§722Iamdudum dixi, idemque nunc dico, Lache; §723Manere affinitatem hanc inter nos volo, §724Si ullo modo est ut possit, quod spero fore. §725Sed visne adesse me una, dum istam convenis? §726Immo vero abi: aliquam puero nutricem para. §727Non hoc de nihilo est quod Laches me nunc conventam esse expetit; §728Nec pol me multum fallit quin quod suspicor sit quod velit. §729Videndum est ne minus propter iram hanc impetrem quam possiem; §730Aut ne quid faciam plus quod post me minus fecisse satius sit. §731Aggrediar.
"Phidippus: I have said so for a long time, and I say the same now, Laches;" "I want this alliance to remain between us," "if there is any way it can be, which I hope will be the case." "But do you want me to be present with you, while you meet her?" "Laches: On the contrary, go: find some nurse for the child." "Bacchis: (To herself) It is not for nothing that Laches now desires to meet with me;" "nor indeed does my suspicion deceive me much but that what he wants is what I suspect." "I must take care lest on account of this anger I obtain less than I might;" "or lest I do something more which afterwards I would rather have done less." "Laches: I will approach.
Bacchis, salve. §732Salve, Lache. §732bEdepol credo te nonnihil mirari, Bacchis, §733Quid sit quapropter te huc foras puerum evocare iussi. §734Ego pol quoque etiam timida sum, quum venit mihi in mentem quae sim, §735Ne nomen mihi quaesti obsiet; nam mores facile tutor. §736Si vera dicis, nihil tibi est a me pericli, mulier; §737Nam aetate iam ea sum ut non siet peccato mihi ignosci aequum: §738Quo magis omnes res cautius ne temere faciam accuro: §739Nam si id facis facturave es bonas quod par est facere, §740Inscitum offerre iniuriam tibi immerenti iniquum est. §741Est magna ecastor gratia de istac re quam tibi habeam: §742Nam qui post factam iniuriam se expurget, parum mihi prosit. §743Sed quid istuc est? §743bMeum receptas filium ad te Pamphilum. §743cAh! §744Sine dicam.
Greetings, Bacchis." "Bacchis: Greetings, Laches." "Laches: By Pollux, I believe you wonder not a little, Bacchis," "what it is why I ordered the boy to call you out here." "Bacchis: By Pollux, I too am even fearful, when it comes to my mind who I am," "lest the reputation of my trade should stand in my way; for my character I easily defend." "Laches: If you speak the truth, there is no danger to you from me, woman;" "for I am now of that age that it is not right for my fault to be pardoned:" "wherefore I take the more care to do all things more cautiously, not rashly:" "for if you do or are going to do what is fair for good women to do," "it is foolish and unjust to offer injury to you who do not deserve it." "Bacchis: By Castor, I have great gratitude to you for that matter;" "for he who clears himself after doing an injury would profit me little." "But what is that matter?" "Laches: You receive my son Pamphilus back to yourself." "Bacchis: Ah!" "Laches: Let me speak.
Uxorem hanc prius quam duxit, vestrum amorem pertuli. §745Mane: nondum etiam dixi id quod volui.
Before he married this wife, I tolerated your love." "Wait: I have not yet said what I wanted.
Hic nunc uxorem habet: §746Quaere alium tibi firmiorem, dum tibi tempus consulendi est; §747Nam neque ille hoc animo erit aetatem, neque pol tu eadem istac aetate. §748Quis id ait? §748bSocrus. §748cMene? §748dTe ipsam; et filiam abduxit suam; §749Puerumque ob eam rem clam voluit natus qui est extinguere. §750Aliud si scirem qui firmare meam apud vos possem fidem §751Sanctius quam iusiurandum, id pollicerer tibi, Lache, §752segregatum habuisse, uxorem ut duxit, a me Pamphilum. §753Lepida es; sed scin quid volo potius sodes facias? §753bQuid? cedo.
He now has a wife:" "look for another more reliable partner for yourself, while you have time to consult your interest;" "for neither will he be of this mind all his life, nor indeed will you be of that same age." "Bacchis: Who says that?" "Laches: His mother-in-law." "Bacchis: Me?" "Laches: You yourself; and she has taken away her daughter;" "and for that reason she wanted to destroy the child who was born secretly." "Bacchis: If I knew anything else by which I could confirm my credit with you" "more sacredly than an oath, I would promise it to you, Laches," "that Pamphilus has been kept apart from me since he married his wife." "Laches: You are delightful; but do you know what I would rather have you do, please?" "Bacchis: What?
§754Eas ad mulieres huc intro, atque istuc iusiurandum idem §755Polliceare illis: exple animum iis, teque hoc crimine expedi. §756Faciam; quod pol, si esset alia ex hoc quaestu, haud faceret scio, §757Ut de tali causa nuptae mulieri se ostenderet. §758Sed nolo falsa fama esse gnatum suspectum tuum, §759Nec leviorem vobis, quibus est minime aequum, viderier §760Immerito; nam meritus de me est quod queam illi ut commodem. §761Facilem benevolumque lingua tua iam tibi me reddidit; §762Nam non sunt solae arbitratae hae: ego quoque etiam credidi. §763Nunc quum ego te esse praeter nostram opinionem comperi, §764Fac eadem ut sis porro; nostra utere amicitia ut voles. §765Aliter si facias — sed reprimam me, ne aegre quicquam ex me audias. §766Verum te hoc moneo unum: amicus qualis sim aut quid possiem §767Potius quam inimicus periclum facias. §767bNihil apud me tibi §768Defieri patiar quin quod opus sit benigne praebeatur. §769Sed quum tu satura atque ebria eris, puer ut satur sit facito. §770Noster socer, video, venit: puero nutricem adduxit. §771Phidippe, Bacchis deierat persancte. §771bHaecine ea est? §771cHaec est. §772Nec pol istae metuunt Deos; neque has respicere Deos opinor. §773Ancillas dedo: quolibet cruciatu per me exquire.
Tell me." "Laches: Go in here to the women, and promise them that same oath;" "satisfy their minds, and clear yourself of this accusation." "Bacchis: I will do so; though, by Pollux, if there were another woman of this trade, I know she would not do it," "to present herself to a married woman for such a cause." "But I do not want your son to be suspected on account of a false rumor," "nor to appear more frivolous to you, to whom it is least fitting," "undeservedly; for he has deserved of me that I should do him a favor as far as I can." "Laches: Your tongue has already rendered me easy and well-disposed to you;" "for not only did those women think so: I also believed it too." "Now, since I have found you to be contrary to our expectation," "see to it that you continue to be the same hereafter; use our friendship as you wish." "If you should do otherwise — but I will restrain myself, lest you hear anything painful from me." "But this one thing I advise you: make trial of what kind of friend I am or what I can do" "rather than of an enemy." "Bacchis: On my part, I will suffer nothing" "to be lacking to you, but what is necessary will be kindly supplied." "Laches: But when you are full and tipsy, see to it that the child is full." "Our father-in-law, I see, is coming: he has brought a nurse for the child." "Phidippus, Bacchis swears most sacredly." "Phidippus: Is this she?" "Laches: This is she." "Phidippus: By Pollux, those women do not fear the gods, nor do I think the gods care for them." "Bacchis: I hand over my maidservants: examine them by any torture you please on my account."