Perde 2
[Textpart 3]
who was formerly said to be her mother, was not so.—She is dead: this I overheard by accident from her, as we came along, while she was telling the other one.
270
CLITIPHO
Pray, who is the other one?
SYRUS
Stay; what I have begun I wish first to relate, Clitipho; I shall come to that afterward.
CLITIPHO
Make haste, then.
when we came to the house, Dromo knocked at the door; a certain old woman came out; when she opened the door, he directly rushed in; I followed; the old woman bolted the door, and returned to her wool. On this occasion might be known, Clinia, or else on none,
275
in what pursuits she passed her life during your absence; when we thus came upon a female unexpectedly. For this circumstance then gave us an opportunity of judging of the course of her daily life; a thing which especially discovers what is the disposition of each individual.
280
We found her industriously plying at the web; plainly clad in a mourning dress,In a mourning dress: Among the Greeks, in general, mourning for the dead seems to have lasted till the thirtieth day after the funeral, and during that period black dresses were worn. The Romans also wore mourning for the dead, which seems, in the time of the Republic, to have been black or dark blue for either sex. Under the Empire the men continued to wear black, but the women wore white. No jewels or ornaments were worn upon these occasions. on account of this old woman, I suppose, who was lately dead; without golden ornaments, dressed, besides, just like those who only dress for themselves, and patched up with no worthless woman’s trumpery.With no worthless woman’s trumpery: By nullâ malâ re muliebri he clearly means that they did not find her painted up with the cosmetics which some women were in the habit of using. Such preparations for the face as white-lead, wax, antimony, or vermilion, well deserve the name of mala res. A host of these cosmetics will be found described in Ovid’s Fragment On the Care of the Complexion, and much information upon this subject is given in various passages in the Art of Love. In the Remedy of Love, l. 351, Ovid speaks of these practices in the following terms: At the moment, too, when she shall be smearing her face with the cosmetics laid up on it, you may come into the presence of your mistress, and don’t let shame prevent you. You will find there boxes, and a thousand colors of objects; and you will see oesypum, the ointment of the fleece, trickling down and flowing upon her heated bosom. These drugs, Phineus, smell like thy tables; not once alone has sickness been caused by this to my stomach. Lucretius also, in his Fourth Book, l. 1168, speaks of a female who covers herself with noxious odors, and whom her female attendants fly from to a distance, and chuckle by stealth. See also the Mostellaria of Plautus, Act I., Scene 3, l. 135, where Philematium is introduced making her toilet on the stage.
285
Her hair was loose, long, and thrown back negligently about her temples. (To CLINIA.) Do you hold your peace.Do hold your peace: Pax, literally peace! in the sense of Hush! Be quiet! See the Notes to the Trinummus of Plautus, ll. 889-891, in Bohn’s Translation.
290
CLINIA
My dear Syrus, do not without cause throw me into ecstasies, I beseech you.
SYRUS
The old woman was spinning the woof:The woof: See an interesting passage on the ancient weaving, in the Metamorphoses of Ovid, B. vi., l. 54, et seq. See also the Epistle of Penelope to Ulysses, in the Heroides of Ovid, l. 10, and the Note in Bohn’s English Translation. there was one little servant girl besides;—she was weavingShe was weaving: This line and part of the next are supposed to have been translated almost literally from some lines, the composition of Menander, which are still extant. together with them, covered with patched clothes,
slovenly, and dirty with filthiness.
295
CLITIPHO
If this is true, Clinia, as I believe it is, who is there more fortunate than you? Do you mark this girl whom he speaks of, as dirty and drabbish? This, too, is a strong indication that the mistress is out of harm’s way, when her confidant is in such ill plight;
295
for it is a rule with those who wish to gain access to the mistress, first to bribe the maid.
300
CLINIA
Go on, I beseech you; and beware of endeavoring to purchase favor by telling an untruth. What did she say, when you mentioned me?
SYRUS
When we told her that you had returned, and had requested her
to come to you, the damsel instantly put away the web, and covered her face all over with tears; so that you might easily perceive that it really was caused by her affection for you.
305
CLINIA
So may the Deities bless me, I know not where I am for joy! I was so alarmed before.
CLITIPHO
But I was sure that there was no reason, Clinia. Come now, Syrus, tell me, in my turn, who this other lady is.
SYRUS
Your Bacchis, whom we are bringing.Your Bacchis, whom we are bringing: Colman has the following remark: Here we enter upon the other part of the table, which the Poet has most artfully complicated with the main subject by making Syrus bring Clitipho’s mistress along with Antiphila. This part of the story, we know, was not in Menander.
