Perde 4
[Textpart 5]
’Tis I, your master and foster-child.
SYRA
Save you, my foster-child.
EUTYCHUS
Has my mother returned from the country then? Answer me.
810
SYRA
Aye, for her own especial sake and that of the family.
EUTYCHUS
What is it that’s the matter?
SYRA
That very pretty father of yours has brought a mistress into the house.
SYRA
Your mother, on arriving from the country, found her at home.
EUTYCHUS
By my troth, I didn’t think my father was a person for those practices. Is the woman now even still in-doors?
815
EUTYCHUS
Do you follow me.
SYRA
How now How now?: From the commencement of this line to the end of the act is generally considered to be spurious; probably it is the work of some zealous critic of the middle ages, who fondly thought to improve the Play as it stood. He introduces Peristrata as complaining of the conduct of her husband, in depriving her son of his mistress, but never suspecting what is the true state of the case; an opportunity for a Comic dilemma, which Plautus himself, had he intended to introduce the character, would probably not have neglected.? Do I see Peristrata here, the wife of Demipho? She quickens her pace; she glances about with her eyes; she turns herself round; she inclines her neck on one side. I’ll observe from here what matter she’s about; it’s something of importance, whatever scent she’s upon.
[Textpart 6]
The Goddess Astarte The Goddess Astarte: Astarte. The author seems to allude to Venus under this name. Cicero tells us that Astarte was the Syrian Venus. This soliloquy of Peristrata is very obscure and confused, and couched in most crabbed language, but her intention seems to be to descant upon the supreme sway of love. is the might of mortals and of the Gods, their life, their health; she, the same, who is likewise their death, destruction, downfall, the seas, the earth, the heaven, and the stars. Whatever Temples of Jove we inhabit, they are guided by her nod; her do they obey; to her do they pay regard; what displeases her, the other Deities do quickly put aside. Whatever pleases her, that, all things, which live and have sense, do pursue. Some she tortures, destroys; others, with her own milk does she nourish and raise aloft; but those whom she tortures, they live and enjoy their senses; those whom she hastens to rear and raise aloft, these last indeed do perish forthwith, and to their sorrow use their senses. Then, well-wishers, they lie prostrate, objects of dislike they bite the ground, grovel upon their faces, roar out, and make a riot; and when they think they live, then in especial do they rush on to ruin, then, then do they show eagerness in the pursuit of the object beloved; young men stumble, aged men likewise are led away. They love themselves; the object which they love, they wish to be loved and known. But if at that age they begin to fall in love, much more grievous is their madness. But if they do not love, then they hate, they are morose, too, and wayward; tattlers, haters, ill-disposed, passionate, envious for themselves and theirs. What they have formerly been shamelessly guilty of themselves, if it is done in a more quiet way, fathers do not tolerate as they ought to do; but they proclaim it, and indecently cry it out aloud.
SYRA
So far as I understand, Demipho is treating this lady badly too.
PERISTRATA
This is the truth. My son is in love and is dying; when his father came to know of it, he was enraged beyond bounds. What insanity is this? This same husband of mine at one time packed my son off to Rhodes to traffic; now, according to the news Acanthio brings, he’ll be betaking himself into banishment. O unjust father! O unfortunate son! whither will you betake yourself? Where will you leave your mother? Shall I pass my life bereft? Shall I lose my son? I will not endure it. Has his father sold her? Wherever she shall be found, the mother will redeem her. Do you tell me, Lycissa, do they suppose that she was brought into this neighbourhood?
LYCISSA
To that, I fancy; to the house of a certain old gentleman, a friend.
PERISTRATA
Here, there is no one that I know of besides Lysimachus.
SYRA
They are mentioning Lysimachus. It’s a wonder if the old fellows, who are neighbours, haven’t been going halves in the same nest.
PERISTRATA
I’ll go look for Dorippa, his wife.
LYCISSA
Why go look for her? Don’t you see her?
