The Eunuch: Act the Fifth: Scene II
CHAER. At Antipho's, as if for spite, there wereHis father and his mother both at home,So that I could by no means enter, butThey must have seen me. Meanwhile, as I stoodBefore the door, came by an old acquaintance,At sight of whom I flew, with all my speed,Into a narrow, unfrequented alley;And thence into another, and another,Frighten'd and flurried as I scampered on,Lest any one should know me.--But is thatThais? 'Tis she herself. I'm all aground.What shall I do?--Pshaw! what have I to care?What can she do to me?
THAIS. Let's up to him.Oh, Dorus! good Sir, welcome!--And so, Sirrah,You ran away.
THAIS. And you thinkIt was a clever trick?
THAIS. Can youBelieve that you shall go unpunish'd for it?
CHAER. Forgive me this one fault! If I commitAnother, kill me!THAIS. Do you dread my cruelty?
CHAER. I was afraid, lest SheAccuse me to you. (Pointing to PYTHIAS.)
THAIS. Upon what account?
CHAER. A little matter.
PYTH. Rogue! a little matter?Is it so little, think you, to abuseA virgin, and a citizen!
CHAER. I thoughtShe was my fellow-servant.
PYTH. Fellow-servant!I can scarce hold from flying at his hair.Monstrous! he's come to make his sport of us.
THAIS. Away! you rave.
PYTH. Why so? if I had done 't,I should have still been in the monster's debt;Particularly, as he owns himselfYour servant.
THAIS. Well--no more of this.--Oh, Chaerea,You've done a deed unworthy of yourself:For granting I, perhaps, might well deserveThis injury, it was not honorableIn you to do it.--As I live, I know notWhat counsel to pursue about this girl;You've so destroy'd my measures, that I can'tRestore her, without blushing to her friends,Nor so deliver her, as I propos'd,To make them thank me for my kindness, Chaerea!
CHAER. Henceforth, I hope, eternal peace shall beBetwixt us, Thais! Oft from things like these,And bad beginnings, warmest friendships rise.What if some God hath order'd this?
THAIS. Indeed,I'll so interpret it, and wish it so.
CHAER. I prithee do!--and be assured of this,That naught I did in scorn, but all in love.
THAIS. I do believe it; and, on that account,More readily forgive you: for oh! Chaerea,I am not form'd of an ungentle nature,Nor am I now to learn the pow'r of love.CHAER. Now, Thais, by my life, I love thee too.
PYTH. Then, by my troth, you must take care of him.
PYTH. I don't mind a word you say.
CHAER. But now, in this one circumstance,Let me beseech you to assist me! ICommit myself entirely to your care:Invoke you, as my patroness; implore you.Perdition seize me, but I'll marry her!
CHAER. What of him? I knowHe'll soon consent, provided it appearsThat she's a citizen.
THAIS. If you will waitA little while, her brother will be here:He's gone to fetch the nurse that brought her up;And you shall witness the discovery.CHAER. I will remain then.
THAIS. But, in the mean time,Had you not rather wait within, than hereBefore the door?
CHAER. Much rather.
PYTH. What the plagueAre you about?
PYTH. What now, indeed?Will you let him within your doors again?
PYTH. Remember that I prophesy,He'll make some fresh disturbance.THAIS. Prithee, peace!
PYTH. It seems, you have not had sufficient proofOf his assurance.
CHAER. I'll do no harm, Pythias!
PYTH. I'll not believe it, Chaerea, till I see it.
CHAER. But you shall keep me, Pythias!
PYTH. No, not I.For, by my troth, I would trust nothing with you,Neither to keep, nor be kept by you.--Hence!Away!
CHAER. Confusion!Let's in, dear Thais! I'd not have him see meHere in this dress.
THAIS. Why so? Are you asham'd?
CHAER. I am indeed.
PYTH. Indeed! asham'd! oh dear!Think of the girl!
THAIS. Go in! I'll follow you.Pythias, do you stay here to bring in Chremes.(Exeunt THAIS and CHAEREA.
HarperLest any one should know me.--But is thatThais? 'Tis she herself. I'm all aground.Colman 1768Lest any one should know me in this habit.But is that Thais? She. I'm all aground.
HarperIt was a clever trick?CHAER. No, madam!THAIS. Can youBelieve that you shall go unpunish'd for it?Colman 1768It was a clever trick, I warrant you?CHAER. No, madam!THAIS. Can you believe that you shall go unpunish'd?
HarperTHAIS. Upon what account?Colman 1768THAIS. Of what crime?
HarperPYTH. Why so? if I had done 'tColman 1768PYTH. Not I. if I had done 't
HarperLet me beseech you to assist me! ICommit myself entirely to your care:Colman 1768Let me beseech you to assist me, Thais!I trust myself entirely to your care:
HarperPYTH. I'll not believe it, Chaerea, till I see it.Colman 1768
Words in this poem 16
- meanwhile n.
- The intervening time; as, in the meantime (or mean time).
- unfrequented a.
- Rarely visited; seldom or never resorted to by human beings; as, an unfrequented place or forest. [Pref. un- + frequented.]
- flurried a.
- Agitated; excited.
- 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.]
- scarce a.
- Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon. [OE. scars, OF. escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, for L. excerptus, p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to shorten; ex (see Ex-) + carpere. See C]
- thank n.
- A expression of gratitude; an acknowledgment expressive of a sense of favor or kindness received; obligation, claim, or desert, or gratitude; -- now generally used in the plural. [AS. Þanc, Þonc, thanks, favor, thought; akin to OS. thank favor, pleasure, thanks, D. & G. dank thanks, Icel. Þ\'94kk, Dan. tak, Sw. tack, Goth. Þagks thanks; -]
- henceforth adv.
- From this time forward; henceforward.
- betwixt prep.
- In the space which separates; between. [OE. betwix, bitwix, rarely bitwixt, AS. betweox, betweohs, betweoh, betwih; pref. be- by + a form fr. AS. twa two. See Between.]
- prithee interj.
- A corruption of pray thee; as, I prithee; generally used without I.
- ungentle a.
- Not gentle; lacking good breeding or delicacy; harsh.
- troth n.
- Belief; faith; fidelity. [A variant of truth. See Truth.]
- patroness n.
- A female patron or helper. [Cf. F. patronnesse.]
- perdition n.
- Entire loss; utter destruction; ruin; esp., the utter loss of the soul, or of final happiness in a future state; future misery or eternal death. [F., fr. L. perditio, fr. perdere, perditum, to ruin, to lose; per (cf. Skr. para away) + -dere (only in comp.) to put; akin to Gr. do. See Do.]
- 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 Eunuch: Act the Fifth: Scene II 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 Eunuch: Act the Fifth: Scene II, in The Comedies of Terence (1765), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #22695, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/terence-comedies/the-eunuch-act-the-fifth-scene-ii.html, id L25777.
Form and metre
The Eunuch: Act the Fifth: Scene II is 140 lines in 44 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 84%).
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.
- 1 --A------A--- were · home · butA · stood · acquaintance · speed · alley · another · on · thatA · aground · care · me
- 14 A--B-B---A chaereaA · yourself · deserve · honorableB · not · girlB · can't · friends · propos'd · chaereaA
- 39 -AB-AB harper · thatA · agroundB · — · habitA · agroundB
- 40 --AB--BA- harper · trick · madamA · youB · it · — · youB · madamA · unpunish'd
- 42 -A-A harper · tA · — · tA
- 43 --A--A harper · i · careA · — · thais · careA
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 |
|---|---|---|
| CHAER. At Antipho's, as if for spite, there were | 11 | ··········· |
| His father and his mother both at home, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| So that I could by no means enter, but | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| They must have seen me. Meanwhile, as I stood | 10 | ·····/···· |
| Before the door, came by an old acquaintance, | 11 | ········˘/˘ |
| At sight of whom I flew, with all my speed, | 10 | ·········· |
| Into a narrow, unfrequented alley; | 11 | ···/˘····/˘ |
| And thence into another, and another, | 11 | ····˘/˘·˘/˘ |
| Frighten'd and flurried as I scampered on, | 10 | /˘·/˘··/˘· |
| Lest any one should know me.--But is that | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Thais? 'Tis she herself. I'm all aground. | 9 | ···˘/··˘/ |
| What shall I do?--Pshaw! what have I to care? | 10 | ·········· |
| What can she do to me? | 6 | ······ |
| THAIS. Let's up to him. | 5 | ····· |
| Oh, Dorus! good Sir, welcome!--And so, Sirrah, | 11 | ·····/˘··/˘ |
| You ran away. | 4 | ··˘/ |
| THAIS. And you think | 4 | ···· |
| It was a clever trick? | 6 | ···/˘· |
| THAIS. Can you | 3 | ··· |
| Believe that you shall go unpunish'd for it? | 11 | ˘/····˘/˘·· |
| CHAER. Forgive me this one fault! If I commit | 11 | ·˘/······˘/ |
| Another, kill me! | 5 | ˘/˘·· |
| THAIS. Do you dread my cruelty? | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| CHAER. I was afraid, lest She | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| Accuse me to you. (Pointing to PYTHIAS.) | 11 | ˘/···/˘·/˘˘ |
| THAIS. Upon what account? | 6 | ····˘/ |
| CHAER. A little matter. | 6 | ··/˘/˘ |
| PYTH. Rogue! a little matter? | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| Is it so little, think you, to abuse | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| A virgin, and a citizen! | 8 | ·/˘··/˘˘ |
| CHAER. I thought | 3 | ··· |
| She was my fellow-servant. | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| PYTH. Fellow-servant! | 5 | ·/˘/˘ |
| I can scarce hold from flying at his hair. | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Monstrous! he's come to make his sport of us. | 10 | /˘········ |
| THAIS. Away! you rave. | 5 | ·˘/·· |
| PYTH. Why so? if I had done 't, | 8 | ········ |
| I should have still been in the monster's debt; | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Particularly, as he owns himself | 10 | ˘/˘˘˘···˘/ |
| Your servant. | 3 | ·/˘ |
| THAIS. Well--no more of this.--Oh, Chaerea, | 9 | ········· |
| You've done a deed unworthy of yourself: | 10 | ····˘/˘·˘/ |
| For granting I, perhaps, might well deserve | 10 | ·/˘·˘/··˘/ |
| This injury, it was not honorable | 11 | ·/˘˘···/˘˘˘ |
| In you to do it.--As I live, I know not | 11 | ··········· |
| What counsel to pursue about this girl; | 10 | ·/˘·˘/···· |
| You've so destroy'd my measures, that I can't | 10 | ··˘/·/˘··· |
| Restore her, without blushing to her friends, | 10 | ˘/···/˘··· |
| Nor so deliver her, as I propos'd, | 10 | ··˘/˘···˘/ |
| To make them thank me for my kindness, Chaerea! | 11 | ·······/˘·· |
| CHAER. Henceforth, I hope, eternal peace shall be | 11 | ·//··˘/˘··· |
| Betwixt us, Thais! Oft from things like these, | 9 | ˘/······· |
| And bad beginnings, warmest friendships rise. | 10 | ··˘/˘/˘/˘· |
| What if some God hath order'd this? | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| THAIS. Indeed, | 3 | ·˘/ |
| I'll so interpret it, and wish it so. | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| CHAER. I prithee do!--and be assured of this, | 11 | ··/˘···˘/·· |
| That naught I did in scorn, but all in love. | 10 | ·········· |
| THAIS. I do believe it; and, on that account, | 11 | ···˘/····˘/ |
| More readily forgive you: for oh! Chaerea, | 10 | ·/˘˘/····· |
| I am not form'd of an ungentle nature, | 11 | ······˘/˘/˘ |
| Nor am I now to learn the pow'r of love. | 10 | ·········· |
| CHAER. Now, Thais, by my life, I love thee too. | 10 | ·········· |
| PYTH. Then, by my troth, you must take care of him. | 11 | ··········· |
| PYTH. I don't mind a word you say. | 8 | ········ |
| CHAER. But now, in this one circumstance, | 9 | ······/˘· |
| Let me beseech you to assist me! I | 10 | ··˘/··˘/·· |
| Commit myself entirely to your care: | 10 | ˘/·/˘/˘··· |
| Invoke you, as my patroness; implore you. | 10 | ˘/···/˘˘/· |
| Perdition seize me, but I'll marry her! | 10 | ˘/˘····/˘· |
| CHAER. What of him? I know | 6 | ······ |
| He'll soon consent, provided it appears | 10 | ··˘/˘/˘·˘/ |
| That she's a citizen. | 6 | ···/˘˘ |
| THAIS. If you will wait | 5 | ····· |
| A little while, her brother will be here: | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| He's gone to fetch the nurse that brought her up; | 10 | ·········· |
| And you shall witness the discovery. | 10 | ···/˘·˘/˘˘ |
| CHAER. I will remain then. | 6 | ···˘/· |
| THAIS. But, in the mean time, | 6 | ······ |
| Had you not rather wait within, than here | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Before the door? | 4 | ···· |
| CHAER. Much rather. | 4 | ··/˘ |
| PYTH. What the plague | 4 | ···· |
| Are you about? | 4 | ···· |
| PYTH. What now, indeed? | 5 | ···˘/ |
| Will you let him within your doors again? | 10 | ········˘/ |
| PYTH. Remember that I prophesy, | 9 | ·˘/˘··/˘˘ |
| He'll make some fresh disturbance. | 7 | ····˘/˘ |
| THAIS. Prithee, peace! | 4 | ·/˘· |
| PYTH. It seems, you have not had sufficient proof | 11 | ·······˘/˘· |
| Of his assurance. | 5 | ··˘/˘ |
| CHAER. I'll do no harm, Pythias! | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| PYTH. I'll not believe it, Chaerea, till I see it. | 12 | ···˘/······· |
| CHAER. But you shall keep me, Pythias! | 9 | ······/˘˘ |
| PYTH. No, not I. | 4 | ···· |
| For, by my troth, I would trust nothing with you, | 11 | ·······/˘·· |
| Neither to keep, nor be kept by you.--Hence! | 10 | /˘········ |
| Away! | 2 | ˘/ |
| CHAER. Confusion! | 4 | ·˘/˘ |
| Let's in, dear Thais! I'd not have him see me | 10 | ·········· |
| Here in this dress. | 4 | ···· |
| THAIS. Why so? Are you asham'd? | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| CHAER. I am indeed. | 5 | ···˘/ |
| PYTH. Indeed! asham'd! oh dear! | 7 | ·˘/˘/·· |
| Think of the girl! | 4 | ···· |
| THAIS. Go in! I'll follow you. | 7 | ····/˘· |
| Pythias, do you stay here to bring in Chremes. | 10 | /˘········ |
| (Exeunt THAIS and CHAEREA. | 7 | /˘˘···· |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| Lest any one should know me.--But is that | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Thais? 'Tis she herself. I'm all aground. | 9 | ···˘/··˘/ |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| Lest any one should know me in this habit. | 11 | ·/˘······/˘ |
| But is that Thais? She. I'm all aground. | 9 | ·······˘/ |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| It was a clever trick? | 6 | ···/˘· |
| CHAER. No, madam! | 4 | ··/˘ |
| THAIS. Can you | 3 | ··· |
| Believe that you shall go unpunish'd for it? | 11 | ˘/····˘/˘·· |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| It was a clever trick, I warrant you? | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| CHAER. No, madam! | 4 | ··/˘ |
| THAIS. Can you believe that you shall go unpunish'd? | 12 | ···˘/····˘/˘ |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| THAIS. Upon what account? | 6 | ····˘/ |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| THAIS. Of what crime? | 4 | ···· |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| PYTH. Why so? if I had done 't | 8 | ········ |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| PYTH. Not I. if I had done 't | 8 | ········ |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| Let me beseech you to assist me! I | 10 | ··˘/··˘/·· |
| Commit myself entirely to your care: | 10 | ˘/·/˘/˘··· |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| Let me beseech you to assist me, Thais! | 10 | ··˘/··˘/·· |
| I trust myself entirely to your care: | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| PYTH. I'll not believe it, Chaerea, till I see it. | 12 | ···˘/······· |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
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