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Original / primary: Perseus Eng2
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GELASIMUS
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Right heartily I wish you healthI wish you health: Propino tibi salutem plenis faucibus. Literally, I drink your health with my jaws crammed full, a very apt mode of expression for a Parasite..
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EPIGNOMUS
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You speak kindly, and like a friend. May the Gods grant what you wish.
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EPIGNOMUS
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I, sup there with you?
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GELASIMUS
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Since you are returned safe.Part of prior line(s) in the Latin.
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EPIGNOMUS
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Really, an engagement has been made already; but I give you thanks.
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GELASIMUS
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Do promise me.
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EPIGNOMUS
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It’s settled.
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GELASIMUS
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But do, I say.
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EPIGNOMUS
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The thing’s agreed on.
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GELASIMUS
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By my troth, you’d do it with much pleasure to me.
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EPIGNOMUS
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I know that well.
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When an opportunity shall come, it shall be so.
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GELASIMUS
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Now, then, is the opportunity.
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EPIGNOMUS
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I’ faith, I cannot.
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GELASIMUS
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Why make difficulties? Do consider; I have I know not what luxuries at handLuxuries at hand: In mundo. Literally, in the world..
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EPIGNOMUS
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Do be off, now; seek for yourself another guest for to-day.
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GELASIMUS
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You promise, then?
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EPIGNOMUS
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I would make no difficulty if I could.
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GELASIMUS
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Really, on my word, one thing, for sure, I promise you, I’d entertain you with pleasure, beyond a doubt, if you would promise.
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EPIGNOMUS
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Adieu!
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GELASIMUS
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Have you resolved?
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EPIGNOMUS
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I have resolved. I shall dine at home.
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GELASIMUS
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Since nothing has been effected this way, I’ll therefore approach him by a more open path, and I’ll speak plainly out.
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(To EPIGNOMUS.) Since you, yourself, are not willing to promise to come to me,
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should you like that I should come to dine with you?
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EPIGNOMUS
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If it were possible, I should like it; but here are nine other peopleNine other people: Aulus Gellius and Macrobius tell us that the ancients never admitted to a feast more than nine, the number of the Muses, or less than three, the number of the Graces. The true reason, however, was that the three triclinia, or couches, made three parts of the square around the table; and each containing but three, nine was as great a number as could be accommodated. Epignomus mentions that number here, by way of assuring Gelasimus that there is really no room for him. On this, the Parasite says that he is imi subsellii vir, a man for the lowest stool or bench, which he can very well manage with. Subsellia was the name of the seats of the Tribunes, Triumvirs, and Quaestors, who were not honoured with Curule chairs. coming to dine at my house.
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GELASIMUS
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For my part, I don’t ask that I should recline on the couch; you know that I’m a man for the lower seats.
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EPIGNOMUS
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But these are deputies of a people, tip-top men they come here as public ambassadors from Ambracia From Ambracia : Ambracia was a city of Epirus, on the Western coast of Greece..
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GELASIMUS
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Let then the deputies of a people, your tip-top men, recline at the tip-top place; I, the lowest, in the lowest quarter.
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EPIGNOMUS
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It isn’t proper for you to be entertained among deputies.
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GELASIMUS
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I ’faith, and I—I’m a deputy, tooI’m a deputy, too: He puns on the word orator, which signifies a pleader or orator, as well as an ambassador or deputy. He says that he is a pleader too (for the cause of his own stomach), but all to no purpose., but little it does avail me.
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EPIGNOMUS
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I intend that to-morrow we shall dine upon the scraps. Sincerely, farewell.
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GELASIMUS
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By my troth, ’tis clear that I’m undone, and by no fault of my ownBy no fault of my own: Nihil obnoxie, by reason of no fault or offence of my own; thus consoling himself for his rebuff. It has been observed by various Critics, that this passage is very obscure; but the above translation, which is sanctioned by the learned Rost, is most probably the correct one Warner renders it out of doubt, which, out of doubt, is not the meaning.. The number is less than it was before by one Gelasimus. I’m resolved, hereafter, never to believe in a weasel,
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for I know of no beast more uncertain than her. She who herself is ten times a day shifting her place, from her have I taken my omens in matters of life and death to me! I’m determined to call my friends together, to take counsel how by rule I must starve henceforth.
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ANTIPHO
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So may the Gods favour me, and preserve for me my daughters, it is a pleasure to me, Pamphilus, that I see you both return home to your native land, your business prosperously managed, yourself and your brother.
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PAMPHILUS
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I should have heard enough from you, Antipho, did I not see that you are friendly to me; now, since I’ve found that you are my friend, I’ll give you credence.
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ANTIPHO
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I would invite you to my house to dinner, had not your brother told me that you were going to dine at his house to-day, when he invited myself to his house to dinner. And it would have been more proper for me to give you an entertainment on your arrival, than to engage myself to him, were it not that I didn’t wish to disoblige him. Now I don’t wish with words alone to insinuate myself into your favour;
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to-morrow you shall be at my house, both you and he, with your wives.
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PAMPHILUS
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Then, the day after, at my house; for it was yesterday he invited me for to-day. But am I quite reconciled to you, Antipho?
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ANTIPHO
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Since you have thus thrived in your affairs, as it behoves yourselves and persons friendly disposed to wish, let there be good-will and intercourse between us. Take you care to think of this;
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according as wealth is obtained by each man, so does he experience his friends. If his fortunes are flourishing, so are his friends true; if his prospects decline, so, too, do his friends decline. Fortune finds friends.
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EPIGNOMUS
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I’m now returned. ’Tis a great delight, if you have been long from home, when you return home again, if no anxieties come in contact with your feelings.
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But, in my absence, so well has my wife taken care of my private affairs, that she has made me free and unembarrassed by anxieties. But, see, here’s my brother Pamphilus, walking with his father-in-law.
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PAMPHILUS
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How fares it, Epignomus?
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EPIGNOMUS
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How with you? How long since you came into harbour?
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PAMPHILUS
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Not very long ago.
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EPIGNOMUS
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And is it since then that he has become on smooth terms with you?
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ANTIPHO
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More smooth than the sea, on which you have both been borne.
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EPIGNOMUS
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You do as you are wont to do other things. Do we unlade the ship to-day, brother?
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PAMPHILUS
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I would rather go quietly to work. Let’s rather lade ourselves with delights in their turn. How soon will the dinner be cooked? I haven’t breakfasted to-day.
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EPIGNOMUS
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Go in-doors to my house and bathe.
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PAMPHILUS
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I’ll only step home to my own house, to salute the GodsTo salute the Gods: To thank his household Gods for his escape from the perils of the sea, and his success in his speculations. and my wife.
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If I do that as I wish, I’ll forthwith return to your house.
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EPIGNOMUS
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But your wife is hastening to come here with her sister.
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PAMPHILUS
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’Tis very good; there will then be the less delay on that account. I shall be at your houseI shall be at your house: These words are given, in Ritschel’s edition, to Epignomus. but clearly erroneously, as it is Pamphilus who is promising that, after he has run home, he will be at the house of his brother immediately. this instant.
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ANTIPHO
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Before you go away, in your presence I wish to relate a single story to him.
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EPIGNOMUS
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By all means.
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ANTIPHO
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There was once an old gentleman, just as I now am; he had two daughters, such as mine now are; they were married to two brothers,
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just as mine now are to yourselves.
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PAMPHILUS
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I wonder how the story is to turn out?
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ANTIPHO
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One of these young men had, as you (to PAMPHILUS) now have, a damsel, a music-girl; he had brought her from abroad, as you have now done. Now, this old gentleman was a widower, just as I now am.
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PAMPHILUS
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Do proceed; this story is really à propos.
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ANTIPHO
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Then said this old gentleman to him to whom the music-girl belonged, just as I now say to you—
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PAMPHILUS
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I’m listeningI’m listening: Pamphilus says this, as the old man has probably touched him, to bespeak his attention., and carefully giving heed.
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ANTIPHO
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I gave you my daughter, to be a comfortable bedfellow for you; now, I think it fair that one should be given me in return by you, to be my bed-fellow.
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PAMPHILUS
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Who says that? Does he say itDoes he say it: He imitates the old man’s manner of adapting his story to the present company, and here jokes him upon it. just as though you were to say it?
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ANTIPHO
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Just as I now say it to you.
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Aye, I’ll give you two of them, says this young man, if one’s too little; and if you are not satisfied with two, says he, two more shall be added.
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PAMPHILUS
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Prithee, who says that? Does he say it just as though I were to say it?
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ANTIPHO
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He says it just as though you were to say it. Then says this old gentleman, just as though I were to say it, Well, give me four, if you like, so long only as, i’ faith, you find them something to eat as well, that they mayn’t consume my victuals.
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PAMPHILUS
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Why surely it must have been a stingy old chap to say that, in asking food as well of him who promised them to him.
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ANTIPHO
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Why surely, this young man must have been a good-for-nothing fellow, who forthwith, when the other asked him, refused to give him a grain of wheat. But, i’ troth, the old gentleman asked what was fair, inasmuch as
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the dowry which he had given to his daughter, he wished him to have as an equivalent for the music-girl.
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PAMPHILUS
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I’ faith, for sure I really do think that the young man was well advised, who wouldn’t give a mistress to that old fellow in return for the dower.
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ANTIPHO
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The old gentleman wished, indeed, if he could, to bargain for their maintenance; because he couldn’t, he said he wished it to be done on what terms it might.
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Done, said this young man. You do me a kindness, said the old gentleman. Have I the thing agreed upon? said he. I’ll do even as you wish it to be done, said the other. But I’ll be off in-doors, and congratulate my daughters on your arrival. Then I’ll go wash me at the bathAt the bath: Pyelum. Pyelus is a Greek word Latinised it signifies a vessel used in bathing, which was sufficiently large to hold the bathe in a sitting posture.; there will I take all care of my old age; after that, when I’ve bathed, lying down, I’ll await you at my leisure.
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PAMPHILUS
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A funny mortal, Antipho; how cleverly he did make up his story.
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Even yet the rogue considers himself a young man. A mistress shall be given to the fellow, to sing to the old chap at night in bed; for, i’ faith, indeed, I know not of what other use a mistress can be to him.
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But how fares our Parasite, Gelasimus? Is he well, too?
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EPIGNOMUS
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I’ faith, I saw the fellow not so very long ago.
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PAMPHILUS
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How fares he?
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EPIGNOMUS
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Like one half-starved.
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PAMPHILUS
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Why didn’t you invite the fellow to your house to dinner?
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EPIGNOMUS
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That on my arrival I mightn’t be wasting anything. But see, here’s the wolf in the FableWolf in the Fable: Lupus in Fabulâ was a common expression among the Romans, answering exactly to our very elegart Proverb, Talk of the devil, he is sure to appear. It either alludes to the Fable where the nurse threatens that the wolf shall take the naughty child, on which he makes his appearance, but is disappointed in his expectations; or else to the well-known one of the Shepherd-boy and the Wolf.; here he is in person with his ravenous fit.
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PAMPHILUS
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We’ll have some sport with the fellow.
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EPIGNOMUS
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You put me in mind of a plan I had already resolved on.
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GELASIMUS
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But as I had begun to tell you; while I have been absent hence,
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I’ve now been consulting with my friends and with my relatives. They have been my advisers to the effect that I should this very day kill myself with starvation. But don’t I see Pamphilus with his brother Epignomus? Yes, ’tis he. I’ll accost the man. (Goes up to PAMPHILUS.) O longed-for Pamphilus! O my salvation! O my life! O my delight! right welcome. I rejoice that
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you’ve returned safe from abroad to your native land. Welcome.
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PAMPHILUS
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Welcome, Gelasimus.
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GELASIMUS
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Have you been quite well?
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PAMPHILUS
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I have taken good care of my health.
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GELASIMUS
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I’ troth, I’m glad of it. I’ faith, I confoundedly wish I had now a thousand measures of silver.
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EPIGNOMUS
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What need have you of it?
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GELASIMUS
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I’ faith, that I might invite him to dinner, and not invite you.
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EPIGNOMUS
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You are talking against your own interest.
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GELASIMUS
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This, then, that I might invite you both
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for my part I should not avoidI should not avoid: The meaning of this fragment seems to be, I really would invite you both, if it were in my power; but as I have nothing to offer you, you might as well give me an invitation. there is nothing so as this
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EPIGNOMUS
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Troth, now, I’d ask you with pleasure, if there were room left.
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GELASIMUS
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Well, standing, then, I’ll gobble down a bit in the scramble.