§258Bonas, me absente, hic confecistis nuptias. §259Eho, an id succenses nunc illi? §259bO. artificem probum. §260Egone illi non succenseam? Ipsum gestio
"You have made a fine marriage here in my absence." "Oh, are you angry with him for that now?" "(Aside) Oh, what an excellent actor!" "Should I not be angry with him?
§261Dari mihi in conspectum, nunc sua culpa ut sciat §262Lenem patrem illum factum me esse acerrimum. §263Atqui nihil fecit, patrue, quod succenseas. §264Ecce autem similia omnia; omnes congruunt; §265Unum cognoris, omnes noris.
I am longing for him to be brought into my sight, so that he may now know through his own fault that I, once that gentle father, have been turned into a most severe one." "But he has done nothing, uncle, for which you should be angry." "Look at that, all of them are alike; they all agree; if you know one, you know them all." "It is not so." "This one is in trouble; that one is there to defend his cause.
§265bHaud ita est. §266Hic in noxa est: ille ad defendendam causam adest. §267Quum ille est, praesto hic est: tradunt operas mutuas. §268Probe horum facta imprudens depinxit senex. §269Nam ni haec ita essent, cum illo haud stares, Phaedria. §270Si est, patrue, culpam ut Antipho in se admiserit, §271Ex qua re minus rei foret aut famae temperans; §272Non causam dico quin quod meritus sit ferat.
When he is there, this one is at hand: they play into each other's hands." "(Aside) The old man has unwittingly painted their behavior to the life." "For unless things were so, you would not be standing by him, Phaedria." "If it is the case, uncle, that Antipho has committed a fault, by which he was too little careful of his estate or reputation, I make no objection to his suffering what he has deserved.
§273Sed si quis forte, malitia fretus sua, §274Insidias nostrae fecit adolescentiae, §275Ac vicit; nostrane ea culpa est an iudicum, §276Qui saepe propter invidiam adimunt diviti, §277Aut propter misericordiam addunt pauperi? §278Ni nossem causam, crederem vera hunc loqui.
But if someone, relying on his own malice, laid a snare for our youth, and won; is that our fault or that of the judges, who often, out of envy, take from the rich, or out of pity, give to the poor?" "(Aside) If I didn't know the case, I should believe he is telling the truth.
§279An quisquam iudex est qui possit noscere §280Tua iusta, ubi tute verbum non respondeas, §281Ita ut ille fecit? §281bFunctus adolescentuli est §282Officium liberalis.
But is there any judge who could understand your rights, when you yourself do not answer a word, just as he did?" "He performed the part of a well-bred young man.
Postquam ad iudices §283Ventura est, non potuit cogitata proloqui: §284Ita eum tum timidum ibi obstupefecit pudor. §285Laudo hunc; sed cesso adire quamprimum senem?
After he had to go before the judges, he could not speak out his thoughts: so did bashfulness then strike him dumb, timid as he was." "(Aside) I praise him; but why do I delay to go up to the old man at once?
§286Here, salve: salvum te advenisse gaudeo. §286bOh, §287Bone custos, salve, columen vero familiar, §288Cui commendavi filium hinc abiens meum. §289Iam dudum te omnes nos accusare audio
Master, greetings: I am glad you have arrived safe." "Oh, my good guardian, greetings, the very pillar of my house, to whom I entrusted my son when leaving here." "For a long time now I have been hearing you accuse us all undeservedly, and me most undeservedly of all.
For what did you want me to do for you in this matter?
The laws do not permit a slave to plead a cause; nor is there any giving of testimony." "I pass over all that.
§294Addo istuc; imprudens timuit adolescens: sino.
I grant that; the youth was inexperienced and afraid: I allow it.
§295Tu servus: verum, si cognata est maxime, §296Non fuit necesse habere: sed, id quod lex iubet, §297Dotem daretis; quæreret alium virum.
You are a slave; but, even if she was most closely related, it was not necessary to marry her: but, as the law commands, you should have given her a dowry; let her seek another husband.
§298Qua ratione inopem potius ducebat domum? §299Non ratio, verum argentum deerat. §299bSumeret §300Alicunde.
On what reasoning did he rather bring a penniless girl home?" "Not reasoning, but money was lacking." "He should have borrowed it from somewhere." "From somewhere?
§300bAlicunde? nihil est dictu facilius. §301Postremo, si nullo alio pacto, foenore. §302Hui, dixti pulchre: siquidem quisquam crederet §303Te vivo. §303bNon, non sic futurum est: non potest.
Nothing is easier to say." "Lastly, if in no other way, at interest." "Oh, you speak beautifully; if only anyone would have lent it, while you were alive." "No, it shall not be so; it cannot be.
§304Egone illam cum illo ut patiar nuptam unum diem?
Am I to suffer her to be married to him for a single day?
§305Nihil suave meritum est.
They deserve no mercy.
Hominem commonstrarier §306Mihi istum volo, aut ubi habitet demonstrarier. §307Nempe Phormionem? §307bIstum patronum mulieris. §308Iam faxo hic aderit. §308bAntipho ubi nunc est? §308cForis. §309Abi, Phaedria: eum require atque adduce huc. §309bEo §310Recta via equidem illuc. §310bNempe ad Pamphilam. §311At ego Deos Penates hinc salutatum domum §312Devertar; inde ibo ad forum, atque aliquot mihi §313Amicos advocabo ad hanc rem qui assient, §314Ut ne imparatus sim, si adveniat Phormio. §315ITANE patris ais conspectum veritum hinc abisse? §315bAdmodum. §316Phanium relictam solam? §316bSic. §316cEt iratum senem? §317Oppido.
I want that man to be shown to me, or where he lives to be pointed out." "You mean Phormio?" "That patron of the woman." "I'll see that he is here directly." "Where is Antipho now?" "Out." "Go, Phaedria; look for him and bring him here." "I am going, straight there indeed." "(Aside) To Pamphila, of course." "But I will turn aside home to salute the household gods; thence I will go to the forum, and call some friends to assist me in this matter, so that I may not be unprepared, if Phormio should come." "Do you say then that he went away from here in fear of his father's presence?" "Yes." "Phanium left alone?" "Yes." "And the old man angry?" "Extremely." "The whole burden of this business, Phormio, falls on you alone.
§317bAd te summa solum, Phormio, rerum redit. §318Tute hoc intristi: tibi omne est exedendum. Accingere.
You have mixed this mess yourself; you must eat it all up.
§319Obsecro te— §319bSi rogabit? §319cIn te spes est— §319dEccere. §320Quid si reddet? §320bTu impulisti— §320cSic opinor. §320dSubveni. §321Cedo senem: iam instructa sunt mihi in corde consilia omnia. §322Quid ages? §322bQuid vis nisi uti maneat Phanium, atque ex crimine hoc §323Antiphonem eripiam, atque in me omnem iram derivem senis? §324O vir fortis, atque amicus.
Gird yourself up." "I beseech you—" "If he should ask?" "The hope is in you—" "Look at that." "What if he returns her?" "You urged it on—" "So I think." "Help us." "Bring on the old man: all my plans are already marshaled in my mind." "What will you do?" "What do you want, except that Phanium should remain, and that from this charge I should rescue Antipho, and turn all the old man's anger onto myself?" "O brave man, and a true friend!
Verum hoc saepe, Phormio, §325Vereor, ne istaec fortitudo in nervum erumpat denique. §325bAh, §326Non ita est: factum est periclum: iam pedum visa est via.
But, Phormio, I often fear lest that courage of yours should end in the stocks at last." "Ah, it is not so: the trial has been made: by now the path is clear to my feet."