The Andrian: Act the First: Scene V
PAM. Is this well done? or like a man?--Is thisThe action of a father?MYSIS. What's the matter?
PAM. Oh all ye pow'rs of heav'n and earth, what's wrongIf this is not so?--If he was determin'dThat I to-day should marry, should I notHave had some previous notice?--ought not heTo have inform'd me of it long ago?
MYSIS. Alas! what's this I hear?
PAM. And Chremes too,Who had refus'd to trust me with his daughter,Changes his mind, because I change not mine.Can he then be so obstinately bentTo tear me from Glycerium? To lose herIs losing life.--Was ever man so cross'd,So curs'd as I?--Oh pow'rs of heav'n and earth!Can I by no means fly from this allianceWith Chremes' family?--so oft contemn'dAnd held in scorn!--all done, concluded all!----Rejected, then recall'd:--and why?--unless,For so I must suspect, they breed some monster,Whom as they can obtrude on no one else,They bring to me.
MYSIS. Alas, alas! this speechHas struck me almost dead with fear.
PAM. And thenMy father!--what to say of him?--Oh shame!A thing of so much consequence to treatSo negligently!--For but even nowPassing me in the forum, "Pamphilus!To-day's your wedding-day, said he: prepare;Go, get you home!"--This sounded in my earsAs if he said, "go, hang yourself!"--I stoodConfounded. Think you I could speak one word?Or offer an excuse, how weak soe'er?No, I was dumb:--and had I been aware,Should any ask what I'd have done, I would,Rather than this, do any thing.--But nowWhat to resolve upon?--So many caresEntangle me at once, and rend my mind,Pulling it diff'rent ways. My love, compassion,This urgent match, my rev'rence for my father,Who yet has ever been so gentle to me,And held so slack a rein upon my pleasures.--And I oppose him?--Racking thought!--Ah me!I know not what to do.
MYSIS. Alas, I fearWhere this uncertainty will end. 'Twere bestHe should confer with her; or I at leastSpeak touching her to him. For while the mindHangs in suspense, a trifle turns the scale.PAM. Who's there? what, Mysis! Save you!
MYSIS. Save you! Sir. (Coming forward.)
PAM. How does she?
MYSIS. How! oppress'd with wretchedness.To-day supremely wretched, as to-dayWas formerly appointed for your wedding.And then she fears lest you desert her.
PAM. I!Desert her? Can I think on't? or deceiveA wretched maid! who trusted to my careHer life and honor. Her whom I have heldNear to my heart, and cherish'd as my wife?Or leave her modest and well nurtur'd mindThrough want to be corrupted? Never, never.
MYSIS. No doubt, did it depend on you alone;But if constrain'd----
PAM. D'ye think me then so vile?Or so ungrateful, so inhuman, savage,Neither long intercourse, nor love, nor shame,Can make me keep my faith?
MYSIS. I only knowThat she deserves you should remember her.
PAM. I should remember her? Oh, Mysis, Mysis!The words of Chrysis touching my GlyceriumAre written in my heart. On her death-bedShe call'd me. I approach'd her. You retir'd.We were alone; and Chrysis thus began:"My Pamphilus, you see the youth and beautyOf this unhappy maid: and well you know,These are but feeble guardians to preserveHer fortune or her fame. By this right handI do beseech you, by your better angel,By your tried faith, by her forlorn condition,I do conjure you, put her not away,Nor leave her to distress. If I have ever,As my own brother, lov'd you; or if sheHas ever held you dear 'bove all the world,And ever shown obedience to your will----I do bequeath you to her as a husband,Friend, Guardian, Father: all our little wealthTo you I leave, and trust it to your care."----She join'd our hands, and died.--I did receive her,And once receiv'd will keep her.MYSIS. So we trust.
PAM. What make you from her?
MYSIS. Going for a midwife.
PAM. Haste then! and hark, be sure take special heed,You mention not a word about the marriage,Lest this too give her pain.
MYSIS. I understand.
HarperCan make me keep my faith?MYSIS. I only knowThat she deserves you should remember her.PAM. I should remember her? Oh, Mysis, Mysis!Colman 1768Can move my soul, or make me keep my faith?MYSIS. I only know, my mistress well deservesYou should remember her.PAM. Remember her?
Words in this poem
- ought p. p.
- Was or were under obligation to pay; owed. [Orig. the preterit of the verb to owe. OE. oughte, aughte, ahte, AS. ahte. sq. root110. See Owe.]
- obtrude v. t.
- To thrust impertinently; to present without warrant or solicitation; as, to obtrude one's self upon a company. [L. obtrudere, obtrusum; ob (see Ob-) + trudere to thrust. See Threat.]
- negligently adv.
- In a negligent manner.
- forum n.
- A market place or public place in Rome, where causes were judicially tried, and orations delivered to the people. [L.; akin to foris, foras, out of doors. See Foreign.]
- racking n.
- Spun yarn used in racking ropes.
- supremely adv.
- In a supreme manner.
- ungrateful a.
- Not grateful; not thankful for favors; making no returns, or making ill return for kindness, attention, etc.; ingrateful. South.
- forlorn a.
- Deserted abandoned; lost. [OE., p.p. of forlesen to lose utterly, AS. forleósan (p.p. forloren); pref. for- + leósan (in comp.) to lose; cf. D. verliezen to lose, G. verlieren, Sw. förlor]
- conjure v. t.
- To call on or summon by a sacred name or in solemn manner; to implore earnestly; to adjure. [F. conjurer, fr. L. conjurare to swear together, to conspire; con- + jurare to swear. See Jury.]
- bequeath v. t.
- To give or leave by will; to give by testament; -- said especially of personal property. [OE. biquethen, AS. becwe to say, affirm, bequeath; pref. be- + cwe to say, speak. See Quoth.]
- wealth n.
- Weal; welfare; prosperity; good. [OE. welthe, from wele; cf. D. weelde luxury. See Weal prosperity.]
- harper n.
- A player on the harp; a minstrel. [AS. hearpere.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
The Andrian: Act the First: 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, The Andrian: Act the First: Scene V, in The Comedies of Terence (1765), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #22695, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/terence-comedies/the-andrian-act-the-first-scene-v.html, id L25721.
Form and metre
The Andrian: Act the First: Scene V is 111 lines in 20 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 87%).
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.
- 6 ---A-B-C--BCA----D-D- then · shame · treat · nowA · pamphilus · prepareB · ears · stoodC · word · soe'er · awareB · wouldC · nowA · cares · mind · compassion · father · meD · pleasures · meD · do
- 15 -------------------AA- mysis · glycerium · bed · retir'd · began · beauty · know · preserve · hand · angel · condition · away · ever · she · world · will · husband · wealth · care · herA · herA · trust
- 20 -A-B--A-BB harper · faithA · know · herB · mysis · — · faithA · deserves · herB · herB
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 |
|---|---|---|
| PAM. Is this well done? or like a man?--Is this | 11 | ··········· |
| The action of a father? | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| MYSIS. What's the matter? | 6 | /˘··/˘ |
| PAM. Oh all ye pow'rs of heav'n and earth, what's wrong | 11 | ··········· |
| If this is not so?--If he was determin'd | 11 | ········˘/˘ |
| That I to-day should marry, should I not | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Have had some previous notice?--ought not he | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| To have inform'd me of it long ago? | 10 | ··˘/····˘/ |
| MYSIS. Alas! what's this I hear? | 8 | /˘˘/···· |
| PAM. And Chremes too, | 4 | ···· |
| Who had refus'd to trust me with his daughter, | 11 | ··˘/·····/˘ |
| Changes his mind, because I change not mine. | 10 | /˘········ |
| Can he then be so obstinately bent | 11 | ··········· |
| To tear me from Glycerium? To lose her | 10 | ·········· |
| Is losing life.--Was ever man so cross'd, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| So curs'd as I?--Oh pow'rs of heav'n and earth! | 10 | ·········· |
| Can I by no means fly from this alliance | 11 | ········˘/˘ |
| With Chremes' family?--so oft contemn'd | 9 | ··/˘˘···· |
| And held in scorn!--all done, concluded all!---- | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| Rejected, then recall'd:--and why?--unless, | 10 | ˘/˘·˘/···· |
| For so I must suspect, they breed some monster, | 11 | ····˘/···/˘ |
| Whom as they can obtrude on no one else, | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| They bring to me. | 4 | ···· |
| MYSIS. Alas, alas! this speech | 8 | /˘˘/˘/·· |
| Has struck me almost dead with fear. | 8 | ···/···· |
| PAM. And then | 3 | ··· |
| My father!--what to say of him?--Oh shame! | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| A thing of so much consequence to treat | 10 | ·····/˘˘·· |
| So negligently!--For but even now | 10 | ·/˘˘˘··/˘· |
| Passing me in the forum, "Pamphilus! | 10 | /˘···/˘··· |
| To-day's your wedding-day, said he: prepare; | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| Go, get you home!"--This sounded in my ears | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| As if he said, "go, hang yourself!"--I stood | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| Confounded. Think you I could speak one word? | 10 | ˘/˘······· |
| Or offer an excuse, how weak soe'er? | 9 | ·/˘·˘/··· |
| No, I was dumb:--and had I been aware, | 10 | ········˘/ |
| Should any ask what I'd have done, I would, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Rather than this, do any thing.--But now | 10 | /˘···/˘··· |
| What to resolve upon?--So many cares | 10 | ··˘/···/˘· |
| Entangle me at once, and rend my mind, | 10 | ˘/˘······· |
| Pulling it diff'rent ways. My love, compassion, | 11 | /˘······˘/˘ |
| This urgent match, my rev'rence for my father, | 11 | ·/˘······/˘ |
| Who yet has ever been so gentle to me, | 10 | ···/··/˘·· |
| And held so slack a rein upon my pleasures. | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| --And I oppose him?--Racking thought!--Ah me! | 10 | ··˘/·/˘··· |
| I know not what to do. | 6 | ······ |
| MYSIS. Alas, I fear | 6 | /˘˘/·· |
| Where this uncertainty will end. 'Twere best | 10 | ··˘/˘˘···· |
| He should confer with her; or I at least | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| Speak touching her to him. For while the mind | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Hangs in suspense, a trifle turns the scale. | 10 | ··˘/·/˘··· |
| PAM. Who's there? what, Mysis! Save you! | 8 | ····/˘·· |
| MYSIS. Save you! Sir. (Coming forward.) | 9 | /˘···/˘/˘ |
| PAM. How does she? | 4 | ···· |
| MYSIS. How! oppress'd with wretchedness. | 9 | /˘·˘/·/˘˘ |
| To-day supremely wretched, as to-day | 10 | ··˘/˘/˘··· |
| Was formerly appointed for your wedding. | 11 | ·/˘˘˘/˘··/˘ |
| And then she fears lest you desert her. | 9 | ······/˘· |
| PAM. I! | 2 | ·· |
| Desert her? Can I think on't? or deceive | 10 | ˘/······˘/ |
| A wretched maid! who trusted to my care | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| Her life and honor. Her whom I have held | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Near to my heart, and cherish'd as my wife? | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Or leave her modest and well nurtur'd mind | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Through want to be corrupted? Never, never. | 11 | ····˘/˘/˘/˘ |
| MYSIS. No doubt, did it depend on you alone; | 12 | /˘····˘/··˘/ |
| But if constrain'd---- | 4 | ··˘/ |
| PAM. D'ye think me then so vile? | 7 | ······· |
| Or so ungrateful, so inhuman, savage, | 11 | ··˘/˘·˘/˘/˘ |
| Neither long intercourse, nor love, nor shame, | 10 | /˘·/˘····· |
| Can make me keep my faith? | 6 | ······ |
| MYSIS. I only know | 6 | /˘·/˘· |
| That she deserves you should remember her. | 10 | ··˘/··˘/˘· |
| PAM. I should remember her? Oh, Mysis, Mysis! | 12 | ···˘/˘··/˘/˘ |
| The words of Chrysis touching my Glycerium | 11 | ·····/˘···· |
| Are written in my heart. On her death-bed | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| She call'd me. I approach'd her. You retir'd. | 10 | ····˘/··˘/ |
| We were alone; and Chrysis thus began: | 10 | ··˘/····˘/ |
| "My Pamphilus, you see the youth and beauty | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| Of this unhappy maid: and well you know, | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| These are but feeble guardians to preserve | 10 | ···/˘/˘·˘/ |
| Her fortune or her fame. By this right hand | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| I do beseech you, by your better angel, | 11 | ··˘/···/˘/˘ |
| By your tried faith, by her forlorn condition, | 11 | ······˘/˘/˘ |
| I do conjure you, put her not away, | 10 | ··/˘····˘/ |
| Nor leave her to distress. If I have ever, | 11 | ····˘/···/˘ |
| As my own brother, lov'd you; or if she | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Has ever held you dear 'bove all the world, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| And ever shown obedience to your will---- | 10 | ·/·˘/˘˘··· |
| I do bequeath you to her as a husband, | 11 | ··˘/·····/˘ |
| Friend, Guardian, Father: all our little wealth | 10 | ·/˘/˘·//˘· |
| To you I leave, and trust it to your care."---- | 10 | ·········· |
| She join'd our hands, and died.--I did receive her, | 11 | ··/·····˘/· |
| And once receiv'd will keep her. | 7 | ··˘/··· |
| MYSIS. So we trust. | 5 | /˘··· |
| PAM. What make you from her? | 6 | ······ |
| MYSIS. Going for a midwife. | 8 | /˘/˘··/· |
| PAM. Haste then! and hark, be sure take special heed, | 11 | ········/˘· |
| You mention not a word about the marriage, | 11 | ·/˘······/˘ |
| Lest this too give her pain. | 6 | ······ |
| MYSIS. I understand. | 6 | /˘··˘/ |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| Can make me keep my faith? | 6 | ······ |
| MYSIS. I only know | 6 | /˘·/˘· |
| That she deserves you should remember her. | 10 | ··˘/··˘/˘· |
| PAM. I should remember her? Oh, Mysis, Mysis! | 12 | ···˘/˘··/˘/˘ |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| Can move my soul, or make me keep my faith? | 10 | ·········· |
| MYSIS. I only know, my mistress well deserves | 12 | /˘·/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| You should remember her. | 6 | ··˘/˘· |
| PAM. Remember her? | 5 | ·˘/˘· |
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