§774Haec res hic agitur: Pamphilo me facere ut redeat uxor §775Oportet; quod si perficio, non poenitet me famae, §776Solam fecisse id quod aliae meretrices facere fugitant. §777Phidippe, nostras mulieres suspectas fuisse falso §778Nobis in re ipsa invenimus: porro hanc nunc experiamur: §779Nam si compererit crimini tua se uxor credidisse,
"Bacchis: (To herself) This business is being transacted here: it is necessary for me to bring it about that his wife returns to Pamphilus;" "and if I accomplish this, I do not regret the reputation," "of having done alone what other courtesans avoid doing." "Laches: Phidippus, we have found in the matter itself that our women were falsely suspected" "by us; furthermore, let us now test this woman." "For if your wife finds out that she believed a false accusation," "she will lay aside her anger.
§780Missam iram faciet: sin autem est ob eam rem iratus gnatus, §781Quod peperit uxor clam, id leve est; cito ab eo haec ira abscedet. §782Profecto in hac re nihil mali est quod sit discidio dignum. §783Velim quidem hercle. §783bExquire: adest: quod satis sit faciet ipsa.
But if, on the other hand, my son is angry for this reason," "because his wife gave birth secretly, that is a light matter; this anger will quickly depart from him." "Certainly there is no evil in this matter that is worthy of divorce." "Phidippus: I indeed wish it, by Hercules." "Laches: Inquire; she is here; she herself will do what is sufficient." "Phidippus: Why do you tell me these things?
§784Quid mihi istaec narras? an quia non tute ipse dudum audisti
Or is it because you yourself did not hear just now" "what my mind is regarding this matter, Laches?
§785De hac re animus meus ut sit, Laches? illis modo explete animum. §786Quaeso edepol, Bacchis, mihi quod es pollicita tute ut serves. §787Ob eam rem vis ergo intro eam? §787bI atque exple animum iis, ut credant. §788Eo; etsi scio pol iis fore meum conspectum invisum hodie; §789Nam nupta meretrici hostis est, a viro ubi segregate est. §790At haec amicae erunt, ubi quamobrem adveneris resciscent. §791At easdem amicas fore tibi promitto, rem ubi cognoverint. §792Nam illas errore et te simul suspicione exsolves. §793Perii: pudet Philumenae.
Just satisfy their minds." "Laches: I beg you, by Pollux, Bacchis, that you yourself keep what you promised me." "Bacchis: Do you want me to go inside for that reason then?" "Laches: Go, and satisfy their minds, so that they may believe." "Bacchis: I am going; although I know, by Pollux, that my appearance will be hated by them today;" "for a wife is an enemy to a courtesan when she is separated from her husband." "Laches: But they will be friendly to you, when they find out why you have come." "Phidippus: And I promise you that they will be friendly, when they know the matter." "For you will free them from error and yourself at the same time from suspicion." "Bacchis: I am ruined: I am ashamed to face Philumena.
Sequimini me huc intro ambae. §794Quid est quod mihi malim quam quod huic intelligo evenire, §795Ut gratiam neat sine suo dispendio, et mihi prosit? §796Nam si est ut haec nunc Pamphilum vere ab se segregarit, §797Scit sibi nobilitatem ex eo et rem natam et gloriam esse, §798Referetque gratiam ei, unaque nos sibi opera amicos iunget. §799Edepol nae meam herus esse operam deputat parvi preti, §800Qui ob rem nullam misit, frustra ubi totum desedi diem, §801Myconium hospitem dum exspecto in arce Callidemidem. §802Itaque ineptus hodie dum illic sedeo, ut quisque venerat, §803Accedebam. "Adolescens, dic dum, quaeso, es tu Myconius?" §804"Non sum. ""At Callidemides?" "Non. ""Hospitem ecquem Pamphilum §805Hic habes?" Omnes negabant: neque eum quenquam esse arbitror.
Both of you, follow me in here." "Laches: (To himself) What is there that I would rather have than what I understand is happening to her," "namely, that she gains favor without any expense to herself, and benefits me?" "For if it is the case that she has now truly separated Pamphilus from herself," "she knows that reputation, interest, and glory have accrued to her from him," "and she will return the favor to him, and at the same time by the same effort join us to herself as friends." "Parmeno: (To himself) By Pollux, truly my master thinks my service is of little value," "who sent me for nothing, where I have sat idle the whole day in vain," "while waiting for the Myconian guest Callidemides in the citadel." "And so, while I sat there today like a fool, as each person came by," "I approached: 'Young man, tell me, pray, are you Myconian?'" "'I am not.' 'But Callidemides?' 'No.' 'Do you have any guest of Pamphilus" "here?' All denied it: nor do I think he is anyone.
§806Denique hercle iam pudebat: abii.
""Finally, by Hercules, I was now ashamed; I went away.
Sed quid Bacchidem
But why do I see Bacchis" "coming out from our relation's house?
§807Ab nostro affine exeuntem video? Quid huic hic est rei? §808Parmeno, opportune te offers: propere curre ad Pamphilum. §809Quid eo? §809bDic me orare ut veniat. §809cAd te? §809dImmo ad Philumenam. §810Quid rei est? §810bTua quod nihil refert percontari desinas. §811Nihil aliud dicam? §811bEtiam; cognosse annulum illum Myrrhinam §812Gnatae suae fuisse quem ipsus olim mihi dederat. §812bScio. §813Tantumne est? §813bTantum: aderit continuo, hoc ubi ex te audierit. §814Sed cessas? §814bMinime equidem; nam hodie mihi potestas haud data est; §815Ita cursando atque ambulando totum hunc contrivi diem. §816Quantam obtuli adventu meo laetitiam Pamphilo hodie! §817Quot commodas res attuli! quot autem ademi curas! §818Gnatum ei restituo, paene qui harum ipsiusque opera periit: §819Uxorem, quam nunquam est ratus posthac se habiturum, reddo; §820Qua re suspectus suo patri et Phidippo fuit, exsolvi §821Hic adeo his rebus annulus fuit initium inveniendis: §822Nam memini abhinc menses decem fere ad me note prima §823Confugere anhelantem domum, sine comite, vini plenum, §824Cum hoc annulo: extimui ilico.
What business has she here?" "Laches: Parmeno, you present yourself opportunely: run quickly to Pamphilus." "Parmeno: Why there?" "Laches: Say that I entreat him to come." "Parmeno: To you?" "Laches: On the contrary, to Philumena." "Parmeno: What is the matter?" "Laches: Cease to inquire into what does not concern you." "Parmeno: Shall I say nothing else?" "Laches: Yes; say that Myrrhina has recognized that ring" "to be her daughter's, which he himself had formerly given to me." "Parmeno: I know." "Is that all?" "Laches: That is all: he will be here immediately when he hears this from you." "But are you hesitating?" "Parmeno: By no means, indeed; for today no opportunity of resting was given to me;" "thus by running about and walking I have wasted this whole day." "Bacchis: (To herself) How great a joy have I brought to Pamphilus today by my arrival!" "How many beneficial things have I brought, and how many cares indeed have I removed!" "I restore his son to him, who almost perished by the work of those women and of himself;" "I return his wife, whom he never thought he would have hereafter;" "I have freed him from that which made him suspected by his father and Phidippus." "Indeed, this ring was the beginning for discovering these matters." "For I remember about ten months ago, at the first of the night, he" "fled panting to my house, without a companion, full of wine," "with this ring. I was immediately terrified.
"Mi Pamphile," inquam, "amabo, §825Quid exanimatus es, obsecro? aut unde annulum istum nactus es?
'My Pamphilus,' I said, 'please," "why are you out of breath, pray?
§826Dic mihi. "Ille alias res agere se simulare: postquam video,
Or where did you obtain that ring?" "Tell me.' He pretended to be doing other things; after I saw..."