§709Haruspex vetuit ante brumam aliquid novi §710Negoti incipere; quae causa est iustissima. " §711Haec fient.
Geta: "The soothsayer forbade starting any new business before the winter solstice; which is a most valid excuse." These things will be done.
§711bUt modo fiant.
Antipho: If only they may be done!
§711cFient: me vide.
Geta: They will be done; trust me.
§712Pater exit: abi, die, esse argentum, Phaedriae.
Your father is coming out: go, tell Phaedria that the money is ready.
§713Quietus esto, inquam: ego curabo ne quid verborum duit.
Demipho: Be quiet, I say: I will take care that he does not give us any trick.
§714Hoc temere nunquam amittam ego a me quin mihi testes adhibeam: §715Cui dem, et quamobrem dem, commemorabo.
I will never rashly let this money go from me without employing witnesses; I will record to whom I give it, and for what reason.
§715bUt cautus est, ubi nihil opus est!
Geta: (Aside) How cautious he is, where there is no need!
§716Atqui ita opus facto est; at matura, dum libido eadem haec manet; §717Nam, si altera illaec magis instabit, forsitan nos reiciat.
Chremes: Yet so it must be done; but make haste, while this same inclination of his remains; for if that other girl presses harder, perhaps he may reject us.
§718Rem ipsam putasti.
Demipho: You have hit the mark.
§718bDuc me ad eum ergo.
Lead me to him then.
§718cNon moror.
Geta: I am not delaying.
§718dUbi hoc egeris, §719Transito ad uxorem meam, ut conveniat hanc prius quam hinc abeat: §720Dicat nos dare eam Phormioni nuptum, ne succenseat; §721Et magis esse illum idoneum, qui ipsi sit familiarior; §722Nos nostro officio nihil digresses esse; quantum is voluerit §723Datum esse dotis.
Chremes: When you have done this, go over to my wife, so that she may meet her before she goes away from here; let her say that we are giving her to Phormio to be married, so that she may not be angry; and that he is more suitable, as he is more closely related to her; that we have in no way departed from our duty; and that as much dowry as he wanted has been given.
§723bQuid tua, malum, id refert?
Demipho: What the plague does that matter to you?
§723cMagni, Demipho.
Chremes: Highly, Demipho.
§724Non satis est tuum te officium facere, si non id fama approbat.
It is not enough for you to do your duty, if public opinion does not approve it.
§725Volo ipsius quoque voluntate hoc fieri, ne se eiectam praedicet.
I want this to be done with her own consent too, so that she may not say she has been cast out.
§726Idem ego istuc facere possum.
Demipho: I can do that same thing.
§726bMulier mulieri magis congruit.
Chremes: A woman is more suitable for a woman.
§727Rogabo.
Demipho: I will ask her.
§727bUbi illas ego nunc reperire possim cogito.
Chremes: I am thinking where I can find those women now.
§728Quid agam? quem mihi amicum inveniam misera? aut quo consilia haec referam? aut
Sophrona: What shall I do? Whom shall I find as a friend in my misery? Or where shall I refer these counsels?
§729Unde mihi auxilium petam?
Or where shall I seek help?
§730Nam vereor hera ne ob meum suasum indigne iniuria afficiatur: §731Ita patrem adolescents facta haec tolerare audio violenter.
For I fear lest my mistress, through my persuasion, may be undeservedly and injuriously treated; so violently do I hear that the young man's father is bearing these occurrences.
§732Nam quae haec anus est exanimata, a fratre quae egressa est meo?
Chremes: (Aside) Who is this breathless old woman, who has come out from my brother's house?
§733Quod ut facerem egestas me impulit; quum scirem infirmas nuptias §734Hasce esse; ut id consulerem, interea vita ut in tuto foret.
Sophrona: Poverty drove me to do this; though I knew this marriage was unstable; that I might provide for her, so that meanwhile her life might be in safety.
§735Certe edepol, nisi me animus fallit, aut parum prospiciunt oculi, §736Meae nutricem gnatae video.
Chremes: (Aside) Certainly, by Pollux, unless my mind deceives me, or my eyes see poorly, I see my daughter's nurse.
§737Qui est eius pater.
Sophrona: Who is her father.
§737bAdeo? an maneo, dum ea quake loquitur magis cognosco?
Chremes: Shall I go up? Or shall I stay, until I learn more of what she is saying?
§738Quod si eum nunc reperire possim, nihil est quod verear.
Sophrona: But if I could find him now, there is nothing for me to fear.
§739bQuis hic loquitur?
Sophrona: Who is speaking here?
§739cSophrona.
Chremes: Sophrona.
§739dEt meum nomen nominat?
Sophrona: And does he name my name?
§740Respice ad me.
Chremes: Look back at me.
§740bDi, obsecro vos, estne hic Stilpho?
Sophrona: O gods, I beseech you, is this Stilpho?
§740cNon.
Chremes: No.
§740dNegas?
Sophrona: Do you deny it?
§741Concede hinc a foribus paululum istorsum, sodes, Sophrona.
Chremes: Step aside a little way from the door over there, please, Sophrona.
§742Ne me istoc posthac nomine appellassis.
Do not call me by that name hereafter.
§742bQuid? non, obsecro, es
Sophrona: Why?
§743Quem semper te esse dictitasti?
Are you not, I beseech you, the one you always used to say you were?
§743bSt!
Chremes: Sh!
§743cQuid has metuis fores?
Sophrona: Why do you fear this door?
§744Conclusam hic habeo uxorem saevam: verum istoc de nomine §745Eo perperam olim dixi ne vos forte imprudentes foris §746Effutiretis, atque id porro aliqua uxor mea rescisceret.
Chremes: I have a fierce wife shut up here; but as for that name, I once falsely said it so that you might not, by chance, carelessly blab it outside, and so my wife might somehow find it out.
§747Istoc pol nos te hic invenire miserae nunquam potuimus.
Sophrona: By Pollux, that is why we, miserable women, could never find you here.
§748Eho, die mihi, quid rei tibi est cum familia hac unde exis?
Chremes: Tell me, what business have you with this house from which you came out?
§749Ubi illae sunt?
Where are they?
§749bMiseram me!
Sophrona: Wretched me!
§749cHem, quid est? vivuntne?
Chremes: Oh, what is it? Are they alive?
Sophrona: Your daughter is alive; death overtook her poor mother because of her grief.
§751Male factum.
Chremes: It is sad.
§751bEgo autem quae essem anus deserta, egens, ignota, §752Ut potui nuptum virginem locavi huic adolescenti §753Harum qui est dominus aedium.
Sophrona: But I, being a deserted, poor, unknown old woman, married the maiden as best I could to this young man who is the master of this house.
§753bAntiphonine?
Chremes: To Antipho?
§753cHem! illi ipsi.
Sophrona: Yes, to him indeed.
§754Quid? duasne is uxores habet?
Chremes: What? Has he two wives?
§754bAu, obsecro: unam ille quidem hanc solam.
Sophrona: Oh, I pray, no; indeed he has only this one.
§755Quid illam alteram quae dicitur cognata?
Chremes: What about that other one who is said to be his relative?
§755bHaec ergo est.
Sophrona: Why, this is she.
§755cQuid ais?
Chremes: What do you say?
Sophrona: It was done by arrangement so that he, being in love, might have her without a dowry.
§757bDi vestram fidem, quam saepe forte temere §758Eveniunt quae non audeas optare! Offendi adveniens
Chremes: O gods, on your faith! How often by chance and unexpectedly things happen which you would not dare to hope for!
§759Quicum volebam, atque ut volebam, collocatam filiam.
On my return, I find my daughter married to whom I wanted, and just as I wanted.