Nothing will be lost from the capital: whatever comes from here, consider it all as pure profit.
If you are willing to reflect on these things truly in your mind, Demea, you will have removed trouble from me, from yourself, and from them.
§822Mitto rem: consuetudinem ipsorum.
Demea: I let the property pass: what about their character?
Multa in homine, Demea, §824Signa insunt ex quibus coniectura facile fit, §825Duo quum idem faciunt, saepe ut possis dicere, §826Hoc licet impune facere huic, illi non licet; §827Non quod dissimilis res sit, sed quod is qui facit:
There are many signs, Demea, from which a conjecture is easily made, when two do the same thing, so that you can often say, "This one is permitted to do this with impunity, that one is not permitted"; not because the action is different, but because of the one who does it.
§828Quae ego illis inesse video, ut confidam fore §829Ita ut volumus: video sapere, intelligere, in loco §830Vereri, inter se amare: scires liberum §831Ingenium atque animum; quovis illos tu die §832Reducas.
I see these qualities in them, so that I trust things will be just as we wish: I see they have sense, understanding, reverence in the proper place, and mutual affection: you would know their liberal character and disposition; you may bring them back on any day you please.
At enim metuas ne ab re sint tamen §833Omissiores paullo.
But indeed you may fear that they are yet a little too neglectful of property.
O noster Demea, §834Ad omnia alia aetate sapimus rectius: §835Solum unum hoc vitium senectus affert hominibus; §836Attentiores sumus ad rem omnes quam sat est: §837Quod illos sat aetas acuet.
O our Demea, in all other things we grow wiser with age: old age brings only this one vice to men; we are all more attentive to property than is enough: as for that, age will sharpen them enough.
§837bNe nimium modo §838Bonae tuae istae nos rationes, Micio, §839Et tuus iste animus aequus, subvertant.
Demea: Only let not those fine reasonings of yours, Micio, and that easy-going disposition of yours, ruin us.
Micio: Be quiet: it won't happen. Dismiss those thoughts now. Give yourself to me today: smooth your brow.
Demea: To be sure, the occasion requires it; it must be done. But tomorrow, at first light, I go to the country with my son.
Micio: Nay, I think even by night; today only make yourself cheerful.
Demea: And that music-girl I will drag away with me from here to that place.
§845bPugnaveris.
Micio: You will have triumphed.
By that means you will tie down your son there completely: only see to it that you keep her.
§847bEgo istuc videro: §848Atque illi favillae plena, funi, ac pollinis, §849Coquendo sit faxo, et molendo: praeter haec §850Meridie ipso faciam ut stipulam colligat: §851Tam excoctam reddam atque atram quam carbo est.
Demea: I will see to that: and I will make sure she is full of ashes, smoke, and flour, busy with cooking and grinding; besides these things, at very midday I will make her gather straw: I will render her as parched and black as a charcoal.
§851bPlacet: §852Nunc mihi videre sapere; atque equidem filium §853Tum etiam si nolit cogam ut cum illa una cubet.
Micio: Excellent: now you seem to me to be wise; and indeed, I will compel your son, even if he is unwilling, to sleep with her.
§854Derides? fortunatus qui istoc animo sies.
Demea: Are you mocking? Fortunate are you to be of such a mind.
§855cIam iam desino.
Demea: Right now, I stop.
§856I ergo intro, et cui rei est ei rei hunc sumamus diem.
Micio: Go in then, and let us spend this day for the purpose for which it is.
§857Nunquam ita quisquam bene subducta ratione ad vitam fuit §858Quin res, aetas, usus semper aliquid apportet novi, §859Aliquid moneat; ut illa quae te scire credas nescias, §860Et quae tibi putaris prima in experiendo repudies:
Demea: No one has ever had his life's account so well calculated but that circumstances, age, and experience always bring something new, and teach some lesson; so that you do not know what you believe you know, and in experience you reject what you had thought to be of primary importance.
§861Quod nunc mihi evenit; nam ego vitam duram quam vixi usque adhuc §862Prope iam excurso spatio mitto.
This is indeed what now happens to me; for that harsh life which I have lived up to this point, now when my course is almost run, I abandon.
Id quamobrem? Re ipsa repperi
Why so?
§863Facilitate nihil esse homini melius neque clementia.
I have found by experience itself that nothing is better for a man than gentleness and clemency.
§864Id esse verum ex me atque ex fratre cuivis facile est noscere.
That this is true, anyone may easily learn from me and from my brother.
§865Ille suam semper egit vitam in otio, in conviviis, §866Clemens, placidus, nulli laedere os, arridere omnibus: §867Sibi vixit; sibi sumtum fecit: omnes bene dicunt, amant.
He has always spent his life in leisure, in banquets, gentle, mild, offending no one to his face, smiling upon all: he lived for himself, spent on himself: everyone speaks well of him, loves him.
§868Ego ille agrestis, saevus, tristis, parcus, truculentus, tenax, §869Duxi uxorem: quam ibi miseriam vidi! Nati filii,
I, that rustic, harsh, gloomy, stingy, fierce, tenacious man, took a wife: what misery I saw there!
§870Alia cura.
Sons were born, another care.
Porro autem illis dum studeo ut quam plurimum §871Facerem, contrivi in quaerendo vitam atque aetatem meam.
Furthermore, while I was eager to make as much as possible for them, I wore out my life and age in acquiring it.
Now, at the end of my life, I receive this fruit of my labor from them: hatred.
Ille alter sine labore patria potitur commoda: §874Illum amant, me fugitant: illi credunt consilia omnia; §875Illum diligunt; apud illum sunt ambo: ego desertus sum.
That other, without labor, enjoys the father's advantages: they love him, they avoid me: they entrust all their secrets to him; they cherish him; both are with him: I am deserted.
§876Illum ut vivat optant; meam autem mortem exspectant.
They pray that he may live; but they await my death.
Scilicet §877Ita eos meo labore eductos maximo hic fecit suos §878Paulo sumptu: miseriam omnem ego capio; hic potitur gaudia.
To be sure, thus has he made those who were brought up with my greatest labor his own, with little expense: I take all the misery; he enjoys the joys.
§879Age, age, nunc iam experiamur porro contra quid ego possiem §880Blande dicere, aut benigne facere, quando eo provocat.
Come, come, now let us try on the contrary how much I can speak softly, or act kindly, since he challenges me to it.
§881Ego quoque a meis me amari et magni pendi postulo:
I also demand that I be loved and highly valued by my own: