§367Hominis stultitiam!
The folly of the man!
He highly praised his son: he thanked me, who had given that advice.
§369Disrumpor.
I am bursting.
§369bArgentum annumeravit ilico: §370Dedit praeterea in sumtum dimidium minae: §371Id distributum sane est ex sententia.
He paid out the money on the spot: besides, he gave half a mina for expenses: that indeed was distributed entirely to my satisfaction.
§371bHem!
Ha!
§372Huic mandes, si quid recte curatum velis.
Entrust a matter to this man, if you want anything properly taken care of.
§373Hem, Demea, haud aspexeram te.
Oh, Demea, I hadn't seen you.
Quid agitur?
What's going on?
What's going on? I cannot sufficiently wonder at your way of life.
By Hercules, it is foolish, not to speak deceitfully, and absurd.
Pisces ceteros purga, Dromo: §377Congrum istum maximum in aqua sinito ludere §378Paulisper: ubi ego venero, exossabitur; §379Prius nolo.
Clean the rest of the fish, Dromo: let that very large conger play in the water for a little while: when I return, it shall be boned; I don't want it done before.
§379bHaecine flagitia!
Such scandalous deeds!
Indeed, they do not please me; and I often cry out.
Salsamenta haec, Stephanio, §381Fac macerentur pulchre.
Stephanio, make sure these salt fish are beautifully soaked.
Heavens, is he doing this on purpose, or does he think it will be to his credit if he ruins his son?
§383Fore si perdiderit gnatum? Vae misero mihi!
Woe to miserable me!
I seem already to see that day when, needy, he will flee from here somewhere to serve as a soldier.
§385bO Demea, §386Istuc est sapere, non quod ante pedes modo est §387Videre, sed etiam illa quae futura sunt §388Prospicere.
Oh Demea, that is wisdom—not only to see what is right before your feet, but also to look forward to those things which are to come.
§388bQuid? istaec iam penes vos psaltria est?
What? Is that music-girl already at your house?
§389Ellam intus.
She is inside.
§389bEho an domi est habiturus?
Oh, is he going to keep her at home?
§390bHaecine fieri!
That such things should be done!
The foolish leniency of the father and his perverse easygoing nature.
There is too much difference between you, Demea, and— I do not say this because you are present—there is an immense difference.
You, through and through, are nothing but wisdom; he is a mere dream.
Sineres vero tu illum tuum §396Facere haec?
Would you indeed allow your son to do these things?
Would I allow him? Would I not have scented it out six whole months before he began anything?
§398Vigilantiam tuam tu mihi narras?
You tell me of your vigilance?
§399bUt quisque suum vult esse, ita est.
As each man wants his son to be, so he is.
§400Quid eum? vidistine hodie?
What about him? Have you seen him today?
§400bTuumne filium?
Your son?
§401Abigam hunc rus.
I will drive him to the country.
Iamdudum aliquid ruri agere arbitror.
I believe he has been doing something in the country for some time.
§402Satin scis ibi esse?
Do you know for sure that he is there?
§402bOh, qui egomet produxi.
Oh, since I myself saw him off.
§402cOptime est.
That is excellent.
§403Metui ne haereret hic.
I was afraid he was lingering here.
§403bAtque iratum admodum.
And he was quite angry too.
§404Quid autem?
What about?
He attacked his brother in the forum with a quarrel about that music-girl.
§405bAin vero?
Did he really?
§405cVah, nihil reticuit.
Oh, he held nothing back.
§406Nam ut numerabatur forte argentum intervenit §407Homo de improviso: coepit clamare, "O Aeschine!
For as the money happened to be being counted, the man arrived unexpectedly: he began to shout, "O Aeschinus!
§408Haecine flagitia facere te! haec te admittere
That you should do such scandalous deeds!
That you should commit these things, unworthy of our family!" Oh! I weep with joy.
"You are not losing this money, but your life." May he be safe, I hope: he is like his ancestors.
§411bHui.
Oh.
§412Syre, praeceptorum plenus istorum ille.
Syrus, he is full of those precepts.
§412bPhy.
Oh.
§413Domi habuit unde disceret.
He had someone at home from whom to learn.
§413bFit sedulo.
It is done diligently.
§414Nihil praetermitto: consuefacio: denique §415Inspicere tanquam in speculum in vitas omnium §416Iubeo, atque ex aliis sumere exemplum sibi.
I omit nothing: I accustom him: in short, I bid him look into the lives of all as if into a mirror, and to take an example for himself from others.
Furthermore— By Hercules, I have no leisure now to listen.
Pisces ex sententia §421Nactus sum: hi mihi ne corrumpantur cautio est: §422Nam id nobis tam flagitium est quam illa, Demea, §423Non facere vobis quae modo dixti: et, quod queo, §424Conservis ad eundem istunc praecipio modum: §425"(Hoc salsum est; hoc adustum est; hoc lautum est parum, §426Illud recte: iterum sic memento:" sedulo §427Moneo quae possum pro mea sapientia.
I have got fish to my liking: I must take care that they are not spoiled: for that is as much a scandal to us, Demea, as for you not to do those things which you just said: and, as far as I can, I instruct my fellow-servants in that very same manner: "(This is too salty; this is burnt; this is not washed enough; that one is right: remember to do it so again:)" diligently I advise them as best I can according to my wisdom.
§428Postremo tanquam in speculum in patinas, Demea, §429Inspicere iubeo, et moneo quid facto usus siet.
Finally, I bid them look into the dishes as if into a mirror, Demea, and I advise them what needs to be done.
I perceive that these things we do are foolish: but what can you do? As a man is, so you must humor him.
§432Numquid vis?
Do you want anything?
§432bMentem vobis meliorem dari.
That a better mind be given to you.
§433Tu rus hinc abis?
Are you going from here to the country?
§433bRecta.
Straight away.
For what would you do here, where if you give any good advice, no one obeys?
§435Ego vero hinc abeo, quando is quamobrem huc veneram §436Rus abiit: illum curo unum: ille ad me attinet.
Indeed, I am leaving here, since he for whose sake I had come here has gone to the country: I care for him alone: he belongs to me.
§437Quando ita vult frater, de istoc ipse viderit.
Since my brother wishes it so, let him see to that other one himself.