STAS. That Lesbonicus, the son of my master, has betrothed his sister; in those terms.

too.

CALL. To what person has he betrothed her?

STAS. To Lysiteles, the son of Philto; without a portion,

CALL. Without a portion, will he marry her into a family so rich1? You are telling me a thing not to be credited.

STAS. Why, faith, you would be for never believing. If you don't believe this, at all events I shall be believing

CALL. What? STAS. That I don't care a fig for your belief.

CALL. How long since, or where, was this matter agreed to ?

STAS. On this very spot-here, before his door (pointing to PHILTO's house). This moment-like2, as the man of Præneste says.

CALL. And has Lesbonicus, amid his ruined fortunes, become so much more frugal than in his prosperous circumstances?

STAS. Why, in fact, Philto himself came of his own accord to make the offer for his son.

CALL. (aside.) By my troth, it really will be a disgrace, it a portion is not given to the maiden. In fine, I think, i' faith, that that matter concerns myself. I will go to my corrector, and will ask advice of him.

(Exit.

STAS. I pretty nearly guess, and I have a strong suspicion, why he makes such speed on this namely, that he may turn Lesbonicus out of his bit of land, after he has turned him out of his house. O Charmides, my master! since your property here is being torn to pieces in your absence, I wish I

tinually occurring between the Greeks and the Persian monarchs, or else to the custom of hiring themselves out as mercenary soldiers, as Xenophon and the ten thousand did to the younger Cyrus.

1 Into a family so rich)-Ver. 605. "In tantas divitias," literally, "into so great wealth."

2 This moment-like)-Ver. 609. "Tammodo." He is joking upon the patois of the people of Præneste, who said "tammodo," instead of "modo," "this instant," or "just now." Festus also alludes to this expression, as used by the Prænestines. In the Truculentus, act iii., sc. 2, 1. 23, he again takes them off for cutting "Ciconia" down to "Conia." Præneste was a town of Latium, not far from Rome. Its present name is Palestrina.

D

could see you return safe, that you might both take vengeance on your enemies, and give the reward to me according as I have behaved, and do behave towards you. 'Tis an extremely difficult thing for a friend to be found really such as the name imports, to whom, when you have entrusted your interests, you may sleep without any care. But lo! I perceive our son-in-law coming, together with his neighbour. Something what, I know not-is wrong between them. They are walking, each with a hasty step; the one is catching the other that is before him by the cloak. They have come to a stop in no very courteous fashion. I'll step aside here a little distance. I have a wish to hear the conversation of these two that are to be connected by marriage. (He retires to a distance.)

SCENE II.

Enter LYSITELES and LESBONICUS.

Lys. Stay, this moment; don't turn away, and don't hide yourself from me. (He catches hold of his cloak.)

LESB. (shaking him off). Can't you allow me to go whither I was proceeding?

LYS. If, Lesbonicus, it seems to be to your interest, either for your glory or for your honour, I will let you go.

LESB. You are doing a thing that it is very easy to do. Lys. What is that? LESB. An injury to a friend. Lys. It is no way of mine, and I have not learned so to do.

LESB. Untaught as you are, how cleverly you do it. What would you have done, if any one had taught you to be thus annoying to me? You, who, when you pretend to be acting kindly to me, use me ill, and are intending evil.

LYS. What!-I? LESB. Yes—you.

Lys. How do I use you ill?

LESB. Inasmuch as you do that which I do not wish.
Lys. I wish to consult your advantage.

LESB. Are you kinder to me than I am to myself? I

1 Our son-in-law)—Ver. 622. He means Lysiteles, the contemplated son-inlaw of his master Charmides, whom he has just been apostrophising.

have sense enough; I see sufficiently well those things that are for my own advantage.

Lys. And is it having sense enough to refuse a kindness from a well-wisher ?

LESB. I reckon it to be no kindness, when it does not please him on whom you are conferring it. I know, and I understand myself what I am doing, and my mind forsakes not its duty; nor will I be driven by your speeches from paying due regard to my own character.

Lys. What do you say? For now I cannot be restrained from saying to you the things which you deserve. Have your forefathers, I pray, so handed down this reputation to you, that you, by your excesses, might lose what before was gained by their merit, and that you might become a bar to the honour of your own posterity? Your father and your grandfather made an easy and a level path for you to attain to honour; whereas you have made it to become a difficult one, by your extreme recklessness and sloth, and your besotted ways. You have made your election, to prefer your passions to virtue. Now, do you suppose that you can cover over your faults by these means? Alas! 'tis impossible. Welcome virtue to your mind, if you please, and expel slothfulness from your heart. Give your attention to your hefriends in the Courts of justice1, and not to the couch of your she-friend, as you are wont to do. And earnestly do I now wish this piece of land to be left to you for this reason, that you may have wherewithal to reform yourself; so that those citizens, whom you have for enemies, may not be able altogether to throw your poverty in your teeth.

LESB. All these things which you have been saying, I know-could even set my seal? to them: how I have spoiled my patrimonial estate and the fair fame of my forefathers. I knew how it became me to live; to my misfortune I was not able to act accordingly. Thus, overpowered by the force of passion, inclined to ease, I fell into the snare; and now to you, quite as you deserve, I do return most hearty thanks.

1 In the Courts of justice)-Ver. 651. It was the custom of the young men of the Patrician class among the Romans to plead gratuitously for their friends and clients, in the Forum or Court of justice.

2 Set my seal)-Ver. 655. Affixing the seal to an instrument was then, as now, the most solemn way of ratifying it.

Lys. Still, I cannot suffer my labour to be thus lost, and yourself to despise these words; at the same time, it grieves me that you have so little shame. And, in fine, unless you listen to me, and do this that I mention, you yourself will easily lie concealed behind your own self, so that honour cannot find you; when you will wish yourself to be especially distinguished, you will be lying in obscurity. I know right well, for my part, Lesbonicus, your highly ingenuous disposition; I know that of your own accord you have not done wrong, but that it is Love that has blinded your heart; and I myself comprehend all the ways of Love. As the charge of the balista1 is hurled, so is Love; nothing is there so swift, or that so swiftly flies; he, too, makes the manners of men both foolish and froward2. That which is the most commended pleases him the leasts; that from which he is dissuaded pleases him. When there is a scarcity, then you long for a thing; when there is an abundance of it, then you don't care for it. The person that warns him off from a thing, the same invites him; he that persuades him to it interdicts him. 'Tis a misfortune of insanity for you to fly to Cupid for refuge. But I advise you again and again to think of this, how you should seek to act. If you attempt to do according as you are now showing signs, you will cause the

1 Charge of the balista)—Ver. 668. The word "balista" here signifies the charge of the military engine known as the "balista." It was used by the ancients for the purpose of discharging stones against the higher part of the walls of besieged places, while the "catapulta" was directed against the lower. The charge of the "balista" varied from two pounds to three hundred-weight.

2 Foolish and froward)—Ver. 669. "Moros." This word is derived from the Greek popòs, "foolish." It seems to be used in juxtaposition with "morosos,” for the sake of the alliteration.

3 Pleases him the least)-Ver. 670. So Shakspeare alludes to the contradictory nature of love in Romeo and Juliet:

"Love-heavy lightness! serious vanity!

Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms."

4 Are now showing signs)—Ver. 675. The meaning of this passage is extremely obscure. Perhaps, however, it is this, "If you persist in your extravagance, and are resolved to part with this land, the very last of your possessions, you will prove the conflagration and ruin of your family. Then you will be seeking a remedy-water with which to quench it. When you have got this remedy, as you cleverly suppose, in going abroad to fight and earn glory, you will ply it with such zeal, that you will overdo it, and, in getting killed yourself, will thereby quench the last spark on which the very existence of your house depended." On

conflagration of your family; and then, in consequence, you will have a desire for water with which to quench this conflagration of your family. And if you should obtain it, just as lovers are subtle in their devices, you will not leave even one spark with which your family may brighten up.

LESB. 'Tis easy to be found: fire is granted, even though you should ask it of a foe. But you, by your reproof, are urging me from my faults to a viler course. You are per

suading me to give you my sister without a portion. But it does not become me, who have misused so great a patrimony, to be still in affluent circumstances, and to be possessing land, but her to be in want, so as with good reason to detest me. Never will he be respected by others who makes himself despised by his own relatives. As I said, I will do; I do not wish you to be in doubt any longer.

Lys. And is it so much preferable that for your sister's sake you should incur poverty, and that I should possess that piece of land rather than yourself, who ought to be upholding your own walls?

LESB. I do not wish you so much to have regard to myself, in order that you may relieve my poverty, as that in my neediness I may not become disgraced: that people may not spread about this report of me, that I gave my own sister without a portion to you, rather in concubinage1 than in marriage. Who would be said to be more dishonorable than I? The spreading of this report might do credit to you, but it would defile me, if you were to marry her without a portion. For you it would be a gain of reputation, for me it would be something for people to throw in my teeth.

LYS. Why so? Do you suppose that you will become Dictator if I accept the land of you?

this Lesbonicus says, though not carrying on the metaphor in the same sense, "I will find means, even amid the enemy, to render my name illustrious, for there the fire may be found which is to keep my family from becoming extinguished."

1 Rather in concubinage)—Ver. 690. His pride is hurt at the idea of his sister being married without a portion, and thereby losing one of the distinctive marks between a wife and a mistress. It was considered a disgraceful thing for a female to be given in marriage without a portion, however small.

2 Do you suppose)-Ver. 695. Lysiteles says, satirically, and rather unkindly, it would seem, "What, do you suppose that, if I accept this piece of land of you, you will attain the Dictatorship as the reward of your high spirit ?" The Dictatorship was the highest honour in the Roman Republic.