Phormio: Act the Second: Scene V
DORIO. I am tir'dWith hearing the same thing a thousand times.PHAED. But what I'd say you would be glad to hear.
DORIO. Speak then! I hear.
PHAED. Can't I prevail on youTo stay but these three days?-- Nay, where d'ye go?PHAED. Won't you believe me?
PHAED. Upon my honor.
DORIO. Nonsense.
PHAED. 'Tis a kindnessShall be repaid with interest.
DORIO. Words, words!
DORIO. Pshaw!
PHAED. Try; 'tis not long.
DORIO. You're in the same tune still.
DORIO. Aye, talk away.
PHAED. Can you be so inflexible, so cruel.That neither pity nor entreaties touch you?
DORIO. And can you be so inconsiderate,And so unconscionable, Phaedria,To think that you can talk me to your purpose,And wheedle me to give the girl for nothing?ANT. (behind). Poor Phaedria!
PHAED. (to himself). Alas! he speaks the truth.
PHAED. (to himself). Then that this evil should have comeupon me,When Antipho was in the like distress!
ANT. (going up). Ha! what now, Phaedria?
PHAED. Who have her you love in your possession,Nor e'er had plagues like these to struggle with!
ANT. In my possession? yes, I have, indeed,As the old saying goes, a wolf by th' ears:For I can neither part with her nor keep her.
PHAED. Done?--The inhuman wretchHas sold my Pamphila.GETA. What! sold her?
PHAED. Yes; sold her.
DORIO (laughing). Sold her.--What a monstrous crime!A wench he paid his ready money for.
PHAED. I can't prevail upon him to wait for me,And to stave off his bargain but three days;Till I obtain the money from my friends,According to their promise.--If I do notPay it you then, don't wait a moment longer.DORIO. You stun me.
ANT. 'Tis a very little timeFor which he asks your patience, Dorio.Let him prevail on you; your complaisanceShall be requited doubly.DORIO. Words; mere words!
ANT. Can you then bear to see your PamphilaTorn from this city, Phaedria?--Can you, Dorio,Divide their loves
DORIO. Nor I, nor you.
GETA. Plague on you!
DORIO (to PHAEDRIA). I have, against my natural disposition,Borne with you several months, still promising,Whimpering, and ne'er performing any thing:Now, on the contrary, I've found a spark,Who'll prove a ready-paymaster, no sniveler:Give place then to your betters!
ANT. Surely, Phaedria,There was, if I remember, a day settledThat you should pay the money down.DORIO. Do I deny it?
ANT. Is the day past?
DORIO. No.But this has come before it.
ANT. Infamous!Ar'n't you asham'd of such base treachery?DORIO. Not I, while I can get by't.
PHAED. Is this just dealing, Dorio?
DORIO. 'Tis my way:So, if you like me, use me.
ANT. Can you deceive him thus?
DORIO. Nay, Antipho,'Tis he deceives me: he was well awareWhat kind of man I was, but I believ'dHim diff'rent. He has disappointed me,But I am still the same to him as ever.However, thus much I can do for him;The Captain promis'd to pay down the moneyTo-morrow morning. But now, Phaedria,If you come first, I'll follow my old rule,"The first to pay shall be first serv'd." Farewell. (Exit.
Words in this poem
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- pshaw interj.
- Pish! pooch! -- an exclamation used as an expression of contempt, disdain, dislike, etc. [Of imitative origin.]
- unconscionable a.
- Not conscionable; not conforming to reason; unreasonable; exceeding the limits of any reasonable claim or expectation; inordinate; as, an unconscionable person or demand; unconscionable size.
- complaisance n.
- Disposition to please or oblige; obliging compliance with the wishes of others; a deportment indicative of a desire to please; courtesy; civility. [F. complaisance. See Complaisant, and cf. Complacence.]
- promising a.
- Making a promise or promises; affording hope or assurance; as, promising person; a promising day.
- sniveler n.
- One who snivels, esp. one who snivels habitually. [Written also sniveller.]
- disappointed a.
- Defeated of expectation or hope; balked; as, a disappointed person or hope.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Phormio: Act the Second: Scene V is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Comedies of Terence, Project Gutenberg ebook #22695; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Terence, Phormio: Act the Second: Scene V, in The Comedies of Terence (1765), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #22695, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/terence-comedies/phormio-act-the-second-scene-v.html, id L25897.
Form and metre
Phormio: Act the Second: Scene V is 85 lines in 35 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 83%).
See other poems in iambic pentameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 13 -A--A inconsiderate · phaedriaA · purpose · nothing · phaedriaA
- 22 A----A meA · days · friends · not · longer · meA
- 27 -AA--- disposition · promisingA · thingA · spark · sniveler · betters
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| DORIO. I am tir'd | 7 | /˘˘··/˘ |
| With hearing the same thing a thousand times. | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| PHAED. But what I'd say you would be glad to hear. | 11 | ··········· |
| DORIO. Speak then! I hear. | 7 | /˘˘···· |
| PHAED. Can't I prevail on you | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| To stay but these three days?-- Nay, where d'ye go? | 10 | ·········· |
| PHAED. Won't you believe me? | 6 | ···˘/· |
| PHAED. Upon my honor. | 6 | ····/˘ |
| DORIO. Nonsense. | 5 | /˘˘/˘ |
| PHAED. 'Tis a kindness | 5 | ···/˘ |
| Shall be repaid with interest. | 7 | ··˘/·/˘ |
| DORIO. Words, words! | 5 | /˘˘·· |
| DORIO. Pshaw! | 4 | /˘˘· |
| PHAED. Try; 'tis not long. | 5 | ····· |
| DORIO. You're in the same tune still. | 9 | /˘˘······ |
| DORIO. Aye, talk away. | 7 | /˘˘··˘/ |
| PHAED. Can you be so inflexible, so cruel. | 10 | ·····˘/˘·/ |
| That neither pity nor entreaties touch you? | 11 | ·/˘/˘·˘/˘·· |
| DORIO. And can you be so inconsiderate, | 12 | /˘·········· |
| And so unconscionable, Phaedria, | 9 | ··˘/˘˘˘·· |
| To think that you can talk me to your purpose, | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| And wheedle me to give the girl for nothing? | 11 | ·/˘······/˘ |
| ANT. (behind). Poor Phaedria! | 6 | ······ |
| PHAED. (to himself). Alas! he speaks the truth. | 10 | ··˘/˘/···· |
| PHAED. (to himself). Then that this evil should have come | 11 | ··˘/···/··· |
| upon me, | 3 | ··· |
| When Antipho was in the like distress! | 10 | ········˘/ |
| ANT. (going up). Ha! what now, Phaedria? | 9 | ·/˘······ |
| PHAED. Who have her you love in your possession, | 11 | ········˘/˘ |
| Nor e'er had plagues like these to struggle with! | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| ANT. In my possession? yes, I have, indeed, | 11 | ···˘/˘···˘/ |
| As the old saying goes, a wolf by th' ears: | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| For I can neither part with her nor keep her. | 11 | ···/˘······ |
| PHAED. Done?--The inhuman wretch | 7 | ···˘/˘· |
| Has sold my Pamphila. | 6 | ······ |
| GETA. What! sold her? | 5 | ····· |
| PHAED. Yes; sold her. | 4 | ···· |
| DORIO (laughing). Sold her.--What a monstrous crime! | 11 | /˘/˘····/˘· |
| A wench he paid his ready money for. | 10 | ·····/˘/˘· |
| PHAED. I can't prevail upon him to wait for me, | 12 | ···˘/······· |
| And to stave off his bargain but three days; | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Till I obtain the money from my friends, | 10 | ··˘/·/˘··· |
| According to their promise.--If I do not | 11 | ˘/˘··/˘···· |
| Pay it you then, don't wait a moment longer. | 11 | ·······/˘/˘ |
| DORIO. You stun me. | 6 | /˘˘··· |
| ANT. 'Tis a very little time | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| For which he asks your patience, Dorio. | 10 | ·····/˘/˘˘ |
| Let him prevail on you; your complaisance | 10 | ··˘/···/˘˘ |
| Shall be requited doubly. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| DORIO. Words; mere words! | 6 | /˘˘··· |
| ANT. Can you then bear to see your Pamphila | 11 | ··········· |
| Torn from this city, Phaedria?--Can you, Dorio, | 11 | ···/˘····/˘ |
| Divide their loves | 4 | ˘/·· |
| DORIO. Nor I, nor you. | 7 | /˘˘···· |
| GETA. Plague on you! | 5 | ····· |
| DORIO (to PHAEDRIA). I have, against my natural disposition, | 16 | /˘········/˘·˘/˘ |
| Borne with you several months, still promising, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘˘ |
| Whimpering, and ne'er performing any thing: | 10 | /˘··˘/˘/˘· |
| Now, on the contrary, I've found a spark, | 10 | ···˘/˘···· |
| Who'll prove a ready-paymaster, no sniveler: | 11 | ···/˘/˘·/˘˘ |
| Give place then to your betters! | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| ANT. Surely, Phaedria, | 5 | ·/˘·· |
| There was, if I remember, a day settled | 11 | ····˘/˘··/˘ |
| That you should pay the money down. | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| DORIO. Do I deny it? | 8 | /˘˘··˘/· |
| ANT. Is the day past? | 5 | ····· |
| DORIO. No. | 4 | /˘˘· |
| But this has come before it. | 7 | ······· |
| ANT. Infamous! | 4 | ·/˘˘ |
| Ar'n't you asham'd of such base treachery? | 10 | ··˘/···/˘˘ |
| DORIO. Not I, while I can get by't. | 10 | /˘˘······· |
| PHAED. Is this just dealing, Dorio? | 10 | ·˘···/˘/˘˘ |
| DORIO. 'Tis my way: | 6 | /˘˘··· |
| So, if you like me, use me. | 7 | ······· |
| ANT. Can you deceive him thus? | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| DORIO. Nay, Antipho, | 7 | /˘˘···· |
| 'Tis he deceives me: he was well aware | 10 | ··˘/····˘/ |
| What kind of man I was, but I believ'd | 10 | ········˘/ |
| Him diff'rent. He has disappointed me, | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| But I am still the same to him as ever. | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| However, thus much I can do for him; | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| The Captain promis'd to pay down the money | 11 | ·/˘/˘····/˘ |
| To-morrow morning. But now, Phaedria, | 9 | ·/˘/˘···· |
| If you come first, I'll follow my old rule, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| "The first to pay shall be first serv'd." Farewell. (Exit. | 12 | ·········//˘ |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.