§623Satis diu dedisti verba; sat adhuc tua nos frustrata est fides. " §624"Hem, quid istuc obsecro," inquam, "est?" "Valeas;
"You have deceived us with words long enough; your promise has sufficiently disappointed us up to now." "'Ah, what is that, I beseech you?' I said.
habeas illam quae placet. " §625Sensi ilico id illas suspicari: sed me reprehendi tamen §626Ne quid de fratre garrulae illi dicerem, ac fieret palam.
'Farewell; keep her who pleases you.'" I perceived immediately that they suspected that; but I restrained myself nevertheless, lest I should say anything about my brother to that chatterbox, and it should become public.
Now, what shall I do? Shall I say it is my brother's? That indeed is by no means necessary to be blabbed abroad.
Ac mitto: fieri potis est ut ne qua exeat.
And I let it pass; it is possible that it may not get out anywhere.
§629Ipsum id metuo ut credant; tot concurrunt verisimilia.
I fear that very thing, that they will not believe it; so many probabilities concur.
§630Egomet rapui; ipse egomet solvi argentum; ad me abducta est domum.
I myself carried her off; I myself paid the money; she was brought to my house.
§631Haec adeo mea culpa fateor fieri.
These things, indeed, I confess are happening through my own fault.
Non me hanc rem patri
Why did I not make this matter known to my father, however it had been done?
§632Ut ut erat gesta indicasse? Exorassem ut eam ducerem.
I should have persuaded him to let me marry her.
§633Cessatum usque adhuc est: nunc porro, Aeschine, expergiscere!
Up to now there has been delay; now henceforth, Aeschinus, wake up!
§634Nunc hoc primum est: ad illas ibo ut purgem me; accedam ad fores.
Now, this is the first thing: I will go to them to clear myself; I will approach the door.
§635Perii! horresco semper ubi pultare hasce occipio miser.
I am ruined! I always shudder when I begin to knock at this door, wretch that I am.
§636Heus, heus: Aeschinus ego sum: aperite aliquis actutum ostium.
Ho, ho! I am Aeschinus; someone open the door immediately.
§637Prodit nescio quis: concedam huc.
Someone is coming out; I will step aside here.
Micio: Sostrata, do as I told you; I will meet Aeschinus, so that he may know how these matters have been managed.
§639Sed quis ostium hoc pultavit?
But who knocked at this door?
§639bPater hercle est: perii.
Aeschinus: By Hercules, it's my father! I am ruined.
§639cAeschine.
Micio: Aeschinus!
§640Quid huic hic negoti est?
Aeschinus: What business has he here?
§640bTune has pepulisti fores?
Micio: Did you knock at this door?
§641Tacet.
He is silent.
Cur non ludo hunc aliquantisper? Melius est,
Why shouldn't I tease him for a little while?
§642Quandoquidem hoc nunquam mihi ipse voluit credere.
It is better, since he himself was never willing to trust me with this matter.
§643Nihil mihi respondes?
Do you answer me nothing?
§643bNon equidem istas quod sciam.
Aeschinus: Not indeed those doors, as far as I know.
§644Ita? nam mirabar quid hic negoti esset tibi.
Micio: Is it so? For I was wondering what business you had here.
§645Erubuit: salva res est.
He blushed; all is well.
Aeschinus: Tell me, please, father, what business, indeed, have you there?
§646bNihil mihi quidem:
Micio: Nothing indeed to me.
A friend of mine just now brought me from the forum here to be his advocate.
§648bQuid?
Aeschinus: What is it?
§648cEgo dicam tibi: §649Habitant hic quaedam mulieres pauperculae, §650Ut opinor; has non nosse te et certo scio; §651Neque enim diu huc commigrarunt.
Micio: I will tell you: There live here certain poor women, as I suppose; I am sure also that you do not know them; for they have not moved here long ago.
§651bQuid tum postea?
Aeschinus: What then?
§652Virgo est cum matre.
Micio: There is a maiden with her mother.
§652bPerge.
Aeschinus: Go on.
§652cHaec virgo orba est patre: §653Hic meus amicus illi genere est proximus: §654Huic leges cogunt nubere hanc.
Micio: This maiden is fatherless; this friend of mine is her nearest relation; the laws compel her to marry him.
§654bPerii.
Aeschinus: I am ruined!
§654cQuid est?
Micio: What is the matter?
§655Nihil: recte: perge.
Aeschinus: Nothing; it's all right; go on.
Micio: He has come to carry her away with him; for he lives at Miletus.
§656bHem, virginem ut secum avehat?
Aeschinus: What? To carry the maiden away with him?
§657Sic est.
Micio: So it is.
§657bMiletum usque obsecro?
Aeschinus: All the way to Miletus, pray?
§657cIta.
Micio: Yes.
§657dAnimo male est.
Aeschinus: I feel sick at heart.
§658Quid ipsae? quid aiunt?
What about themselves? What do they say?
§658bQuid illas censes? nihil enim.
Micio: What do you think they say? Nothing indeed.
§659Commenta mater est esse ex alio viro §660Nescio quo puerum natum; neque eum nominat; §661Priorem esse illum; non oportere huic dari.
The mother has fabricated that a child was born by some other man, she does not know who; and she does not name him; she says that he was the prior one; that she ought not to be given to this man.
§662Eho, nonne haec iusta tibi videntur postea?
Well, do these things seem just to you after all?
§663Non.
Aeschinus: No.
§663bObsecro, non? an illam hinc abducet, pater?
Pray, not? Is he going to carry her away from here, father?
§664Quid illam ni abducat?
Micio: Why shouldn't he carry her away?
§664bFactum a vobis duriter §665Immisericorditerque; atque etiam, si est, pater, §666Dicendum magis aperte, illiberaliter.
Aeschinus: It is acted harshly by you, and unmercifully; and even, if it must, father, be spoken more openly, ungenerously.
§667Quamobrem?
Micio: Why so?
§667bRogas me? quid illi tandem creditis
Aeschinus: Do you ask me?
§668Fore animi misero quicum illa consuevit prius, §669Qui infelix haud scio an illam misere nunc amat, §670Quum hanc sibi videbit praesens praesenti eripi,
What, pray, do you think will be the feelings of that wretched man who was intimate with her before, who, unhappy man, is likely now desperately in love with her, when he shall see her snatched away from him before his very eyes, carried off from his sight?
§671Abduci ab oculis? Facinus indignum, pater.
A shameful deed, father!
§672Qua ratione istuc? quis despondit? quis dedit?
Micio: On what ground is that? Who betrothed her? Who gave her?
§673Cui, quando nupsit? auctor his rebus quis est?
To whom, when did she marry? Who is the authorizer of these matters?
§674Cur duxit alienam?
Why did he take another man's property?
Aeschinus: Was she to sit at home, a maiden of such an age, waiting till a relation should come from some quarter or other?
This, my father, it was right for you to say, and to defend.
§678Ridiculum: adversumne illum causam dicerem
Micio: Ridiculous! Was I to plead a cause against him for whom I had come as an advocate?
§679Cui veneram advocatus? sed, quid ista, Aeschine,
But, Aeschinus, what are those things to us?
§680Nostra? aut quid nobis cum illis? abeamus.
Or what have we to do with them? Let's go.
Quid est?
What is it?
§681Quid lacrimas?
Why do you weep?
§681bPater obsecro ausculta.
Aeschinus: Father, I beseech you, listen.
Micio: Aeschinus, I have heard all, and I know it; for I love you; and therefore your actions are the more a care to me.