Perde 5
[Textpart 1]
It is not for nothing that Laches now desires to speak with me; and, i’ faith, I am not very far from mistaken in making a guess what it is he wants me for.
LACHES
I must take care that I don’t, through anger, miss gaining, in this quarter what I otherwise might,
and that I don’t do any thing which hereafter it would have been better I had not done. I’ll accost her. (Accosts her.) Bacchis, good-morrow to you!
730
BACCHIS
Good-morrow to you, Laches!
LACHES
Troth, now, Bacchis, I suppose you somewhat wonder what can be my reason for sending the lad to fetch you out of doors.
BACCHIS
Upon my faith, I am even in some anxiety as well, when I reflect what I am,
lest the name of my calling should be to my prejudice; for my behavior I can easily defend.
735
LACHES
If you speak the truth, you will be in no danger, woman, from me, for I am now of that age that it is not meet for me to receive forgiveness for a fault; for that reason do I the more carefully attend to every particular, that I may not act with rashness; for if you now do, or intend to do, that which is proper for deserving women to do,
it would be unjust for me, in my ignorance, to offer an injury to you, when undeserving of it.
740
BACCHIS
On my word, great is the gratitude that I ought to feel toward you for such conduct; for he who, after committing an injury, would excuse himself, would profit me but little. But what is the matter?
LACHES
You admit my son, Pamphilus, to your house.
LACHES
Just let me speak: before he was married to this woman, I tolerated your amour.
Stay! I have not yet said to you what I intended. He has now got a wife: look out for another person more to be depended on, while you have time to deliberate; for neither will he be of this mind all his life, nor, i’ faith, will you be always of your present age.
745
BACCHIS
Who is it says this?
LACHES
His mother-in-law.
LACHES
That you do: and she has taken away her daughter; and for that reason, has wished secretly to destroy the child that has been born.
BACCHIS
Did I know any other means whereby I might be enabled to establish my credit with you, more solemn than an oath, I would, Laches, assure you of this, that I have kept Pamphilus at a distanceKept Pamphilus at a distance: Colman observes, how are we to reconcile this with the words of Parmeno at the beginning of the Play, where he says that Pamphilus visited Bacchis daily; and he inquires whether we are to suppose that Bacchis, who behaves so candidly in every other instance, wantonly perjures herself in this, or that the Poet, by a strange infatuation attending him in this Play, contradicts himself? To this it may be answered, that as Bacchis appears to be so scrupulous in other instances, it is credible that, notwithstanding his visits, she may not have allowed him to share her embraces. from me ever since he took a wife.
750
LACHES
You are very good. But, pray, do you know what I would prefer that you should do?
