§368Laetae exclamant, "Venit; "id quod me repente aspexerant.
Gladly they cried out, "He has come!"; because they had suddenly caught sight of me.
§369Sed continuo vultum earum sensi immutari omnium, §370Quia tam incommode illis fors obtulerat adventum meum.
But immediately I perceived the countenance of them all to change, because fortune had brought my arrival so inconveniently to them.
§371Una illarum interea propere praecucurrit nuntians §372Me venisse: ego eius videndi cupidus recta consequor.
Meanwhile, one of them ran ahead in haste, announcing that I had come; eager to see her, I followed straight after.
§373Postquam introii extemplo eius morbum cognovi miser; §374Nam neque ut celari posset tempus spatium ullum dabat, §375Neque voce alia ac res monebat ipsa poterat conqueri.
After I entered, immediately, wretched me, I recognized her illness; for neither did time give any space so that it could be concealed, nor could she groan with any other voice than what the circumstance itself prompted.
§376Postquam aspexi, "O facinus indignum!" inquam; et corripui ilico §377Me inde lacrimans, incredibili re atque atroci percitus.
As soon as I saw it, I said, "O shameful deed!"; and immediately I hurried away from there weeping, struck by an incredible and shocking thing.
Her mother followed me: just as I was about to go out of the threshold, she fell at my knees, weeping, wretched woman: I felt pity.
Profecto hoc sic est, ut puto: §380Omnibus nobis ut res dant sese ita magni atque humiles sumus.
Surely this is so, as I think: as circumstances present themselves to all of us, so are we great or humble.
§381Hanc habere orationem mecum a principio institit: §382"O mi Pamphile, abs te quamobrem haec abierit causam vides; §383Nam vitium est oblatum virgini olim ab nescio quo improbo: §384Nunc huc confugit te atque alios partum ut celaret suum. " §385Sed cum orata eius reminiscor, nequeo quin lacrimem miser.
She persisted in holding this discourse with me from the beginning: "O my Pamphilus, you see the reason why she departed from you; for a violation was once offered to the virgin by I know not what wicked man: now she has fled here to conceal her child-birth from you and others." But when I remember her entreaties, wretched me, I cannot help but weep.
§386"Quaeque fors fortuna est," inquit, "nobis quae te hodie obtulit, §387Per eam te obsecramus ambae, si ius, si fas est, uti §388Adversa eius per te tecta tacitaque apud omnes sient.
"And whatever chance fortune," she said, "which has offered you to us today, by it we both implore you, if it is right, if it is lawful, that her misfortune may be kept covered and silent by you before all.
§389Si unquam erga te animo esse amico sensti eam, mi Pamphile, §390Sine labore hanc gratiam te ut sibi des pro illa nunc rogat.
If you ever perceived her to be of a friendly mind toward you, my Pamphilus, she now asks you to grant her this favor for her sake without trouble.
§391Caeterum de reducenda id facias quod in rein sit tuam, §392Parturire eam neque gravidam esse ex te solus conscius.
But as for taking her back, do that which may be for your interest; you alone are privy that she is in labor, and is not pregnant by you.
§393Nam aiunt tecum post duobus concubuisse eam mensibus: §394Tum postquam ad te venit mensis agitur hic iam septimus; §395Quod te scire ipsa indicate res.
For they say that she slept with you after two months: then after she came to you, this is now the seventh month going on; which the matter itself indicates that you know.
Nunc si potis est, Pamphile, §396Maxime volo doque operam ut clam eveniat partus patrem, §397Atque adeo omnes: sed si fieri id non potest quin sentiant, §398Dicam abortum esse: scio nemini aliter suspectum fore §399Quin, quod verisimile est, ex te recte eum natum putent.
Now, if it is possible, Pamphilus, I especially wish and endeavor that the birth may happen secretly from her father, and indeed all: but if that cannot be done without them perceiving it, I will say that it was a miscarriage: I know that to no one will it be otherwise suspected but that they will think he was rightly born from you, which is likely.
§400Continuo exponetur: hic tibi nihil est quicquam incommodi; §401Et illi miserae indigne factam iniuriam contexeris. " §402Pollicitus sum; et servare in eo certum est quod dixi fidem; §403Nam de reducenda, id vero neutiquam honestum esse arbitror; §404Nec faciam; etsi amor me graviter consuetudoque eius tenet.
It will be immediately exposed: here there is no trouble for you at all; and you will have concealed the injury undeservedly done to that wretched girl." I promised; and it is certain that I will keep my faith in what I said; for as to taking her back, I think that is indeed by no means honorable; nor shall I do it; although her love and habit hold me strongly.
I weep when it comes into my mind what life is to be hereafter, and solitude.
O fortuna, ut nunquam perpetuo es bona!
O fortune, how you are never continuously good!
§407Sed iam prior amor me ad hanc rem exercitatum reddidit, §408Quem ego tum consilio missum feci: idem nunc huic operam dabo.
But already my former love has rendered me experienced in this matter, which I then dismissed by prudent counsel: likewise now I will apply my effort to this.
§409Adest Parmeno cum pueris: hunc minime est opus §410In hac re adesse; nam olim soli credidi §411Ea me abstinuisse in principio, cum data est.
Parmeno is here with the boys: there is least of all need for him to be present in this matter; for formerly I trusted him alone that I had abstained from her in the beginning, when she was given to me.
§412Vereor, si clamorem eius hic crebro audiat, §413Ne parturire intelligat: aliquo mihi est §414Hinc ablegandus dum parit Philumena.
I fear, if he should frequently hear her cry here, lest he should understand that she is in labor: I must send him somewhere away from here while Philumena is giving birth.
§415Ain tu tibi hoc incommodum evenisse iter? §416Non hercle verbis, Parmeno, dici potest §417Tantum quam re ipsa navigare incommodum est. §418Itane est? §418bO fortunate, nescis quid mali §419Praeterieris qui nunquam es ingressus mare.
"Do you say that this journey has turned out so inconvenient to you?" "By Hercules, Parmeno, it cannot be expressed in words how inconvenient it is to sail in reality." "Is it so?" "O fortunate one, you do not know what evil you have escaped, you who have never entered the sea.
§420Nam alias ut omittam miserias, unam hanc vide: §421Dies triginta aut plus eo in navi fui, §422Cum interea semper mortem exspectabam miser; §423Ita usque adversa tempestate usi sumus. §424Odiosum. §424bHaud clam me est: denique hercle aufugerim §425Potius quam redeam, si eo mihi redeundum siet.
For to omit other miseries, look at this single one: I was in the ship for thirty days or more, while meanwhile, wretched me, I was always expecting death; so continuously did we experience adverse weather." "How annoying." "It is not unknown to me: finally, by Hercules, I would rather flee than return, if I had to return there."