The Eunuch: Act the Third: Scene II
THAIS. I thought I heard the Captain's voice: and see!Good-day, my Thraso!
THRA. Oh my Thais, welcome!How does my sweeting?--are you fond of meFor sending you that music-girl?
PAR. Oh brave!He sets out nobly!THAIS. For your worth I love you.
GNAT. Come, let's to supper? why do you delay?
PAR. Mark t'other! he's a chip of the old block.
THAIS. I'm ready when you please.
PAR. I'll up to her,And seem as if but now come forth.--Ha! Thais,Where are you gadding?
THAIS. Well met, Parmeno!I was just going----
THAIS. Don't you seeThe Captain?
PAR. Yes, I see him--to my sorrow.The presents from my master wait your pleasure.
THRA. Why do we stop thus? wherefore go not hence?(Angrily.)
PAR. Beseech you, Captain, let us, with your leave,Produce our presents, treat, and parley with her!THRA. Fine gifts, I warrant you, compar'd with mine!
PAR. They'll answer for themselves--Holo, there! orderThe slaves, I told you, to come forth.--Here, this way!
Do you stand forward!--This girl, ma'am, comes quiteFrom Ethiopia.
An Eunuch, Madam! of a lib'ral air,And in his prime!
THAIS. Now as I live, he's handsome!
PAR. What say you, Gnatho? Is he despicable?Or, Captain, what say you?--Dumb?--Praise sufficient;Try him in letters, exercises, music:In all the arts, a gentleman should know,I'll warrant him accomplish'd.
THRA. Troth, that EunuchIs well enough.
PAR. And he, who sends these presents,Requires you not to live for him alone,And for his sake to shut out all mankind:Nor does he tell his battles, show his wounds,Or shackle your free will, as some folks do.
But when 'twill not be troublesome, or whenYou've leisure, in due season, he's contentIf then he is admitted.
THRA. This poor fellowSeems to belong to a poor wretched master.
GNAT. Beyond all doubt; for who that could obtainAnother, would endure a slave like this?
PAR. Peace, wretch, that art below the meanest slave!You that could bring your mind so very low,As to cry aye and no at yon fool's bidding,I'm sure, might get your bread out o'the fire.THRA. Why don't we go? (Impatiently.)
THAIS. Let me but carry inThese first, and give some orders in the house,And I'll attend you. (Exit with CHAEREA, and the Ethiopian.
THRA. I'll depart from hence.Gnatho, wait you for her!
PAR. It ill beseemsThe dignity of a renown'd commander,T' escort his mistress in the street.
THRA. Away,Slave! you're beneath my notice--like your master.(Exit PARMENO.GNAT. Ha! ha! ha! ha!
THRA. What moves your laughter?
GNAT. ThatYou said just now: and then the Rhodian cameAcross my mind.----But Thais comes.
THRA. Go run,And see that ev'ry thing's prepar'd at home!GNAT. It shall be done. (Exit.
THAIS (entering with PYTHIAS). Take care now, Pythias,Great care, if Chremes come, to press him stay;Or, if that's inconvenient, to return:If that's impossible, then bring him to me!PYTH. I'll do so.
THAIS. Hold! what else had I to say?Take care, be sure, of yonder virgin! see,You keep at home.
THAIS. Girls, follow me!
HarperPAR. They'll answer for themselves--Holo, there! orderThe slaves, I told you, to come forth.--Here, this way!Enter a BLACK GIRL.Do you stand forward!--This girl, ma'am, comes quiteFrom Ethiopia.THRA. Worth about three Minae.Colman 1768PAR. They'll answer for themselves--Ho, there! within!Order the slaves, I told you, to come forth.Enter a BLACK GIRL.This way! do you stand forward!--This girl, ma'am,Comes quite from AEthiopia.THRA. Worth three Minae.
HarperTHAIS. Let me but carry inColman 1768THAIS. Let me but introduce
HarperTHRA. What moves your laughter?GNAT. ThatYou said just now: and then the Rhodian cameColman 1768THRA. What moves your laughter, Gnatho?
Words in this poem
- sweeting n.
- A sweet apple. Ascham.
- nobly adv.
- Of noble extraction; as, nobly born or descended.
- gadding a.
- Going about much, needlessly or without purpose.
- wherefore adv.
- For which reason; so; -- used relatively. [Where + for.]
- troth n.
- Belief; faith; fidelity. [A variant of truth. See Truth.]
- folks n.
- In Anglo-Saxon times, the people of a group of townships or villages; a community; a tribe. [AS. folc; akin to D. volk, OS. & OHG. folk, G. volk, Icel. f, Sw. & Dan. folk, Lith. pulkas crowd, and perh. to E. follow.]
- impatiently adv.
- In an impatient manner.
- ethiopian n.
- A native or inhabitant of Ethiopia; also, in a general sense, a negro or black man.
- depart v. i.
- To part; to divide; to separate. [OE. departen to divide, part, depart, F. départir to divide, distribute, se départir to separate one's self, depart; pref. dé- (L. de) + partir to part, depart,]
- rhodian a.
- Of or pertaining to Rhodes, an island of the Mediterranean. [L. Rhodius: cf. F. rhodien.]
- 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,]
- yonder adv.
- At a distance, but within view. [OE. yonder, ýonder; cf. OD. ginder, Goth. jaindr there. Yond, adv.]
- 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 Third: 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 Third: 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-third-scene-ii.html, id L25763.
Form and metre
The Eunuch: Act the Third: Scene II is 108 lines in 36 stanzas. This poem did not settle on a metre of its own; the book it comes from is in iambic pentameter.
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.
- 27 A--A awayA · master · parmeno · haA
- 34 ---A-BC---A-BC harper · order · way · girlA · quite · ethiopiaB · minaeC · — · within · forth · girlA · ma'am · aethiopiaB · minaeC
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 |
|---|---|---|
| THAIS. I thought I heard the Captain's voice: and see! | 11 | ······/˘··· |
| Good-day, my Thraso! | 5 | ····· |
| THRA. Oh my Thais, welcome! | 6 | ····/˘ |
| How does my sweeting?--are you fond of me | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| For sending you that music-girl? | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| PAR. Oh brave! | 3 | ··· |
| He sets out nobly! | 5 | ···/˘ |
| THAIS. For your worth I love you. | 7 | ······· |
| GNAT. Come, let's to supper? why do you delay? | 11 | ····/˘···˘/ |
| PAR. Mark t'other! he's a chip of the old block. | 12 | ··˘/˘······· |
| THAIS. I'm ready when you please. | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| PAR. I'll up to her, | 5 | ····· |
| And seem as if but now come forth.--Ha! Thais, | 10 | ·········· |
| Where are you gadding? | 5 | ···/˘ |
| THAIS. Well met, Parmeno! | 6 | ······ |
| I was just going---- | 5 | ···/˘ |
| THAIS. Don't you see | 4 | ···· |
| The Captain? | 3 | ·/˘ |
| PAR. Yes, I see him--to my sorrow. | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| The presents from my master wait your pleasure. | 11 | ·/˘··/˘··/˘ |
| THRA. Why do we stop thus? wherefore go not hence? | 11 | ······/˘··· |
| (Angrily.) | 3 | /˘˘ |
| PAR. Beseech you, Captain, let us, with your leave, | 11 | ·˘/·/˘····· |
| Produce our presents, treat, and parley with her! | 11 | ˘///˘··/˘·· |
| THRA. Fine gifts, I warrant you, compar'd with mine! | 11 | ····/˘·˘/·· |
| PAR. They'll answer for themselves--Holo, there! order | 12 | ··/˘·˘//˘·/˘ |
| The slaves, I told you, to come forth.--Here, this way! | 11 | ··········· |
| Do you stand forward!--This girl, ma'am, comes quite | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| From Ethiopia. | 6 | ··˘/˘˘ |
| An Eunuch, Madam! of a lib'ral air, | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| And in his prime! | 4 | ···· |
| THAIS. Now as I live, he's handsome! | 8 | ······/˘ |
| PAR. What say you, Gnatho? Is he despicable? | 11 | ········˘/˘ |
| Or, Captain, what say you?--Dumb?--Praise sufficient; | 11 | ·/˘·····˘/˘ |
| Try him in letters, exercises, music: | 11 | ···/˘/˘·˘/˘ |
| In all the arts, a gentleman should know, | 10 | ·····/˘˘·· |
| I'll warrant him accomplish'd. | 7 | ·/˘·˘/˘ |
| THRA. Troth, that Eunuch | 5 | ···/˘ |
| Is well enough. | 4 | ··˘/ |
| PAR. And he, who sends these presents, | 8 | ······/˘ |
| Requires you not to live for him alone, | 10 | ˘/······˘/ |
| And for his sake to shut out all mankind: | 10 | ········// |
| Nor does he tell his battles, show his wounds, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Or shackle your free will, as some folks do. | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| But when 'twill not be troublesome, or when | 10 | ·····/˘˘·· |
| You've leisure, in due season, he's content | 10 | ·/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| If then he is admitted. | 7 | ····˘/˘ |
| THRA. This poor fellow | 5 | ···/˘ |
| Seems to belong to a poor wretched master. | 11 | ··˘/···/˘/˘ |
| GNAT. Beyond all doubt; for who that could obtain | 11 | ·········˘/ |
| Another, would endure a slave like this? | 10 | ˘/˘·˘/···· |
| PAR. Peace, wretch, that art below the meanest slave! | 11 | ········/˘· |
| You that could bring your mind so very low, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| As to cry aye and no at yon fool's bidding, | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| I'm sure, might get your bread out o'the fire. | 10 | ········/˘ |
| THRA. Why don't we go? (Impatiently.) | 9 | ·····˘/˘˘ |
| THAIS. Let me but carry in | 7 | ····/˘· |
| These first, and give some orders in the house, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| And I'll attend you. (Exit with CHAEREA, and the Ethiopian. | 16 | ··˘/·/˘······˘/˘ |
| THRA. I'll depart from hence. | 6 | ··˘/·· |
| Gnatho, wait you for her! | 6 | ······ |
| PAR. It ill beseems | 5 | ····· |
| The dignity of a renown'd commander, | 11 | ·/˘˘··˘/˘/˘ |
| T' escort his mistress in the street. | 9 | ·˘/·/˘··· |
| THRA. Away, | 3 | ·˘/ |
| Slave! you're beneath my notice--like your master. | 11 | ·····/˘··/˘ |
| (Exit PARMENO. | 5 | /˘··· |
| GNAT. Ha! ha! ha! ha! | 5 | ····· |
| THRA. What moves your laughter? | 6 | ····/˘ |
| GNAT. That | 2 | ·· |
| You said just now: and then the Rhodian came | 11 | ·······/˘˘· |
| Across my mind.----But Thais comes. | 7 | ˘/····· |
| THRA. Go run, | 3 | ··· |
| And see that ev'ry thing's prepar'd at home! | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| GNAT. It shall be done. (Exit. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| THAIS (entering with PYTHIAS). Take care now, Pythias, | 11 | ·/˘·/˘···/˘ |
| Great care, if Chremes come, to press him stay; | 9 | ········· |
| Or, if that's inconvenient, to return: | 10 | ····˘/˘·˘/ |
| If that's impossible, then bring him to me! | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| PYTH. I'll do so. | 4 | ···· |
| THAIS. Hold! what else had I to say? | 8 | ········ |
| Take care, be sure, of yonder virgin! see, | 10 | ·····/˘/˘· |
| You keep at home. | 4 | ···· |
| THAIS. Girls, follow me! | 5 | ··/˘· |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| PAR. They'll answer for themselves--Holo, there! order | 12 | ··/˘·˘//˘·/˘ |
| The slaves, I told you, to come forth.--Here, this way! | 11 | ··········· |
| Enter a BLACK GIRL. | 5 | /˘··· |
| Do you stand forward!--This girl, ma'am, comes quite | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| From Ethiopia. | 6 | ··˘/˘˘ |
| THRA. Worth about three Minae. | 6 | ······ |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| PAR. They'll answer for themselves--Ho, there! within! | 11 | ··/˘·˘/···· |
| Order the slaves, I told you, to come forth. | 10 | /˘········ |
| Enter a BLACK GIRL. | 5 | /˘··· |
| This way! do you stand forward!--This girl, ma'am, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Comes quite from AEthiopia. | 6 | ······ |
| THRA. Worth three Minae. | 4 | ···· |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| THAIS. Let me but carry in | 7 | ····/˘· |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| THAIS. Let me but introduce | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| THRA. What moves your laughter? | 6 | ····/˘ |
| GNAT. That | 2 | ·· |
| You said just now: and then the Rhodian came | 11 | ·······/˘˘· |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| THRA. What moves your laughter, Gnatho? | 8 | ····/˘·· |
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