Lucius Seneca - Yale Required Reading - Collected Works (Vol. 2)

Heg. Beware how you mention that ; I neither will do it, nor do I think thaat; with due regard to the ties of relationship, I could.

Dem. ( apart. ) I’ll accost him. ( Approaches Hegio. ) Hegio, I bid you welcome right heartily.

Heg. ( starting. ) Oh! I you are the very man I was looking for. Greetings to you, Demea.

Dem. Why, what’s the matter?

Heg. Your eldest son Æschinus, whom you gave to your brother to adopt, has been acting the part of neither an honest man nor a gentleman.

Dem. What has he been doing?

Heg. You knew my friend and year’s-mate, Simulus?

Dem. Why not?

Heg. He has debauched his daughter, a virgin.

Dem. Hah!

Heg. Stay, Demea. You have not yet heard the worst.

Dem. Is there any thing still worse?

Heg. Worse, by far: for this indeed might in some measure have been borne with. The hour of night prompted him; passion, wine, young blood; ’tis human nature. When he was sensible of what he had done, he came voluntarily to the girl’s mother, weeping, praying, entreating, pledging his honor, vowing that he would take her home. 53 The affair was pardoned, hushed, up, his word taken. The girl from that intercourse became pregnant: this is the tenth month. He, worthy fellow, has provided himself, if it please the Gods, with a Music-girl to live with; the other he has cast off.

Dem. Do you say this for certain?

Heg. The mother of the young woman is among us, 54the young woman too; the fact speaks for itself; this Geta, besides, according to the common run of servants, not a bad one or of idle habits; he supports them; alone, maintains the whole family; take him, bind him, 55examine him upon the matter.

Geta . Aye, faith, put me to the torture, Demea, if such is not the fact: besides, he will not deny it. Confront me with him.

Dem. ( aside. ) I am ashamed; and what to do, or how to answer him, I don’t know.

Pam. ( crying out within the house of Sostrata. ) Ah me! I am racked with pains! Juno Lucina, 56bring aid, save me, I beseech thee!

Heg. Hold; is she in labor, pray?

Geta . No doubt of it, Hegio.

Heg. Ah! she is now imploring your protection, Demea; let her obtain from you spontaneously what the power of the law compels you to give. I do entreat the Gods that what befits you may at once be done. But if your sentiments are otherwise, Demea, I will defend both them and him who is dead to the utmost of my power. He was my kinsman: 57we were brought up together from children, we were companions in the wars and at home, together we experienced the hardships of poverty. I will therefore exert myself, strive, use all methods, in fine lay down my life, rather than forsake these women. What answer do you give me?

Dem. I’ll go find my brother, Hegio: the advice he gives me upon this matter I’ll follow. 58

Heg. But, Demea, take you care and reflect upon this: the more easy you are in your circumstances, the more powerful, wealthy, affluent, and noble you are, so much the more ought you with equanimity to observe the dictates of justice, if you would have yourselves esteemed as men of probity.

Dem. Go back now ; 59every thing shall be done that is proper to be done.

Heg. It becomes you to act thus . Geta, show me in to Sostrata.

Follows Geta into Sostrata’s house.

Dem. ( to himself. ) Not without warning on my part have these things happened: I only wish it may end here; but this immoderate indulgence will undoubtedly lead to some great misfortune. I’ll go find my brother, and vent these feelings upon him.

Exit.

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Enter Hegio , from Sostrata’s house, and speaking to her within.

Heg. Be of good heart, 60Sostrata, and take care and console her as far as you can. I’ll go find Micio, if he is at the Forum, and acquaint him with the whole circumstances in their order; if so it is that he will do his duty by you , let him do so; but if his sentiments are otherwise about this matter, let him give me his answer, that I may know at once what I am to do.

Exit.

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Enter Ctesipho and Syrus from the house of Micio .

Ctes. My father gone into the country, say you?

Syr. ( with a careless air. ) Some time since.

Ctes. Do tell me, I beseech you.

Syr. He is at the farm at this very moment, 61I warrant—hard at some work or other.

Ctes. I really wish, provided it be done with no prejudice to his health, I wish that he may so effectually tire himself, that, for the next three days together, he may be unable to arise from his bed.

Syr. So be it, and any thing still better than that, 62if possible.

Ctes. Just so; for I do most confoundedly wish to pass this whole day in merry-making as I have begun it; and for no reason do I detest that farm so heartily as for its being so near town . If it were at a greater distance, night would overtake him there before he could return hither again. Now, when he doesn’t find me there, he’ll come running back here, I’m quite sure; he’ll be asking me where I have been, that I have not seen him all this day: what am I to say?

Syr. Does nothing suggest itself to your mind?

Ctes. Nothing whatever.

Syr. So much the worse 63—have you no client, friend, or guest?

Ctes. I have; what then?

Syr. You have been engaged with them.

Ctes. When I have not been engaged? That can never do.

Syr. It may.

Ctes. During the daytime; but if I pass the night here, what excuse can I make, Syrus?

Syr. Dear me, how much I do wish it was the custom for one to be engaged with friends at night as well! But you be easy; I know his humor perfectly well. When he raves the most violently, I can make him as gentle as a lamb.

Ctes. In what way?

Syr. He loves to hear you praised: I make a god of you to him, and recount your virtues.

Ctes. What, mine?

Syr. Yours; immediately the tears fall from him as from a child, for very joy. ( Starting. ) Hah! take care——

Ctes. Why, what’s the matter?

Syr. The wolf in the fable 64——

Ctes. What! my father?

Syr. His own self.

Ctes. What shall we do, Syrus?

Syr. You only be off in-doors, I’ll see to that.

Ctes. If he makes any inquiries, you have seen me nowhere; do you hear?

Syr. Can you not be quiet?

They retreat to the door of Micio’s house, and Ctesipho stands in the doorway.

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Enter Demea , on the other side of the stage.

Dem. ( to himself. ) I certainly am an unfortunate man. In the first place, I can find my brother nowhere; and then, in the next place, while looking for him, I met a day-laborer 65from the farm; he says that my son is not in the country, and what to do I know not——

Ctes. ( apart. ) Syrus!

Syr. ( apart. ) What’s the matter?