Perde 5
[Textpart 1]
I am quite aware that I am not so overwise, or so very quick-sighted;
MENEDEMUS
but this assistant, prompter, and directorAssistant, prompter, and director: The three terms here used are borrowed from the stage. Adjutor was the person who assisted the performers either by voice or gesture; monitor was the prompter; and praemonstrator was the person who in the rehearsal trained the actor in his part. of mine, Chremes, outdoes me in that. Any one of those epithets which are applied to a fool is suited to myself, such as dolt, post, ass,Dolt post, ass: There is a similar passage in the Bacchides of Plautus, 1. 1087. Whoever there are in any place whatsoever, whoever have been, and whoever shall be in time to come, fools, blockheads, idiots, dolts, sots, oafs, lubbers, I singly by far exceed them all in folly and absurd ways. lump of lead; to him not one can apply; his stupidity surpasses them all.
875
CHREMES
Hold now, do, wife, leave off dinning the Gods with thanksgivings
that your daughter has been discovered; unless you judge of them by your own disposition, and think that they understand nothing, unless the same thing has been told them a hundred times. But, in the mean time, why does my son linger there so long with Syrus?
880
MENEDEMUS
What persons do you say are lingering?
CHREMES
Ha! Menedemus, you have come opportunely. Tell me, have you told Clinia what I said?
CHREMES
What did he say?
885
MENEDEMUS
He began to rejoice, just like people do who wish to be married.
885
MENEDEMUS
Why are you laughing?
CHREMES
The sly tricks of my servant, Syrus, just came into my mind.
CHREMES
The rogue can even mould the countenances of people.Mould the countenances of people. He means that Syrus not only lays his plots well, but teaches the performers to put on countenances suitable to the several parts they are to act.
MENEDEMUS
That my son is pretending that he is overjoyed, is it that you mean?
MENEDEMUS
The very same thing came into my mind.
MENEDEMUS
Still more would you think such to be the fact, if you knew more.
CHREMES
Do you say so?
890
