 | Phormio |  |
SCENE I.
Enter DEMIPHO and CHREMES—and soon after, on t'other side, PHORMIO.Dem.
Well may we thank the gracious Gods, good brother,
That all things have succeeded to our wish.
—But now let's find out Phormio with all speed,
Before he throws away our Thirty Minæ.
pretending not to see them.]
l'll go and see if Demipho's at home,
That I may—
Dem.
meeting him.]
—We are coming to you, Phormio.
Phor.
On the old score, I warrant.
Dem.
Ay.
Phor.
I thought so.
—Why should you go to Me?—Ridiculous!
Was you afraid I'd break my contract with you?
No, no! how great soe'er my poverty,
I've always shewn myself a man of honour.
Chre.
(apart)
Has not she, as I said, a liberal air?
Dem.
(apart)
She has.
Phor.
—And therefore I was coming, Demipho,
To let you know, I'm ready to receive
My wife whene'er you please. For I postpon'd
All other business, as indeed I ought,
Soon as I found ye were so bent on this.
Dem.
Ay, but my brother has dissuaded me
From going any further in this business.
“At first you might have done it handsomely;
“But then you'd not consent to it; and now,
“After co-habitation with your son,
“To think of a divorce, is infamous.”
—In short, he urg'd almost the very things,
That you so lately charg'd me with yourself.
Phor.
You trifle with me, Gentlemen.
Dem.
How so?
Phor.
How so?—Because I cannot marry t'other,
With whom I told you I was first in treaty.
For with what face can I return to Her,
Whom I have held in such contempt?
Chre.
Tell him,
Antipho does not care to part with her.
[prompting Demipho.
Dem.
And my son too don't care to part with her:
—Step to the Forum then, and give an order
For the repayment of our money, Phormio.
Phor.
What! when I've paid it to my creditors?
Dem.
What's to be done then?
Give me but the wife,
To whom you have betroth'd me, and I'll wed her.
But if you'd rather she shou'd stay with you,
The portion stays with Me, good Demipho.
For 'tis not just, I should be bubbled by you;
When, to retrieve your honour, I've refus'd
Another woman with an equal fortune.
Dem.
A plague upon your idle vapouring,
You vagabond!—D'ye fancy we don't know you?
You, and your fine proceedings?
Phor.
You provoke me.
Dem.
Why, would you marry her, if proffer'd?
Phor.
Try me.
Dem.
What! that my son my keep her privately
At your house?—That was your intention.
Phor.
Ha!
What say you, Sir?
Dem.
Give me my money, sirrah!
Phor.
Give me my wife, I say.
Dem.
To justice with him!
Phor.
To justice? Now, by heaven, Gentlemen,
If you continue to be troublesome—
Dem.
What will you do?
Phor.
What will I do? Perhaps,
Girls without portion; but be sure of this,
I've some with portions too.
Chre.
What's that to Us?
Phor.
Nothing.—I know a lady here, whose husband.—
[carelessly.
Chre.
Ha!
Dem.
What's the matter?
Phor.
—Had another wife
At Lemnos.
Chre.
to aside.]
I'm a dead man.
Phor.
—By which other
He had a daughter; whom he now brings up
In private.
Chre.
aside.]
Dead and buried!
Phor.
This I'll tell her.
[going towards the house.
Chre.
Don't, I beseech you!
Phor.
Oh! are you the man?
Dem.
Death! how insulting!
to Phormio.]
We discharge you.
Phor.
Nonsense!
Chre.
What wou'd you more? The money you have got,
We will forgive you.
Phor.
Well; I hear you now.
—But what a plague d'ye mean by fooling thus,
Acting and talking like mere children with me?
—I won't; I will:—I will; I won't again:—
Give, take; say, unsay; do, and then undo.
Chre.
to Demipho.]
Which way cou'd he have learnt this?
Dem.
I don't know:
But I am sure I never mention'd it.
Chre.
Good now! amazing!
Phor.
I have ruffled them.
[aside.
Dem.
What! shall he carry off so large a sum,
And laugh at us so openly?—By heaven,
I'd rather die.—Be of good courage, brother!
Pluck up the spirit of a man! You see
This slip of your's is got abroad; nor can you
Keep it a secret from your wife. Now therefore
That we should fairly tell it her ourselves,
Than she should hear the story from another.
And then we shall be quite at liberty
To take our own revenge upon this rascal.
Phor.
Ha!—If I don't take care, I'm ruin'd still.
They're growing desperate, and making tow'rds me,
With a determin'd gladiatorial air.
Chre.
to Demipho.]
I fear, she'll ne'er forgive me.
Dem.
Courage, Chremes!
I'll reconcile her to't; especially
The mother being dead and gone.
Phor.
Is this
Your dealing, Gentlemen? You come upon me
Extremely cunningly—But, Demipho,
You have but ill consulted for your brother,
To urge me to extremities.—And you, Sir,
[to Chremes.
When you have play'd the whore-master abroad;
Having no reverence for your lady here,
A woman of condition; wronging her
After the grossest manner; come you now
To wash away your crimes with mean submission?
As, tho' you melt to tears, you sha'n't extinguish.
Dem.
A plague upon him! was there ever man
So very impudent?—A knave! he ought
To be transported at the publick charge
Into some desert.
Chre.
I am so confounded,
I know not what to do with him.
Dem.
I know.
Bring him before a judge!
Phor.
Before a judge?
A Lady-judge; in here, Sirs, if you please.
Dem.
Run you, and hold him, while I call the servants.
Chre.
I cannot by myself: come up, and help me.
Phor.
I have an action of assault against you.
[to Demipho.
Chre.
Bring it!
Phor.
Another against you too, Chremes!
Dem.
Drag him away!
[both lay hold of him.
Phor.
struggling.]
Is that your way with me!
Come hither.
Chre.
Stop his mouth!
Dem.
struggling.]
A sturdy rogue!
How strong he is!
Phor.
struggling.]
Nausistrata, I say.
Nausistrata!
Chre.
struggling.]
Peace, sirrah!
Phor.
Peace, indeed!
Dem.
Unless he follows, strike him in the stomach!
Phor.
Ay, or put out an eye!—But here comes one
Will give me full revenge upon you both.
One cannot conceive any thing more happy or just than these words of Chremes. Demipho's thoughts are wholly taken up how to recover the money, and Phormio is equally sollicitous to retain it; but Chremes, who had just left his daughter, is regardless of their discourse, and, fresh from the impressions which she had made on him, longs to know if his Brother's sentiments of her were equally favourable, and naturally puts this paternal question to him. Patrick.
Argentum jube rursum rescribi. Scribere, rescribere, perscribere, were technical terms in use among merchants and bankers: scribere is, to borrow money; rescribere, to repay it; perscribere, to employ it on your own occasions. And all those dealings were carried on then, as they are now, with us, by Draughts, Bills of Exchange, &c. Dancier.
Etiam dotatis soleo. Donatus explain these words, as alluding to Nausistrata; others suppose that Phormio confines his thoughts to no particular instance; but I think it is plain from the sequel, as well as the general tenor of the scene, that Phormio still keeps Phanium in his eye; and expresses himself obscurely in this place, because the old men were not yet aware of the intelligence he had received on that head, tho' every subsequent speech leads gradually to an explanation, tends to create an open rupture between him and the old gentlemen, and brings on the final discovery to Nausistrata.
The different characters of the two brothers are admirably preserved throughout this scene. Chremes stands greatly in awe of his wife, and will submit to any thing, rather than the story should come to her ears: But Demipho cannot brook the thoughts of losing so much money, and encourages his brother to behave with spirit and resolution, promising to make up matters between him and his wife. Patrick.
In consequence of this line, most of the translations introduce the servants here; but I think the scuffle between Phormio and the old men would be much more comick in the representation without the intervention of servants: And it is remarkable that Phormio addresses himself solely to Demipho and Chremes, and that the imperatives used by themselves also are all in the singular number, and may therefore most naturally be supposed to be addressed to each other, while in conflict with Phormio, without the aid of servants—Rape hunc—Os opprime—Pugnos in ventrem ingere—&c.
| Phormio | |