§945cAge prolixe, Micio.
Demea: Come, be generous, Micio.
§946Etsi hoc mihi pravum, ineptum, absurdum, atque alienum a vita mea §947Videtur, si vos tantopere istuc vultis, fiat.
Micio: Although this seems wrong, silly, absurd, and foreign to my way of life, if you all want it so much, let it be done.
Verum— §948bQuid?
But— Micio: What?
§948cEgo dicam, hoc quum fit quod volo.
Aeschines: I will tell you, since this is being done which I wish.
§949Quid nunc quod restat? Hegio his est cognatus proximus,
Demea: What now remains?
§950Affinis nobis, pauper: bene nos aliquid facere illi decet.
Hegio is their nearest relative, a kinsman to us, poor: it is fitting that we do something good for him.
§951Quid facere?
Micio: Do what?
Demea: There is a little bit of land here near the city, which you let out: let us give it to him to enjoy.
§952bPaulum id autem?
Micio: Is that a little, though?
§952cSi multum est, tamen §953Faciendum est: pro patre huic est; bonus est; noster est; recte datur.
Demea: If it is much, still it must be done: he is like a father to her; he is good; he is ours; it is rightly given.
§954Postremo nunc meum illud verbum facio quod tu, Micio, §955Bene et sapienter dixti dudum: "Vitium commune omnium est, §956Quod nimium ad rem in senecta attenti sumus. "Hanc maculam nos decet §957Effugere: dictum est vere, et re ipsa fieri oportet.
Demea: Finally, now I make my own that saying of yours which you, Micio, said well and wisely a short while ago: "It is a common vice of all, that in old age we are too attentive to property." It is fitting that we escape this stain: it was spoken truly, and in actual fact it ought to be done.
§958Quid istic? dabitur quandoquidem hic vult.
Micio: What of it? It shall be given, since he wants it.
§958bMi pater.
Aeschines: My father!
§959Nunc tu mihi es germanus pariter corpore et animo.
Demea: Now you are my brother equally in body and soul.
§959bGaudeo.
Micio: I am glad.
§960Suo sibi gladio hunc iugulo.
Demea: [To himself] I slay him with his own sword.
§960bFactum est quod iussisti, Demea.
Syrus: It is done as you ordered, Demea.
§961Frugi homo es.
Demea: You are an honest man.
Ego edepol hodie mea quidem sententia §962Iudico Syrum fieri esse aequum liberum.
By Pollux, today in my opinion indeed I judge it is fair that Syrus be made free.
§962bIstunc liberum?
Micio: That fellow free?
§963Quodnam ob factum?
For what deed?
§963bMulta.
Demea: Many.
§963cO noster Demea, edepol vir bonus es.
Syrus: Oh our Demea, by Pollux you are a good man.
§964Ego istos vobis usque a pueris curavi ambos sedulo; §965Docui, monui, bene praecepi semper quae potui omnia.
I have cared for both of these boys for you diligently from childhood; I taught them, warned them, always gave them all the good advice I could.
§966Res apparet.
Demea: The matter is plain.
Et quidem porro haec; obsonare cuni fide, §967Scortum adducere, apparare de die convivium; §968Non mediocris hominis haec sunt officia.
And indeed further these things: to market with trustworthiness, to bring a prostitute, to prepare a feast by daylight; these are the duties of no ordinary man.
§968bO lepidum caput!
Syrus: Oh, delightful soul!
§969Postremo, hodie in psaltria hac emenda hic adiutor fuit, §970Hic curavit: prodesse aequum est: alii meliores erunt: §971Denique hic vult fieri.
Demea: Finally, today in buying this music-girl he was an assistant, he took care of it: it is fair to benefit him: others will be better; in short, he wants it to be done.
§971bVin tu hoc fieri?
Micio: Do you want this to be done?
§971cCupio.
Aeschines: I desire it.
Micio: If indeed you want it—Syrus, come here to me: be free.
§972bBene facis.
Syrus: You do well.
§973Omnibus gratiam habeo, et seorsum tibi praeterea, Demea.
I am grateful to all, and separately to you besides, Demea.
§974Gaudeo.
Demea: I rejoice.
§974bEt ego.
Aeschines: And I.
§974cCredo: utinam hoc perpetuum fiat gaudium, §975Phrygiam ut uxorem meam una mecum videam liberam.
Syrus: I believe it: would that this joy be made perpetual, that I might see my wife Phrygia free together with me.
§976Optimam quidem mulierem.
Demea: An excellent woman indeed.
Syrus: And indeed to your grandson, this man's son, she gave the first breast today.
Demea: By Hercules, in truth, seriously, if indeed she gave the first, there is no doubt but that it is fair she be set free.
§979Ob eam rem?
Micio: For that reason?
§979bOb eam.
Demea: For that.
Postremo a me argentum quanti est sumito.
Finally, take the money from me for whatever she is worth.
§980Di tibi, Demea, omnes semper omnia optata offerant.
Syrus: May all the gods always offer you all your wishes, Demea.
§981Syre, processisti hodie pulchre.
Micio: Syrus, you have done very well today.
§981bSi quidem porro, Micio, §982Tu tuum officium facies, atque huic aliquid paulum prae manu §983Dederis unde utatur; reddet tibi cito.
Syrus: If indeed further, Micio, you will do your duty, and give him some little thing in hand from which he may make use; he will return it to you quickly.
Micio: Worse than nothing; he will return nothing. Demea: He is an honest man.
§984bReddam hercle; da modo.
Syrus: I will return it, by Jove; only give it.
§984cAge pater.
Aeschines: Come, father.
§984dPost consulam.
Micio: I will consider it later.
§985Faciet.
Demea: He will do it.
§985bO vir optime.
Syrus: Oh, best of men!
§985cO mi pater festivissime.
Aeschines: Oh, my most agreeable father!
§986Quid istuc? quae res tam repente mores mutavit tuos?
Micio: What is this? What thing has so suddenly changed your character?
§987Quod prolubium? quae istaec subita est largitas?
What whim? What is this sudden generosity?
§987bDicam tibi; §988Ut id ostenderem quod te isti facilem et festivum putant, §989Id non fieri ex vera vita, neque adeo ex aequo et bono: §990Sed ex assentando, indulgendo, et largiendo, Micio.
Demea: I will tell you: to show that what they think of you as easygoing and agreeable does not come from a true way of life, nor indeed from equity and goodness, but from flatteries, indulgence, and giving, Micio.
§991Nunc adeo si ob eam rem vobis vita mea invisa est, Aeschine, §992Quia non iusta iniusta prorsus omnia omnino obsequor, §993Missa facio: effundite, emite, facite, quod vobis libet:
Now indeed, if for that reason my way of life is hateful to you, Aeschines, because I do not comply completely with all things, right or wrong, I let it go: squander, buy, do what pleases you.
§994Sed si id vultis potius, quae vos propter adolescentiam §995Minus videtis, magis impense cupitis, consulitis parum, §996Haec reprehendere et corrigere me, et obsecundare in loco; §997Ecce me qui id faciam vobis.
But if you rather wish that, in those things which you, on account of youth, see less, desire more eagerly, and care for too little, I should reprove and correct them, and support you at the right time; behold, here I am to do it for you.
Aeschines: We yield to you, father; you know better what needs to be done.
Sed de fratre quid fiet?
But what will become of my brother?
Demea: I permit it; let him have her; let him make an end of it with her.
§999bIstuc recte.
Aeschines: That is right.
§999cPlaudite.
Demea: Applaud!