Читать книгу The Comedies of Terence - Terence - Страница 38

Chremes, Simo.

Chremes. Enough already, Simo, and enough

I’ve shown my friendship for you; hazarded

Enough of peril: urge me then no more!

Wishing to please you, I had near destroy’d

My daughter’s peace and happiness forever.

Simo. Ah, Chremes, I must now entreat the more,

More urge you to confirm the promis’d boon.

Chremes. Mark, how unjust you are through willfulness!

So you obtain what you demand, you set

No bounds to my compliance, nor consider

What you request; for if you did consider,

You’d cease to load me with these injuries.

Simo. What injuries?

Chremes. Is that a question now?

Have you not driven me to plight my child

To one possess’d with other love, averse

To marriage; to expose her to divorce,

And crazy nuptials; by her woe and bane

To work a cure for your distemper’d son?

You had prevail’d: I travel’d in the match,

While circumstances would admit; but now

The case is chang’d, content you:—It is said

That she’s a citizen; a child is born:

Prithee excuse us!

Simo. Now, for Heav’n’s sake.

Believe not them, whose interest it is

To make him vile and abject as themselves.

These stories are all feign’d, concerted all,

To break the match: when the occasion’s past

That urges them to this, they will desist.

Chremes. Oh, you mistake: e’en now I saw the maid

Wrangling with Davus.

Simo. Artifice! mere trick.

Chremes. Aye, but in earnest; and when neither knew

That I was there.

Simo. It may be so: and Davus

Told me beforehand they’d attempt all this;

Though I, I know not how, forgot to tell you.