The Brothers: Act the Fourth: Scene XIV
MICIO. (to SOSTRATA within).All is prepar'd: and we are ready, Sostrata,As I have already told you, when you please. (Comes forward.)But who's this forces open our street doorWith so much violence?
DEM. Confusion! death!What shall I do? or how resolve? where ventMy cries and exclamations? Heav'n! Earth! Sea!
DEM. (seeing him.) Oh, there's the grand corrupter of our children!
MICIO. Appease your wrath, and be yourself again!
DEM. Well, I've appeas'd it; I'm myself again;I spare reproaches; let us to the point!It was agreed between us, and it wasYour own proposal too, that you should neverConcern yourself with Ctesipho, nor IWith AEschinus. Say, was't not so?
MICIO. It was.I don't deny it.
DEM. Why does CtesiphoRevel with you then? Why do you receive him?Buy him a mistress, Micio?--Is not justiceMy due from you, as well as yours from me?Since I do not concern myself with yours,Meddle not you with mine!
MICIO. This is not fair;Indeed it is not. Think on the old saying,"All things are common among friends."
DEM. How smart!Put off with quips and sentences at last!
MICIO. Nay, hear me, if you can have patience, Demea.--First, if you're griev'd at their extravagance,Let this reflection calm you! Formerly,You bred them both according to your fortune,Supposing it sufficient for them both:Then too you thought that I should take a wife.Still follow the old rule you then laid down:Hoard, scrape, and save; do ev'ry thing you canTo leave them nobly! Be that glory yours.My fortune, fall'n beyond their hopes upon them,Let them use freely! As your capitalWill not be wasted, what addition comesFrom mine, consider as clear gain: and thus,Weighing all this impartially, you'll spareYourself, and me, and them, a world of trouble.
MICIO. Hold!I understand; and meant to speak of that.There are in nature sundry marks, good Demea,By which you may conjecture easily,That when two persons do the self-same thing,It oftentimes falls out that in the one'Tis criminal, in t'other 'tis not so:Not that the thing itself is different,But he who does it.--In these youths I seeThe marks of virtue; and, I trust, they'll proveSuch as we wish them. They have sense, I know;Attention; in its season, liberal shame;And fondness for each other; all sure signsOf an ingenuous mind and noble nature:And though they stray, you may at any timeReclaim them.--But perhaps you fear they'll proveToo inattentive to their interest.Oh my dear Demea, in all matters elseIncrease of years increases wisdom in us:This only vice age brings along with it;"We're all more worldly-minded than there's need:"Which passion age, that kills all passions else,Will ripen in your sons too.
DEM. Have a careThat these fine arguments and this great mildnessDon't prove the ruin of us, Micio.
MICIO. Peace!It shall not be: away with all your fears!This day be rul'd by me: come, smooth your brow.
DEM. Well, since at present things are so, I must,But then I'll to the country with my sonTo-morrow, at first peep of day.
MICIO. At midnight,So you'll but smile to-day.
DEM. And that wench tooI'll drag away with me.
MICIO. Aye; there you've hit it.For by that means you'll keep your son at home;Do but secure her.
DEM. I'll see that: for thereI'll put her in the kitchen and the mill,And make her full of ashes, smoke, and meal:Nay at high noon too she shall gather stubble.I'll burn her up, and make her black as coal.
MICIO. Right! now you're wise.--And then I'd make my sonGo to bed to her, though against his will.
DEM. D'ye laugh at me? how happy in your temper!I feel----MICIO. Ah! that again?
MICIO. In then!And let us suit our humor to the time. (Exeunt.
HarperBy which you may conjecture easily,That when two persons do the self-same thing,It oftentimes falls out that in the one'Tis criminal, in t'other 'tis not so:Colman 1768By which you may conjecture of men's minds;And when two persons do the self-same thing,May oftentimes pronounce, that in the one
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,]
- corrupter n.
- One who corrupts; one who vitiates or taints; as, a corrupter of morals.
- meddle v. i.
- To mix; to mingle. [OE. medlen to mix, OF. medler, mesler, F. mêler, LL. misculare, a dim. fr. L. miscere to mix. Mix, and cf. Medley, Mellay.]
- nobly adv.
- Of noble extraction; as, nobly born or descended.
- impartially a.
- In an impartial manner.
- sundry a.
- Several; divers; more than one or two; various. [OE. sundry, sondry, AS. syndrig, fr. sundor asunder. See Sunder, v. t.]
- oftentimes adv.
- Frequently; often; many times. [Often + time. Cf. -wards.]
- fondness n.
- The quality or state of being fond; foolishness.
- ingenuous a.
- Of honorable extraction; freeborn; noble; as, ingenuous blood of birth. [L. ingenuus inborn, innate, freeborn, noble, frank; pref. in- in + the root of gignere to beget. See Genius, and cf. Ingenious.]
- exeunt
- They go out, or retire from the scene; as, exeunt all except Hamlet. See 1st Exit. [L., 3d pers. pl. pres. of exire to go out.]
- harper n.
- A player on the harp; a minstrel. [AS. hearpere.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
The Brothers: Act the Fourth: Scene XIV 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 Brothers: Act the Fourth: Scene XIV, in The Comedies of Terence (1765), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #22695, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/terence-comedies/the-brothers-act-the-fourth-scene-xiv.html, id L25848.
Form and metre
The Brothers: Act the Fourth: Scene XIV is 104 lines in 22 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 86%).
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.
- 10 ---A--AA------- demea · extravagance · formerly · fortuneA · both · wife · downA · canA · yours · them · capital · comes · thus · spare · trouble
- 11 ------A--BA----B-C---C- hold · that · demea · easily · thing · one · soA · different · see · proveB · knowA · shame · signs · nature · time · proveB · interest · elseC · us · it · need · elseC · too
- 18 -AAAA there · millA · mealA · stubbleA · coalA
- 22 --AB---AB harper · easily · thingA · oneB · so · — · minds · thingA · oneB
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 |
|---|---|---|
| MICIO. (to SOSTRATA within). | 8 | ········ |
| All is prepar'd: and we are ready, Sostrata, | 12 | ··˘/···/˘··· |
| As I have already told you, when you please. (Comes forward.) | 14 | ···˘/˘······/˘ |
| But who's this forces open our street door | 10 | ···/˘/˘/·· |
| With so much violence? | 6 | ···/˘˘ |
| DEM. Confusion! death! | 5 | ·˘/˘· |
| What shall I do? or how resolve? where vent | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| My cries and exclamations? Heav'n! Earth! Sea! | 10 | ····˘/˘··· |
| DEM. (seeing him.) Oh, there's the grand corrupter of our children! | 14 | ·/·····˘/˘·//˘ |
| MICIO. Appease your wrath, and be yourself again! | 12 | ··˘/····˘/˘/ |
| DEM. Well, I've appeas'd it; I'm myself again; | 11 | ···˘/···/˘/ |
| I spare reproaches; let us to the point! | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| It was agreed between us, and it was | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| Your own proposal too, that you should never | 11 | ··˘/˘····/˘ |
| Concern yourself with Ctesipho, nor I | 10 | ˘/˘/······ |
| With AEschinus. Say, was't not so? | 8 | ········ |
| MICIO. It was. | 4 | ···· |
| I don't deny it. | 5 | ··˘/· |
| DEM. Why does Ctesipho | 6 | ······ |
| Revel with you then? Why do you receive him? | 11 | /˘······˘/· |
| Buy him a mistress, Micio?--Is not justice | 11 | ···/˘····/˘ |
| My due from you, as well as yours from me? | 10 | ·········· |
| Since I do not concern myself with yours, | 10 | ····˘/·/·· |
| Meddle not you with mine! | 6 | /˘···· |
| MICIO. This is not fair; | 6 | ······ |
| Indeed it is not. Think on the old saying, | 11 | ˘/·······/˘ |
| "All things are common among friends." | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| DEM. How smart! | 3 | ··· |
| Put off with quips and sentences at last! | 10 | ·····/˘˘·· |
| MICIO. Nay, hear me, if you can have patience, Demea. | 13 | ·········/˘·· |
| --First, if you're griev'd at their extravagance, | 10 | ······˘/˘˘ |
| Let this reflection calm you! Formerly, | 10 | ··˘/˘··/˘˘ |
| You bred them both according to your fortune, | 11 | ····˘/˘··/˘ |
| Supposing it sufficient for them both: | 10 | ˘/˘·˘/˘··· |
| Then too you thought that I should take a wife. | 10 | ·········· |
| Still follow the old rule you then laid down: | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Hoard, scrape, and save; do ev'ry thing you can | 10 | ·········· |
| To leave them nobly! Be that glory yours. | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| My fortune, fall'n beyond their hopes upon them, | 11 | ·/˘········ |
| Let them use freely! As your capital | 10 | ···/˘··/˘˘ |
| Will not be wasted, what addition comes | 10 | ···/˘·˘/˘· |
| From mine, consider as clear gain: and thus, | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| Weighing all this impartially, you'll spare | 10 | /˘··˘/˘˘·· |
| Yourself, and me, and them, a world of trouble. | 11 | ˘/·······/˘ |
| MICIO. Hold! | 3 | ··· |
| I understand; and meant to speak of that. | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| There are in nature sundry marks, good Demea, | 11 | ···/˘/˘···· |
| By which you may conjecture easily, | 10 | ····˘/˘/˘˘ |
| That when two persons do the self-same thing, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| It oftentimes falls out that in the one | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| 'Tis criminal, in t'other 'tis not so: | 10 | ·/˘·˘/˘··· |
| Not that the thing itself is different, | 10 | ····˘/·/˘˘ |
| But he who does it.--In these youths I see | 10 | ·········· |
| The marks of virtue; and, I trust, they'll prove | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Such as we wish them. They have sense, I know; | 10 | ·········· |
| Attention; in its season, liberal shame; | 10 | ˘/˘··/˘/˘· |
| And fondness for each other; all sure signs | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| Of an ingenuous mind and noble nature: | 11 | ··˘/˘··/˘/˘ |
| And though they stray, you may at any time | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Reclaim them.--But perhaps you fear they'll prove | 10 | ˘/··˘/···· |
| Too inattentive to their interest. | 9 | ··˘/˘··/˘ |
| Oh my dear Demea, in all matters else | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Increase of years increases wisdom in us: | 11 | ˘/··˘/˘/˘·· |
| This only vice age brings along with it; | 10 | ·/˘···˘/·· |
| "We're all more worldly-minded than there's need:" | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| Which passion age, that kills all passions else, | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| Will ripen in your sons too. | 7 | ·/˘···· |
| DEM. Have a care | 4 | ···· |
| That these fine arguments and this great mildness | 11 | ···/˘˘···/˘ |
| Don't prove the ruin of us, Micio. | 9 | ···/˘···· |
| MICIO. Peace! | 3 | ··· |
| It shall not be: away with all your fears! | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| This day be rul'd by me: come, smooth your brow. | 10 | ·········· |
| DEM. Well, since at present things are so, I must, | 11 | ····/˘····· |
| But then I'll to the country with my son | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| To-morrow, at first peep of day. | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| MICIO. At midnight, | 5 | ···/· |
| So you'll but smile to-day. | 6 | ······ |
| DEM. And that wench too | 5 | ····· |
| I'll drag away with me. | 6 | ··˘/·· |
| MICIO. Aye; there you've hit it. | 7 | ······· |
| For by that means you'll keep your son at home; | 10 | ·········· |
| Do but secure her. | 5 | ··˘/· |
| DEM. I'll see that: for there | 6 | ······ |
| I'll put her in the kitchen and the mill, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| And make her full of ashes, smoke, and meal: | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Nay at high noon too she shall gather stubble. | 11 | ·······/˘/˘ |
| I'll burn her up, and make her black as coal. | 10 | ·········· |
| MICIO. Right! now you're wise.--And then I'd make my son | 12 | ············ |
| Go to bed to her, though against his will. | 10 | ·········· |
| DEM. D'ye laugh at me? how happy in your temper! | 12 | ······/˘··/˘ |
| I feel---- | 2 | ·· |
| MICIO. Ah! that again? | 6 | ····˘/ |
| MICIO. In then! | 4 | ···· |
| And let us suit our humor to the time. (Exeunt. | 13 | ····//˘···/˘˘ |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| By which you may conjecture easily, | 10 | ····˘/˘/˘˘ |
| That when two persons do the self-same thing, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| It oftentimes falls out that in the one | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| 'Tis criminal, in t'other 'tis not so: | 10 | ·/˘·˘/˘··· |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| By which you may conjecture of men's minds; | 10 | ····˘/˘··· |
| And when two persons do the self-same thing, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| May oftentimes pronounce, that in the one | 10 | ·/˘·˘/···· |
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.