§70Sic est ingeniun.
Such is his character.
§70bOh, regem me esse oportuit.
Oh, I ought to have been a king!
Both the old men having departed then, they leave me as a sort of guardian to their sons.
I found it out by experience, that I know; I remember that I was left behind when my god was angry with me.
§75Coepi adversari primo.
At first I began to oppose them.
Quid verbis opus est?
What need is there of words?
§76Seni fidelis dum sum, scapulas perdidi.
While I was faithful to the old man, I ruined my shoulder-blades.
§77Venere in mentem mili istaec; "Namque inscitia est, §78Adversum stimulum calces?" §78bCoepi iis omnia §79Facere, obsequi quae vellent.
These words came into my mind: "For is it not folly to kick against the pricks?" I began to do everything for them, to comply with whatever they wished.
§79bScisti uti foro.
You knew how to adapt to the market.
§80Noster mali nihil quicquam primo.
Our young master did nothing wrong at first.
But this Phaedria immediately met with a certain girl, a cithara-player, and began to love her to distraction.
She belonged to a most filthy pimp; and there was nothing to be given to her, for the fathers had taken care of that.
Nothing else remained but to feed his eyes, to follow her, to lead her to the school, and bring her back.
§87Nos otiosi operam dabamus Phaedriae.
We, having nothing to do, gave our assistance to Phaedria.
Opposite to that school where she was learning, there was a certain barber's shop.
Hic solebamus fere §90Plerumque eam opperiri dum inde iret domum.
Here we were mostly accustomed to wait for her until she went home from there.
Meanwhile, while we were sitting there, a certain young man came in weeping.
Nos mirarier.
We wondered.
§93Rogamus quid sit? "Nunquam aeque," inquit, "ac modo §94Paupertas mihi onus visum est et miserum et grave.
We asked what was the matter. "Never," said he, "as just now, has poverty seemed to me a wretched and heavy burden.
Just now I saw a certain maiden in this neighborhood weeping for her dead mother.
§97Ea sita erat exadversum: neque illi benevolens §98Neque notus neque cognatus extra unam aniculam §99Quisquam aderat qui aciutaret funus.
She was laid out opposite; and there was no well-wisher, nor acquaintance, nor relative near her, except one poor old woman, to help with the funeral.
Miseritum est.
I pitied her.
§100Virgo ipsa facie egregia. "Quid verbis opus est?
The girl itself was of extraordinary beauty." What need of words?
§101Commorat omnes nos.
He moved us all.
Ibi continuo Antipho, §102"Vultisne eamus visere?" alius, "Censco; §103Eamus: due nos, sodes. "Imus; venimus; §104Videmus.
Thereupon Antipho immediately said, "Shall we go and see?" Another said, "I think so; let us go; lead us, please." We go, we arrive, we see her.
Virgo pulchra; et quo imagis diceres, §105Nihil aderat adiumenti ad pulchritudinem.
The girl was beautiful; and what would make you say so all the more, there was no help to her beauty.
§106Capillus passus, nudus pes, ipsa horrida, §107Lacrimae, vestitus turpis; ut, ni vis boni §108In ipsa inesset forma, haec formam extinguerent.
Her hair disheveled, her feet bare, herself neglected, tears, her clothing mean; so that, unless a force of beauty had been in her very form, these things would have extinguished it.
§109Ille qui illam amabat fidicinam tantummodo, §110"Satis," inquit, "scita est:" noster vero— §110bIam scio: §111Amare coepit.
He who loved only that music-girl said, "She is pretty enough"; but ours— I know already: he began to love her.
§111bScin quam? Quo evadat vide.
Do you know how much? See where it ends.
The next day he goes straight to the old woman; he begs her to grant him access to her.
Illa enim se negat; §114Neque eum aequum facere ait: illam civem esse Atticam, §115Bonam, bonis prognatam: si uxorem velit, §116Lege id licere facere; sin aliter, negat.
But she refuses him, and says he is not doing what is right: that the girl is an Athenian citizen, respectable, and born of respectable parents; if he wants her as his wife, he is allowed to do so by law; but if otherwise, she refuses.
Ours did not know what to do; he both desired to marry her, and feared his absent father.
§119Non, si redisset, ei pater veniam daret?
Would not his father, if he returned, grant him pardon?
Would he allow him to marry a dowerless girl of obscure birth? He would never do it.
§121bQuid fit denique?
What happens at last?
What happens? There is a certain parasite, Phormio, a bold man; may all the gods destroy him!
§124Quid is fecit?
What did he do?
§124bHoc consilium quod dicam dedit.
He gave the plan which I am going to tell you.
"There is a law that orphans must marry those who are nearest of kin to them; and this same law commands those relatives to marry them.
§127Ego te cognatum dicam, et tibi scribam dicam: §128Paternum amicum me assimulabo virginis: §129Ad iudices veniemus.
I will say you are a relative, and I will bring a suit against you; I will pretend to be a friend of the maiden's father; we shall come before the judges.
Qui fuerit pater, §130Quae mater, qui cognata tibi sit, omnia haec §131Confingam, quod erit mihi bonum atque commodum.
Who her father was, who her mother, how she is related to you, all these things I will fabricate, as it will be good and convenient for me.
§132Quum tu horum nihil refelles, vincam scilicet.
When you refute none of these, I shall of course win.
§133Pater aderit: mihi paratae lites: quid mea?
Your father will return; lawsuits will be ready for me; what do I care?
She indeed will be ours." What a laughable boldness!
The man was persuaded; it was done; we came; we are beaten; he married her.
§136bQuid narras?
What are you telling me?
§136cHoc quod audis.
Just what you hear.
By Hercules, I do not know. I know this one thing: whatever fortune brings, we shall bear it with an equal mind.
§138bPlacet.
I am pleased.
§139Hem, istuc viri est officium.
Indeed, that is the duty of a man.
§139bIn me omnis spes mihi est.
All my hope is in myself.
§140Laudo.
I praise you.
§140bAd precatorem adeam credo, qui mihi §141Sic oret; "Nunc amitte, quaeso, hunc: caeterum §142Posthac, si quicquam, nihil precor; "tantummodo §143Non addat: "Ubi ego hinc abiero, vel occidito. "
I suppose I shall go to some intercessor, who for me will plead thus: "Forgive him now, I pray; but hereafter, if he does anything, I ask nothing"; only let him not add: "When I have gone away from here, even kill him."