribus multo, tamen talenta bina.

DEMIPHO

Hui.

NAUSISTRATA

Quid haec videntur?

DEMIPHO

Scilicet.

NAUSISTRATA

Virmn me natum vellem:

Ego ostenderem—

DEMIPHO

Certo scio.

NAUSISTRATA

quo pacto—

DEMIPHO

Parce, sodes,

Ut possis cum illa; ne te adolescens mulier defatiget.

NAUSISTRATA

Faciam ut iubes: sed meum virum abs te exire video.
795

CHREMES

Hem, Demipho,

Iam illi datum est argentum?

DEMIPHO

Curavi ilico.

CHREMES

Nollem datum.

Hei, video uxorem, paene plus quam sat erat.

DEMIPHO

Cur nolles, Chreme?

CHREMES

Iam recte.

DEMIPHO

Quid tu? ecquid locutus cum ista es quamobrem hanc ducimus?

CHREMES

Transegi.

DEMIPHO

Quid ait tandem?

CHREMES

Abduci non potest.

DEMIPHO

Qui non potest?

CHREMES

Quia uterque utrique est cordi.
800

DEMIPHO

Quid istuc nostra?

CHREMES

Magni: praeter haec,

Cognatam comperi esse nobis.

DEMIPHO

Quid? deliras?

CHREMES

Sic erit.

Non temere dico: redii mecum in memoriam.

DEMIPHO

Satin sanus es?

NAUSISTRATA

Au, obsecro, cave ne in cognatam pecces.

DEMIPHO

Non est.

CHREMES

Ne nega.

Patris nomen aliud dictum est: hoc tu errasti.

DEMIPHO

Non norat patrem?

CHREMES

Norat.
805

DEMIPHO

Cur aliud dixit?

CHREMES

Nunquamne hodie concedes mihi,

Neque intelliges?

DEMIPHO

Si tu nihil narras—

CHREMES

Pergis?

NAUSISTRATA

Miror quid hoc siet.

DEMIPHO

Equidem hercle nescio.

CHREMES

Vin scire? At ita me servet Iupiter

Ut propior illi quam ego sum ac tu nemo est.

DEMIPHO

Di vestram fidem!

Eamus ad ipsam: una omnes nos aut scire aut nescire hoc volo.

CHREMES

Ah.

DEMIPHO

Quid est?
810

CHREMES

Itan parvam mihi fidem esse apud te?

DEMIPHO

Vin me credere?

Vin satis quaesitum mihi istuc esse? Age, fiat: quid? illa filia

Amici nostri quid futurum est?

CHREMES

Recte.

DEMIPHO

Hanc igitur mittimus?

CHREMES

Quidni?

DEMIPHO

Illa maneat?

CHREMES

Sic.

DEMIPHO

Ire igitur tibi licet, Nausistrata.

NAUSISTRATA

Sic pol commodius esse in omnes arbitror quam ut coeperas,

Mancre hanc; nam perliberalis visa est quum vidi mihi.
815

DEMIPHO

Quid istuc negoti est?

CHREMES

Iamne operuit ostium?

DEMIPHO

Iam.

CHREMES

O Iupiter,

Di nos respiciunt: gnatam inveni nuptam cum tuo tilio.

DEMIPHO

Hem,

Quo pacto id potuit?

CHREMES

Non satis tutus est ad narrandum hic locus.

DEMIPHO

At tu abi intro.

CHREMES

Heus, ne filii quidem nostri hoc resciscant volo.

DEMIPHO

Come now, Nausistrata, after your usual way, manage to keep her in good-humor with us,

and make her do of her own accord what must be done.
785

NAUSISTRATA

I will.

DEMIPHO

You are now seconding me with your endeavors, just as you assisted me with your money¹ before.

NAUSISTRATA

I wish to do so; and yet, i’ faith, through the fault of my husband, I am less able than I ought to be.

DEMIPHO

Why so?

NAUSISTRATA

Because, i’ faith, he takes such indifferent care of the property that was so industriously acquired by my father; for from those farms he used regularly to receive two talents of silver yearly; there’s an instance, how superior one man is to another.

DEMIPHO

Two talents, pray?

NAUSISTRATA

Aye, and when things were much worse, two talents even.

DEMIPHO

Whew!

NAUSISTRATA

What! does this seem surprising?

DEMIPHO

Of course it does.

NAUSISTRATA

I wish I had been born a man; I’d have shown—

DEMIPHO

That I’m quite sure of.

NAUSISTRATA

In what way—

DEMIPHO

Forbear, pray, that you may be able to do battle with her; lest she, being a young woman, may be more than a match for you.

NAUSISTRATA

I’ll do as you bid me; but I see my husband coming out of your house. (Enter CHREMES, hastily, from DEMIPHO’S house.)
795