Eunuchus; or, The Eunuch

Perseus Latin · Perseus Latin · 932 sections

4.6.764
Let me go, I’ll be here presently.
4.6.764b
There’s no occasion, Chremes.
4.6.765
Only say that she is your sister, and that you lost her when a little girl, and have now recognized her; then show the tokens.
4.6.766b
Here they are.
4.6.766c
Take them. If he offers any violence, summon the fellow to justice; do you understand me?
4.6.767b
Perfectly.
4.6.768
Take care and say this with presence of mind.
4.6.768b
I’ll take care.
4.6.768c
Gather up your cloak. (Aside.) Undone! the very person whom I’ve provided as a champion, wants one himself.
4.7.770
Am I to submit, Gnatho, to such a glaring affront as this being put upon me? I’d die sooner. Simalio, Donax, Syriscus, follow me! First, I’ll storm the house.
4.7.772b
Quite right.
4.7.772c
I’ll carry off the girl.
4.7.772d
Very good.
4.7.773
I’ll give her own self a mauling.
4.7.773b
Very proper.
4.7.773c
Advance hither to the main body, Donax, with your crowbar; you, Simalio, to the left wing; you, Syriscus, to the right.
4.7.775
Bring up the rest; where’s the centurion Sanga, and his maniple of rogues?
4.7.775b
See, here he is.
4.7.776
What, you booby, do you think of fighting with a dish-clout, to be bringing that here?
4.7.777
What, I? I knew the valor of the general, and the prowess of the soldiers; and that this could not possibly go on without bloodshed; how was I to wipe the wounds?
4.7.779
Where are the others?
4.7.779b
Plague on you, what others? Sannio is the only one left on guard at home.
4.7.780
Do you draw up your men in battle order; I’ll be behind the second rank; from that position I’ll give the word to all.
4.7.781
That’s showing prudence; as soon as he has drawn them up, he secures a retreat for himself.
4.7.782
This is just the way Pyrrhus used to proceed.
4.7.782b
Do you see, Thais, what plan he is upon? Assuredly, that advice of mine about closing the door was good.
4.7.784
He who now seems to you to be a hero, is in reality a mere vaporer;
4.7.785
don’t be alarmed.
4.7.785b
What seems best to you?
4.7.785c
I could very much like a sling to be given you just now, that you might pelt them from here on the sly at a distance; they would be taking to flight.
4.7.787
But look (pointing), I see Thais there herself.
4.7.787b
How soon are we to fall to?
4.7.787c
Hold (holding him back); it behooves a prudent person to make trial of every thing before arms. How do you know but that she may do what I bid her without compulsion?
4.7.789b
Ye Gods, by our trust in you,
4.7.790
what a thing it is to be wise! I never come near you but what I go away from you the wiser.
4.7.791
Thais, in the first place, answer me this. When I presented you that girl, did you not say that you would give yourself up to me alone for some days to come?
4.7.792b
Well, what then?
4.7.793
Do you ask the question? You, who have been and brought your lover under my very eyes?
4.7.794
What business had you with him?
4.7.794b
With him, too, you clandestinely betook yourself away from me.
4.7.795
I chose to do so.
4.7.795b
Then give me back Pamphila; unless you had rather she were taken away by force.
4.7.796
Give her back to you, or you lay hands upon her? Of all the—
4.7.796b
Ha! What are you about? Hold your tongue.
4.7.797
What do you mean? Am I not to touch my own?
4.7.797b
Your own, indeed, you gallows-bird!
4.7.798
Have a care, if you please. You don’t know what kind of man you are abusing now.
4.7.798b
Won’t you be off from here? Do you know how matters stand with you? If you cause any disturbance here to-day,
4.7.800
I’ll make you remember the place, and day, and me too, for the rest of your life.
4.7.801
I pity you, who are making so great a man as this your enemy.
4.7.802
I’ll break your head this instant if you are not off.
4.7.802b
Do you really say so, puppy? Is it that you are at?
4.7.803b
What fellow are you? What do you mean? What business have you with her?
4.7.804
I’ll let you know: in the first place, I assert that she is a freeborn woman.
4.7.804b
Ha!
4.7.804c
A citizen of Attica.
4.7.804d
Whew!
4.7.805
My own sister.
4.7.805b
Brazen face!
4.7.805c
Now, therefore, Captain, I give you warning; don’t you use any violence toward her. Thais, I’m going to Sophrona, the nurse, that I may bring her here and show her these tokens.
4.7.807b
What! Are you to prevent me from touching what’s my own?
4.7.808b
I will prevent it, I tell you.
4.7.808c
Do you hear him? He is convicting himself of theft. Is not that enough for you?
4.7.809b
Do you say the same, Thais?
4.7.809c
Go, find some one to answer you.
4.7.810
What are we to do now?
4.7.810b
Why, go back again: she’ll soon be with you, of her own accord, to entreat forgiveness.
4.7.811b
Do you think so?
4.7.811c
Certainly, yes. I know the disposition of women: when you will, they won’t; when you won’t, they set their hearts upon you of their own inclination.
4.7.812b
You judge right.
4.7.813
Shall I dismiss the army then?
4.7.813b
Whenever you like.
4.7.813c
Sanga, as befits gallant soldiers, take care in your turn to remember your homes and hearths.
4.7.815
My thoughts have been for some time among the sauce-pans.
4.7.815b
You are a worthy fellow.
4.7.815c
You follow me this way.
5.1.816
What! do you persist, hussy, in talking ambiguously to me? I do know; I don’t know; he has gone off; I have heard; I wasn’t there. Don’t you mean to tell me plainly, whatever it is? The girl in tears, with her garments torn, is mute;
5.1.820
the Eunuch is off: for what reason? What has happened? Won’t you speak?
5.1.821
Wretch that I am, what am I to say to you? They declare that he was not a Eunuch.
5.1.822b
What was he then?
5.1.822c
That Chaerea.
5.1.823
What Chaerea?
5.1.823b
That stripling, the brother of Phaedria.
5.1.824
What’s that you say, you hag?
5.1.824b
And I am satisfied of it.
5.1.825
Pray, what business had he at my house? What brought him there?
5.1.825b
I don’t know; unless, as I suppose, he was in love with Pamphila.
5.1.826b
Alas! to my confusion, unhappy woman that I am, I’m undone, if what you tell me is true. Is it about this that the girl is crying?
5.1.828b
I believe so.
5.1.828c
How say you, you arch-jade? Did I not warn you about this very thing, when I was going away from here?
5.1.830
What could I do? Just as you ordered, she was intrusted to his care only.
5.1.831
Hussy, I’ve been intrusting the sheep to the wolf. I’m quite ashamed to have been imposed upon in this way. What sort of man was he?
5.1.833
Hush! hush! mistress, pray; we are all right. Here we have the very man.
5.1.834b
Where is he?
5.1.834c
Why there, to the left.
5.1.835
Don’t you see?
5.1.835b
I see.
5.1.835c
Order him to be seized as quickly as possible.
5.1.836
What can we do to him, simpleton?
5.1.836b
What do to him, do you ask? Pray, do look at him; if his face doesn’t seem an impudent one.

Perseus Latin. CTS URN phi0134.phi003.perseus-eng2. Via the Perseus Digital Library / Open Greek and Latin TEI corpora. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source.