Perde 2
[Textpart 7]
I’m well, and I’m come to one who’s not so well, and I’m bringing something with which she may get well. My master, the apple of your eye, bade me bring these presents to you,
GETA
which you see those persons carrying, and these five minae of silver.
580
PHRONESIUM
I’ faith, it’s not thrown away, that I’m so very fond of him.
GETA
He bade me beg that you would accept these in kind part.
PHRONESIUM
I’ troth, I do accept them kindly and thankfully. (To CYAMUS, who comes out of the house.) Go, Cyamus, and order them to be taken in-doors.
Do you hear at all this which has been ordered? (The SERVANTS take up the things.)
GETA
I don’t want them to take away the vessels; I’d like to have them emptied.
585
PHRONESIUM
An impudent fellow, i’ faith, how busy he is.
GETA
What? do you say that I’m impudent, you who yourself are a receptacle of villany?
PHRONESIUM
Tell me, I beg of you, where is Dinarchus?
PHRONESIUM
Tell him, that, for these presents which he has sent me,
I love him the most of all men, and that in return I hold him in the highest esteem of all, and entreat that he will come hither to me.
590
GETA
This instant. But who’s that person, pray (looking towards STRATOPHANES), that’s devouring himselfDevouring himself: Either he means, that, to judge from his looks, he is feeding upon his spleen; or else, the Captain is standing on one side, gnawing his finger-nails from vexation., scowling with malignant eyes I’ faith, the man’s distressed in his mind,
PHRONESIUM
I’ troth, he’s deserving of it.
595
GETA
What’s the matter?
595
PHRONESIUM
Prithee, don’t you know?Start of section begins on line 595b in the Latin. He that’s yonder used to live with me; he, there, is the father of my child. He ordered it to be brought up till about a before-daylight breakfastBefore-daylight breakfast: This passage is probably in a corrupt state. If it is not, her meaning seems to be, that the Captain didn’t care much about his child, but took care about its support for a very short period, and no longer. Perhaps, as jentaculum meant an early meal, taken before daylight, she may intend to hint that the Captain, on hearing of her pregnancy, interested himself in her offspring, and contributed to her support and that of the child in the embryo state; but that after it came to light, and required a meal (to speak figuratively), beyond the period of the jentaculum, he took no notice of it, but was ready to allow it to starve.. I waited his coming, I listened to his injunctions; I attended to the child.
GETA
The good-for-nothing fellow that I knew so well, prithee, is that he?
