Terence · Heauton Timorumenos §838..-900..

Chremes's Dowry Troubles and Menedemus Knowing the Truth

Passage 17 of 20 · Latin

Summary

Chremes worries about the dowry for his newfound daughter and tries to advise Menedemus about the trick, unaware that Menedemus already knows the truth and is secretly mocking Chremes's own ignorance.

§838..Porro haec talenta dotis adposcent duo.

[Chremes] Furthermore, these things will demand two talents for a dowry.

§839..Quam multa iniusta ac prava fiunt moribus!

How many unjust and crooked things are done because of custom!

§840..Mihi nunc, relictis rebus, inveniendus est §841..Aliquis labore inventa mea cui dem bona.

Now, leaving all other affairs, I must find someone to whom I may give the property acquired by my labor.

§842..Multo omnium nunc me fortunatissimum §843..Factum puto esse, gnate, quum te intelligo §844..Resipisse.

[Menedemus] I think that I have now been made by far the most fortunate of all men, my son, since I understand that you have returned to your senses.

§844b..Ut errat.

[Chremes] (Aside) How he errs.

§844c..Te ipsum quaerebam, Chreme.

[Menedemus] I was looking for you yourself, Chremes.

§845..Serva, quod in te est, filium et me et familiam.

Save, as far as lies in your power, my son, myself, and my family.

§846..Cedo quid vis faciam?

[Chremes] Tell me, what do you want me to do?

§846b..Invenisti hodie filiam.

[Menedemus] Today you found your daughter.

§847..Quid tum?

[Chremes] What then?

§847b..Hanc sibi uxorem dari vult Clinia.

[Menedemus] Clinia wants her to be given to him as his wife.

§848..Quaeso quid tu hominis es?

[Chremes] I ask you, what kind of man are you?

§848b..Quid est?

[Menedemus] What is it?

§848c..Iamne oblitus es §849..Inter nos quid sit dictum de fallacia, §850..Ut ea via abs te argentum auferretur?

[Chremes] Have you already forgotten what was said between us about the trick, so that by that means money might be taken from you?

§850b..Scio.

[Menedemus] I know.

§851..Ea res nunc agitur ipsa.

[Chremes] That very thing is now being acted out.

§851b..Quid dixti, Chreme?

[Menedemus] What did you say, Chremes?

§852..Immo haec quidem, quae apud me est, Clitiphonis est §853..Amica.

[Chremes] Nay, indeed, this woman who is at my house is Clitipho's mistress.

§853b..Ita aiunt: et tu credis omnia:

[Menedemus] So they say; and you believe everything.

§854..Et illum aiunt velle uxorem, ut, quum desponderim, §855..Des qui aurum ac vestem atque alia quae opus sunt comparet.

And they say that he wants a wife, so that, when I have betrothed her, you may give him the means to procure gold, clothing, and other necessary things.

§856..Id est profecto: id amicae dabitur.

[Chremes] That is indeed it; that money will be given to the mistress.

§856b..Scilicet §857..Daturum.

[Menedemus] Certainly, he would give it.

§857b..Vah, frustra sum igitur gavisus miser.

Alas, then in vain have I rejoiced, miserable man.

§858..Quidvis tamen iam malo quam hunc amittere.

Yet I would now prefer anything rather than lose him.

§859..Quid nunc renuntiem abs te responsum, Chreme, §860..Ne sentiat me sensisse, atque aegre ferat?

What answer should I now report from you, Chremes, so that he may not perceive that I have found it out, and take it badly?

§861.."Aegre?" nimium illi, Menedeme, indulges.

[Chremes] "Take it badly?" You indulge him too much, Menedemus.

§861b..Sine.

[Menedemus] Let it be.

§862..Inceptum est: perfice hoc mihi perpetuo, Chreme.

It has begun; finish this for me to the end, Chremes.

§863..Dic convenisse; egisse te de nuptiis.

Say that we have agreed; that you have discussed the wedding.

§864..Dicam: quid deinde?

[Chremes] I will say so; what then?

§864b..Me facturum esse omnia; §865..Generum placere: postremo etiam, si voles, §866..Desponsam quoque esse dicito.

[Menedemus] That I will do everything; that the son-in-law pleases me; and finally, if you like, say also that she has been betrothed.

§866b..Hem, istuc volueram.

[Chremes] Ha, that is just what I wanted.

§867..Tanto ocius te ut poscat, et tu id quod cupis §868..Quam ocissime ut des.

So that he may demand it from you so much the sooner, and you may give what you desire as quickly as possible.

§868b..Cupio.

[Menedemus] I desire it.

§868c..Nae tu propediem, §869..Ut istam rem video, istius obsaturabere.

[Chremes] Verily, before long, as I see that matter, you will be sick to death of him.

§870..Sed haec ut ut sunt, cautim et paulatim dabis, §871..Si sapies.

But however these things are, you will give it cautiously and by degrees, if you are wise.

§871b..Faciam.

[Menedemus] I will do so.

§871c..Abi intro; vide quid postulet.

[Chremes] Go inside; see what he demands.

§872..Ego domi ero, si quid me voles.

I will be at home, if you want me for anything.

§872b..Sane volo: §873..Nam te sciente faciam, quicquid egero.

[Menedemus] I certainly do; for I will do whatever I do with your knowledge.

§874..Ego me non tam astutum, neque ita perspicacem esse certo scio: §875..Sed hic adiutor meus et monitor et praemonstrator Chremes §876..Hoc mihi praestat.

[Menedemus] (To himself) I know for certain that I am not so crafty, nor so sharp-sighted; but this helper, advisor, and guide of mine, Chremes, provides this for me.

In me quidvis harum rerum convenit §877..Quae sunt dicta in stultum; caudex, stipes, asinus, plumbeus: §878..In illum nihil potest; nam exsuperat eius stultitia haec omnia.

On me any of those names fit, which are said against a fool; a blockhead, a log, an ass, a leaden-headed fellow; on him none of them can fit, for his foolishness surpasses all of these.

§879..Ohe, iam desine Deos, uxor, gratulando obtundere, §880..Tuam esse inventam gnatam; nisi illos ex tuo ingenio iudicas, §881..Ut nihil credas intelligere nisi idem dictum sit centies.

[Chremes] (To his wife Sostrata, inside) Hey, now cease, wife, to deafen the Gods with thanksgiving because your daughter has been found; unless you judge them by your own intellect, so that you believe they understand nothing unless the same thing is said a hundred times.

§882..Sed interim, quid illic iam dudum gnatus cessat cum Syro?

But in the meantime, why is my son lingering there so long with Syrus?

§883..Quos ais homines, Chreme, cessare?

[Menedemus] What men do you say are lingering, Chremes?

§883b..Ehem, Menedeme, advenis?

[Chremes] Ah, Menedemus, are you here?

§884..Dic mihi, Cliniae quae dixi nuntiastine?

Tell me, did you report to Clinia what I said?

§884b..Omnia.

[Menedemus] Everything.

§885..Quid ait?

[Chremes] What did he say?

§885b..Gaudere adeo coepit quasi qui cupiunt nuptias.

[Menedemus] He began to rejoice just like those who eagerly desire marriage.

§886..Ha ha he!

[Chremes] Ha, ha, ha!

§886b..Quid risisti?

[Menedemus] Why did you laugh?

§886c..Servi venere in mentem Syri §887..Calliditates.

[Chremes] The clever tricks of the slave Syrus came into my mind.

§887b..Itane?

[Menedemus] Is that so?

§887c..Vultus quoque hominum fingit scelus.

[Chremes] The scoundrel even fashions the expressions of men.

§888..Gnatus quod se adsimulat laetum, id dicis?

[Menedemus] Do you mean that my son is pretending to be glad?

§888b..Id.

[Chremes] Just so.

§888c..Idem istuc mihi §889..Venit in mentem.

[Menedemus] That same thing came into my mind.

§889b..Veterator!

[Chremes] The old rogue!

§889c..Magis, si magis noris, putes §890..Ita rem esse.

[Menedemus] You would think so even more, if you knew more of the matter.

§890b..Ain tu?

[Chremes] Do you say so?

§890c..Quin tu ausculta.

[Menedemus] Nay, do listen.

§890d..Mane.

[Chremes] Wait.

Hoc prius scire expeto, §891..Quid perdideris.

First I desire to know this: what you have lost.

Nam ubi desponsam nuntiasti filio,

§892..Continuo iniecisse verba tibi Dromonem scilicet, §893..Sponsae vestem, aurum, atque ancillas opus esse, argentum ut dares.

For when you announced to your son that she was betrothed, Dromo, of course, immediately dropped hints to you that clothing, gold, and maidservants were needed for the bride, so that you might give money.

§894..Non.

[Menedemus] No.

§894b..Quid? non?

[Chremes] What?

§894c..Non, inquam.

No? [Menedemus] No, I say.

§894d..Neque ipse gnatus?

[Chremes] Nor your son himself?

§894e..Nihil prorsus, Chreme: §895..Magis unum etiam instare ut hodie conficerentur nuptiae.

[Menedemus] Nothing at all, Chremes; rather, he was even pressing this one thing: that the wedding should be completed today.

§896..Mira narras.

[Chremes] You tell a strange story.

Quid Syrus meus? ne is quidem quicquam?

What about my Syrus? Didn't even he say anything?

§896b..Nihil.

[Menedemus] Nothing.

§897..Quamobrem nescio.

[Chremes] Why, I do not know.

§897b..Equidem miror, qui alia tam plane scias.

[Menedemus] For my part, I wonder at it, since you know other things so clearly.

§898..Sed ille tuum quoque Syrus idem mire finxit filium, §899..Ut ne paululum quidem subolat, esse amicam hanc Cliniae.

But that same Syrus has also trained your son so wonderfully, that not even a little hint leaks out that this woman is Clinia's mistress.

§900..Quid ais?

[Chremes] What are you saying?

Notes

838haec — Nominative neuter plural, referring to the expenses and preparations mentioned previously (such as the maintenance and ornaments of the daughter), and serves as the subject of the sentence. The accusative phrase duo talenta dotis (two talents of dowry) is the object of adposcent (will demand).
841cui dem — A relative clause with the present subjunctive dem. The dative relative pronoun cui has aliquis as its antecedent and serves as the indirect object of dem, whose direct object is mea bona (my property). The subjunctive expresses purpose or suitability (someone 'to whom I may give').
848quid tu hominis es — The genitive hominis is a partitive genitive depending on the interrogative pronoun quid (what), meaning literally 'what of a man are you?' (i.e., 'what kind of man are you?'). It is an idiomatic expression of astonishment or frustration.
855qui — An archaic ablative singular form of the relative pronoun (equivalent to quo), expressing means ('with which' or 'by which'). The antecedent is the money (argentum) implied in the preceding clause.
873te sciente — An ablative absolute construction formed with the present participle sciente (from sciens) and the ablative pronoun te, expressing attendant circumstance or condition ('with your knowledge' or 'while you know').
899subolat — The present subjunctive of the impersonal verb subolet (it smells slightly, i.e., it is suspected or perceived), forming the clause of result introduced by ut. The accusative-with-infinitve phrase esse amicam hanc Cliniae (that this woman is Clinia's mistress) serves as its logical subject.

Cite this passage

Terence, Heauton Timorumenos §838..-900... Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0134.phi002.humanitext-lat2:838..-900..

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