 | The Brothers |  |
SCENE VI.
Enter MICIO.Micio,
to Sostrata within.]
Do as I've told you, Sostrata.
I'll find out Æschinus, and tell him all.
—But who knock'd at the door?
[coming forward.
Æsch.
behind.]
By heav'n, my father!
Confusion!
Micio,
seeing him.]
Æschinus!
Æsch.
What does he here?
[aside.
Micio.
Was't you that knock'd?—What, not a word!
I banter him a little. He deserves it,
[Suppose
For never trusting this affair to me.
[aside.
—Why don't you speak?
Æsch.
Not I, as I remember.
[disorder'd.
No, I dare say, not you: for I was wond'ring
What business could have brought you here.—He blushes.
All's safe, I find.
[aside.
Æsch.
recovering.]
But prithee, tell me, Sir,
What brought you here?
Micio.
No business of my own.
But a friend drew me hither from the Forum,
To be his advocate.
Æsch.
In what?
Micio.
I'll tell you.
This house is tenanted by some poor women,
Whom, I believe, you know not;—Nay, I'm sure on't,
For 'twas but lately they came over hither.
Æsch.
Well?
Micio.
A young woman and her mother.
Æsch.
Well?
Micio.
The father's dead.—This friend of mine, it seems,
Being her next relation, by the law
Is forc'd to marry her.
Æsch.
Confusion!
[aside.
How?
Æsch.
Nothing.—Well?—pray go on, Sir!—
Micio.
He's now come
To take her home, for he is of Miletus.
Æsch.
How! take her home with him?
Micio.
Yes, take her home.
Æsch.
What! to Miletus?
Micio.
Ay.
Æsch.
Oh torture! [aside]
—Well?
What say the women?
Micio.
Why, what shou'd they? Nothing.
Indeed the mother has devis'd a tale
About her daughter's having had a child
By some one else, but never mentions whom:
His claim, she says, is prior; and my friend
Ought not to have her.
Æsch.
Well? and did not this
Seem a sufficient reason?
Micio.
No.
Æsch.
No, Sir?
And shall this next relation take her off?
Micio.
Ay, to be sure: why not?
Æsch.
Oh barbarous, cruel!
Micio.
Why so?
Æsch.
Why so, Sir?—What d'ye think
Will come of Him, the poor unhappy youth
Who was connected with her first;—who still
Loves her, perhaps, as dearly as his life;—
When he shall see her torn out of his arms,
And born away for ever?—Oh shame, shame!
Micio.
Where is the shame on't?— Who betroth'd, who gave her?
When was she married? and to whom? Where is he,
And wherefore did he wed another's right?
Æsch.
Was it for Her, a girl of such an age,
To sit at home, expecting till a kinsman
Came, nobody knows whence, to marry her?
—This, Sir, it was your business to have said,
And to have dwelt on it.
Micio.
Ridiculous!
Should I have pleaded against Him, to whom
I came an advocate?—But after all,
What's this affair to Us? or, what have we
To do with them? let's go!—Ha! why those tears?
Father, beseech you, hear me!
Micio.
Æschinus,
I have heard all, and I know all, already:
For I do love you; wherefore all your actions
Touch me the more.
Æsch.
So may you ever love me,
And so may I deserve your love, my father,
As I am sorry to have done this fault,
And am asham'd to see you!
Micio.
I believe it;
For well I know you have a liberal mind:
But I'm afraid you are too negligent.
For in what city do you think you live?
You have abus'd a virgin, whom the law
Forbad your touching.—'Twas a fault, a great one;
But yet a natural failing. Many others,
Some not bad men, have often done the same.
—But after this event, can you pretend
You took the least precaution? or consider'd
What shou'd be done, or how?—If shame forbad
Your telling me Yourself, you shou'd have found
Some other means to let me know of it.
Lost in these doubts, ten months have slipt away.
You have betray'd, as far as in you lay,
What! did you think the Gods wou'd bring about
This business in your sleep; and that your wife,
Without your stir, would be convey'd to you
Into your bed-chamber?—I wou'd not have you
Thus negligent in other matters.—Come,
Cheer up, son! you shall wed her.
Æsch.
How!
Micio.
Cheer up,
I say!
Æsch.
Nay, prithee, do not mock me, father!
Micio.
Mock you? I? wherefore?
Æsch.
I don't know; unless
That I so much desire it may be true,
I therefore fear it more.
Micio.
—Away; go home;
And pray the Gods, that you may call your wife.
Away!
Æsch.
How's that? my wife? what! now?
Micio.
Now.
Now?
Micio.
Ev'n now, as soon as possible.
Æsch.
May all
The Gods desert me, Sir, but I do love you,
More than my eyes!
Micio.
Than her?
Æsch.
As well.
Micio.
That's much.
Æsch.
But where is that Milesian?
Micio.
Gone:
Vanish'd: on board the ship.—But why d'ye loiter?
Æsch.
Ah, Sir, you rather go, and pray the Gods;
For, being a much better man than I,
They will the sooner hear your pray'rs.
I'll in,
To see the needful preparations made.
You, if you're wise, do as I said.
[Exit.
This appears in many instances to have been a law in force with the Athenians, and was probably handed down to them by the Phœnicians, who originally received it from the Jews. And every daughter that possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers. Numbers, Chap. xxxvi. v. 8. Dacier.
These questions, which enumerate all the proofs requisite to a marriage, are an indirect, and very delicate reproof of Æschinus for the irregular and clandestine manner in which he had conducted this affair. Donatus.
We may very innocently banter a friend, and frighten him with false alarms, when it is in our power to undeceive him immediately, and to surprise him with good news. But none but an enemy would buoy one up with false hopes, in order to dash them with bitterness and trouble. Micio therefore discovers a benevolent emotion at even being supposed to trifle with him in this respect. Donatus.
Donatus observes that there is great delicacy in this compliment of Æschinus to Micio, which, though made to his face, does not carry in it the least appearance of flattery. Madam Dacier imagines Terence refers here to a line in Hesiod, which says that it is the business of old men to pray. I should rather imagine our author had an eye to the following fine lines of Menander, which have already been recommended to the publick notice by the learned critick in the Adventurer, No. 105.
Ταυρων τε πληθος η εριφων, η, νη Δια,
Ετερων τοιουτων, η κατασκευασματα
Χρυσας ποιησας χλαμυδος ητοι πορφυρας,
Η δι' ελεφαντος, η σμαραγδου ζωδια,
Ευνουν νομιζει τον Θεον καθισαναι,
Πλανατ' εκεινος, και φρενας κουφας εχει.
Δει γαρ τον ανδρα χρησιμον πεφυκεναι,
Μη παρθενους φθειροντα, μν μοιχωμενον,
Κλεπτοντα και σφαττοντα χρηυατων χαπιν.
Μηδε βελονης εναμμ' επιθυμης, Παμφιλε,
Ο γας Θεος βλεπει σε πλησιον παρων.
A multitude of bulls, or goats, or sheep;
Or prepares golden vestments, purple raiment,
Figures of ivory, or precious gems;
Thinking to render God propitious to him,
Most grosly errs, and bears an empty mind.
Let him be good and charitable rather,
No doer of uncleanness, no corrupter
Of virgin innocence, no murd'rer, robber,
In quest of gain. Covet not, Pamphilus,
Even a needleful of thread, for God,
Who's always near thee, always sees thy deeds.
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