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[Textpart 1]
was a cause sufficiently strong for censuring him.
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SOSIA
How so? Tell me.
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SIMO
You yourself, father, he might say, have prescribed a limit to these proceedings. The time is near, when I must live according to the humor of another; meanwhile, for the present allow me to live according to my own.
SOSIA
What room for reproving him, then, is there left?
SIMO
If on account of his amour he shall decline to take a wife, that, in the first place, is an offense on his part to be censured. And now for this am I using my endeavors, that, by means of the pretended marriage, there may be real ground for rebuking him, if he should refuse; at the same time, that if that rascal Davus has any scheme,
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he may exhaust it now, while his knaveries can do no harm: who, I do believe, with hands, feet, and all his might, will do every thing; and more for this, no doubt, that he may do me an ill turn, than to oblige my son.
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SIMO
Do you ask? Bad heart, bad disposition. Whom, however, if I do detect —
But what need is there of talking? If it should turn out, as I wish, that there is no delay on the part of Pamphilus, Chremes remains to be prevailed upon by me; and I do hope that all will go well. Now it’s your duty to pretend these nuptials cleverly, to terrify Davus; and watch my son,
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what he’s about, what schemes he is planning with him.
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SOSIA
’Tis enough; I’ll take care; now let’s go in-doors.
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SIMO
You go first; I’ll follow.
There’s no doubt but that my son doesn’t wish for a wife; so alarmed did I perceive Davus to be just now, when he heard that there was going to be a marriage. But the very man is coming out of the house. (Stands aside.)
[Textpart 2]
I was wondering if this matter was to go off thus; and was continually dreading where my master’s good humor would end; for, after he had heard that a wife would not be given to his son, he never uttered a word to any one of us, or took it amiss.
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SIMO
But now he’ll do so: and that, I fancy, not without heavy cost to you.
DAVUS
He meant this, that we, thus unsuspecting, should be led away by delusive joy; that now in hope, all fear being removed, we might during our supineness be surprised, so that there might be no time for planning a rupture of the marriage. How clever!
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SIMO
The villain! what does he say?
DAVUS
It’s my master, and I didn’t see him.
