The Self-Tormentor: Act the Fifth: Scene II
CHREM. (to SOSTRATA, within). Nay prithee, good wife, cease to stunthe GodsWith thanking them that you have found your daughter;Unless you fancy they are like yourself,And think they can not understand a thingUnless said o'er and o'er a hundred times.--But meanwhile (coming forward) wherefore do my son and SyrusLoiter so long?MENE. Who are those loiterers, Chremes?
CHREM. Ha, Menedemus, are you there?--Inform me,Have you told Clinia what I said?
CHREM. And what said he?
MENE. Grew quite transported at it,Like those who wish for marriage.CHREM. Ha! ha! ha!
MENE. What do you laugh at?
CHREM. I was thinking ofThe cunning rogueries of that slave, Syrus. (Laughing.)
MENE. Oh, was that it?
CHREM. Why, he can form and mouldThe very visages of men, a rogue! (Laughing.)MENE. Meaning my son's well-acted transport?
CHREM. Aye. (Laughing.)
MENE. The very same thing I was thinking of.
CHREM. A subtle villain! (Laughing.)
MENE. Nay, if you knew more,You'd be still more convinc'd on't.
CHREM. Say you so?
MENE. Aye; do but hear.
CHREM. (laughing). Hold! hold! inform me firstHow much you're out of pocket. For as soonAs you inform'd your son of my consent,Dromo, I warrant, gave you a broad hintThat the bride wanted jewels, clothes, attendants;That you might pay the money.
CHREM. What! nor Clinia?
MENE. Not a word;But only press'd the marriage for to-day.
CHREM. Amazing!--But our Syrus? Did not heThrow in a word or two?
MENE. Faith I can't tell: but I'm amaz'd that you,Who see so clearly into all the rest,Should stick at this.--But that arch villain SyrusHas form'd and moulded your son too so rarely.That nobody can have the least suspicionThat this is Clinia's mistress.
MENE. I passTheir kisses and embraces. All that's nothing.CHREM. What is there more than he can counterfeit?
MENE. Ah! (Smiling.)
CHREM. What d'ye mean?
MENE. Nay, do but hear. I haveA private snug apartment, a back room,Whither a bed was brought and made.
CHREM. What then?
MENE. No sooner done, than in went Clitipho.
CHREM. I tremble.
MENE. Bacchis follow'd.
MENE. No sooner in,But they made fast the door.
CHREM. Ha! And was CliniaWitness to this?MENE. He was.--Both he and I.
CHREM. Bacchis is my son's mistress, Menedemus.I'm ruin'd.
MENE. Why d'ye think so?
CHREM. Mine is scarceA ten-days' family.
MENE. What are you dismay'dBecause he sticks so closely to his friend?
CHREM. Friend! His she-friend.
CHREM. Is that a doubt?Is any man so courteous, and so patient,As tamely to stand by and see his mistress----
MENE. Ha, ha, ha! Why not?--That I, you know,Might be more easily impos'd upon. (Ironically.)
CHREM. D'ye laugh at me? I'm angry with myself:And well I may. How many circumstancesConspir'd to make it gross and palpable,Had I not been a stone!--What things I saw!Fool, fool! But by my life I'll be reveng'd:For now----
MENE. And can't you then contain yourself?Have you no self-respect? And am not IA full example for you?
CHREM. Menedemus,My anger throws me quite beside myself.
MENE. That you should talk thus! is it not a shameTo be so lib'ral of advice to others,So wise abroad, and poor in sense at home?
CHREM. What shall I do?
MENE. That which but even nowYou counsel'd me to do: Give him to knowThat you're indeed a father: let him dareTrust his whole soul to you, seek, ask of you;Lest he to others have recourse, and leave you.
CHREM. And let him go; go where he will; much ratherThan here by his extravagance reduceHis father to distress and beggary.For if I should continue to supplyThe course of his expenses, Menedemus,Your desp'rate rakes would be my lot indeed.
MENE. Ah, to what evils you'll expose yourself,Unless you're cautious! You will seem severe,And yet forgive him afterward, and thenWith an ill grace too.
CHREM. Ah, you do not knowHow much this grieves me.
MENE. Well, well, take your way.But tell me, do you grant me my requestThat this your new-found daughter wed my son?Or is there aught more welcome to you?
CHREM. Nothing.The son-in-law and the alliance please me.
MENE. What portion shall I tell my son you've settled!Why are you silent?MENE. Aye, what portion?
MENE. Fear not, Chremes, though it be but small:The portion nothing moves us.
CHREM. I propos'd,According to my fortune, that two talentsWere full sufficient: But you now must say,If you'd save me, my fortune, and my son,That I have settled all I have upon her.MENE. What mean you?
CHREM. Counterfeit amazement too,And question Clitipho my reason for it.
MENE. Nay, but I really do not know your reason.
CHREM. My reason for it?--That his wanton mind,Now flush'd with lux'ry and lasciviousness,I may o'erwhelm: and bring him down so low,He may not know which way to turn himself.
MENE. What are you at?
CHREM. Allow me! let me haveMy own way in this business.
MENE. I allow you.Is it your pleasure?
CHREM. Come then, let Clinia haste to call the bride.And for this son of mine, he shall be school'd,As children ought.--But Syrus!
MENE. What of him?
CHREM. What! I'll so handle him, so curry him,That while he lives he shall remember me. (Exit MENEDEMUS.What, make a jest of me? a laughing-stock?Now, afore Heav'n, he would not dare to treatA poor lone widow as he treated me.
HarperMENE. The very same thing I was thinking of.Colman 1768MENE. The very thing that I was thinking of.
CHREM. What is there more that he can counterfeit?Harper edition reads "more than he"
Fool, fool! But by my life I'll be reveng'd:the 1896 Harper printing has "I'll he". Everywhere else,the 1859 and 1896 printings appear to be made from the same
Words in this poem 20
- prithee interj.
- A corruption of pray thee; as, I prithee; generally used without I.
- meanwhile n.
- The intervening time; as, in the meantime (or mean time).
- wherefore adv.
- For which reason; so; -- used relatively. [Where + for.]
- mould n.
- Crumbling, soft, friable earth; esp., earth containing the remains or constituents of organic matter, and suited to the growth of plants; soil. [OE. molde, AS. molde; akin to D. mul, G. mull, mulm, OHG. molt, molta, Icel. mold, Dan. muld, Sw. mull, Goth. mulda, and E. meal flour. See Meal, and cf. Mole a]
- amazing a.
- Causing amazement; very wonderful; as, amazing grace.
- nobody n.
- No person; no one; not anybody. [No, a. + body.]
- whither adv.
- To what place; -- used interrogatively; as, whither goest thou [OE. whider. AS. hwider; akin to E. where, who; cf. Goth. hvadre whither. See Who, and cf. Hither, Thither.]
- went n.
- Course; way; path; journey; direction.
- 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]
- tamely adv.
- In a tame manner.
- angry a.
- Troublesome; vexatious; rigorous. [See Anger.]
- 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,]
- recourse n.
- A coursing back, or coursing again, along the line of a previous coursing; renewed course; return; retreat; recurence. [F. recours, L. recursus a running back, return, fr. recurrere, recursum, to run back. See Recur.]
- aught n.
- Property; possession. [AS. , fr. agan to own, p. p. ahte.]
- amazement n.
- The condition of being amazed; bewilderment ; overwhelming wonder, as from surprise, sudden fear, horror, or admiration.
- 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.]
- jest n.
- A deed; an action; a gest. [OE. jeste, geste, deed, action, story, tale, OF. geste, LL. gesta, orig., exploits, neut. pl. from L. gestus, p. p. of gerere to bear, carry, accomplish, perfor]
- afore prep.
- Before (in all its senses).
- lone n.
- A lane. See Loanin.
- harper n.
- A player on the harp; a minstrel. [AS. hearpere.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
The Self-Tormentor: 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 Self-Tormentor: 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-self-tormentor-act-the-fifth-scene-ii.html, id L25811.
Form and metre
The Self-Tormentor: Act the Fifth: Scene II is 155 lines in 62 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.
- 42 ---AA now · know · dare · youA · youA
- 60 -A-A harper · ofA · — · ofA
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 |
|---|---|---|
| CHREM. (to SOSTRATA, within). Nay prithee, good wife, cease to stun | 15 | ········/˘····· |
| the Gods | 2 | ·· |
| With thanking them that you have found your daughter; | 11 | ·/˘······/˘ |
| Unless you fancy they are like yourself, | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| And think they can not understand a thing | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| Unless said o'er and o'er a hundred times. | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| --But meanwhile (coming forward) wherefore do my son and Syrus | 15 | ·/·/˘/˘/˘······ |
| Loiter so long? | 4 | /˘·· |
| MENE. Who are those loiterers, Chremes? | 8 | ········ |
| CHREM. Ha, Menedemus, are you there?--Inform me, | 12 | ·········˘/· |
| Have you told Clinia what I said? | 8 | ········ |
| CHREM. And what said he? | 5 | ····· |
| MENE. Grew quite transported at it, | 8 | ···˘/˘·· |
| Like those who wish for marriage. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| CHREM. Ha! ha! ha! | 4 | ···· |
| MENE. What do you laugh at? | 6 | ······ |
| CHREM. I was thinking of | 6 | ···/˘· |
| The cunning rogueries of that slave, Syrus. (Laughing.) | 12 | ·/˘·······/˘ |
| MENE. Oh, was that it? | 5 | ····· |
| CHREM. Why, he can form and mould | 7 | ······· |
| The very visages of men, a rogue! (Laughing.) | 11 | ·/˘/˘····/˘ |
| MENE. Meaning my son's well-acted transport? | 10 | ·/˘···/˘˘/ |
| CHREM. Aye. (Laughing.) | 4 | ··/˘ |
| MENE. The very same thing I was thinking of. | 11 | ··/˘····/˘· |
| CHREM. A subtle villain! (Laughing.) | 8 | ··/˘/˘/˘ |
| MENE. Nay, if you knew more, | 6 | ······ |
| You'd be still more convinc'd on't. | 7 | ····˘/· |
| CHREM. Say you so? | 4 | ···· |
| MENE. Aye; do but hear. | 5 | ····· |
| CHREM. (laughing). Hold! hold! inform me first | 9 | ·/˘··˘/·· |
| How much you're out of pocket. For as soon | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| As you inform'd your son of my consent, | 10 | ··˘/····˘/ |
| Dromo, I warrant, gave you a broad hint | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| That the bride wanted jewels, clothes, attendants; | 11 | ···/˘/˘·˘/˘ |
| That you might pay the money. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| CHREM. What! nor Clinia? | 5 | ····· |
| MENE. Not a word; | 4 | ···· |
| But only press'd the marriage for to-day. | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| CHREM. Amazing!--But our Syrus? Did not he | 11 | ·˘/˘·/····· |
| Throw in a word or two? | 6 | ······ |
| MENE. Faith I can't tell: but I'm amaz'd that you, | 11 | ·······˘/·· |
| Who see so clearly into all the rest, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Should stick at this.--But that arch villain Syrus | 11 | ·······/˘·· |
| Has form'd and moulded your son too so rarely. | 11 | ···/˘····/˘ |
| That nobody can have the least suspicion | 11 | ·/······˘/˘ |
| That this is Clinia's mistress. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| MENE. I pass | 3 | ··· |
| Their kisses and embraces. All that's nothing. | 11 | ·/˘·˘/˘··/˘ |
| CHREM. What is there more than he can counterfeit? | 11 | ········/˘· |
| MENE. Ah! (Smiling.) | 4 | ··/˘ |
| CHREM. What d'ye mean? | 4 | ···· |
| MENE. Nay, do but hear. I have | 7 | ······· |
| A private snug apartment, a back room, | 10 | ·/˘·˘/˘··· |
| Whither a bed was brought and made. | 8 | /˘······ |
| CHREM. What then? | 3 | ··· |
| MENE. No sooner done, than in went Clitipho. | 11 | ··/˘······· |
| CHREM. I tremble. | 4 | ··/˘ |
| MENE. Bacchis follow'd. | 5 | ·/˘/˘ |
| MENE. No sooner in, | 5 | ··/˘· |
| But they made fast the door. | 6 | ······ |
| CHREM. Ha! And was Clinia | 6 | ······ |
| Witness to this? | 4 | /˘·· |
| MENE. He was.--Both he and I. | 7 | ······· |
| CHREM. Bacchis is my son's mistress, Menedemus. | 12 | ·/˘···/˘···· |
| I'm ruin'd. | 3 | ·/˘ |
| MENE. Why d'ye think so? | 5 | ····· |
| CHREM. Mine is scarce | 4 | ···· |
| A ten-days' family. | 6 | ···/˘˘ |
| MENE. What are you dismay'd | 6 | ····˘/ |
| Because he sticks so closely to his friend? | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| CHREM. Friend! His she-friend. | 5 | ····· |
| CHREM. Is that a doubt? | 5 | ····· |
| Is any man so courteous, and so patient, | 11 | ·/˘··/˘··/˘ |
| As tamely to stand by and see his mistress---- | 11 | ·/˘······/˘ |
| MENE. Ha, ha, ha! Why not?--That I, you know, | 10 | ·········· |
| Might be more easily impos'd upon. (Ironically.) | 12 | ···/˘˘/··˘/˘ |
| CHREM. D'ye laugh at me? I'm angry with myself: | 11 | ······/˘··/ |
| And well I may. How many circumstances | 11 | ·····/˘/˘·˘ |
| Conspir'd to make it gross and palpable, | 11 | ˘/˘·····/˘˘ |
| Had I not been a stone!--What things I saw! | 10 | ·········· |
| Fool, fool! But by my life I'll be reveng'd: | 10 | ·········· |
| For now---- | 2 | ·· |
| MENE. And can't you then contain yourself? | 9 | ·····˘/˘/ |
| Have you no self-respect? And am not I | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| A full example for you? | 7 | ··˘/˘·· |
| CHREM. Menedemus, | 5 | ····· |
| My anger throws me quite beside myself. | 10 | ·/˘···˘/·/ |
| MENE. That you should talk thus! is it not a shame | 11 | ··········· |
| To be so lib'ral of advice to others, | 11 | ···/˘·˘/·/˘ |
| So wise abroad, and poor in sense at home? | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| CHREM. What shall I do? | 5 | ····· |
| MENE. That which but even now | 7 | ····/˘· |
| You counsel'd me to do: Give him to know | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| That you're indeed a father: let him dare | 10 | ··˘/·/˘··· |
| Trust his whole soul to you, seek, ask of you; | 10 | ·········· |
| Lest he to others have recourse, and leave you. | 11 | ···/˘·/˘··· |
| CHREM. And let him go; go where he will; much rather | 12 | ··········/˘ |
| Than here by his extravagance reduce | 10 | ····˘/˘˘˘/ |
| His father to distress and beggary. | 10 | ·/˘·˘/·/˘˘ |
| For if I should continue to supply | 10 | ····˘/˘·˘/ |
| The course of his expenses, Menedemus, | 11 | ····˘/˘···· |
| Your desp'rate rakes would be my lot indeed. | 10 | ········˘/ |
| MENE. Ah, to what evils you'll expose yourself, | 11 | ····/˘·˘/˘/ |
| Unless you're cautious! You will seem severe, | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| And yet forgive him afterward, and then | 10 | ··˘/·/˘˘·· |
| With an ill grace too. | 5 | ····· |
| CHREM. Ah, you do not know | 6 | ······ |
| How much this grieves me. | 5 | ····· |
| MENE. Well, well, take your way. | 6 | ······ |
| But tell me, do you grant me my request | 10 | ········˘/ |
| That this your new-found daughter wed my son? | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Or is there aught more welcome to you? | 9 | ·····/˘·· |
| CHREM. Nothing. | 3 | ·/˘ |
| The son-in-law and the alliance please me. | 11 | ······˘/˘·· |
| MENE. What portion shall I tell my son you've settled! | 12 | ··/˘······/˘ |
| Why are you silent? | 5 | ···/˘ |
| MENE. Aye, what portion? | 5 | ···/˘ |
| MENE. Fear not, Chremes, though it be but small: | 9 | ········· |
| The portion nothing moves us. | 7 | ·/˘/˘·· |
| CHREM. I propos'd, | 4 | ··˘/ |
| According to my fortune, that two talents | 11 | ˘/˘··/˘··/˘ |
| Were full sufficient: But you now must say, | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| If you'd save me, my fortune, and my son, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| That I have settled all I have upon her. | 11 | ···/˘······ |
| MENE. What mean you? | 4 | ···· |
| CHREM. Counterfeit amazement too, | 8 | ·/˘·˘/˘· |
| And question Clitipho my reason for it. | 11 | ·/˘····/˘·· |
| MENE. Nay, but I really do not know your reason. | 12 | ····/˘····/˘ |
| CHREM. My reason for it?--That his wanton mind, | 11 | ··/˘····/˘· |
| Now flush'd with lux'ry and lasciviousness, | 10 | ·········· |
| I may o'erwhelm: and bring him down so low, | 10 | ·········· |
| He may not know which way to turn himself. | 10 | ········˘/ |
| MENE. What are you at? | 5 | ····· |
| CHREM. Allow me! let me have | 7 | ·˘/···· |
| My own way in this business. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| MENE. I allow you. | 5 | ··˘/· |
| Is it your pleasure? | 5 | ···/˘ |
| CHREM. Come then, let Clinia haste to call the bride. | 11 | ··········· |
| And for this son of mine, he shall be school'd, | 10 | ·········· |
| As children ought.--But Syrus! | 7 | ·/˘···· |
| MENE. What of him? | 4 | ···· |
| CHREM. What! I'll so handle him, so curry him, | 11 | ····/˘··/˘· |
| That while he lives he shall remember me. (Exit MENEDEMUS. | 16 | ······˘/˘·/˘···· |
| What, make a jest of me? a laughing-stock? | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Now, afore Heav'n, he would not dare to treat | 10 | ·˘/······· |
| A poor lone widow as he treated me. | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| MENE. The very same thing I was thinking of. | 11 | ··/˘····/˘· |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| MENE. The very thing that I was thinking of. | 11 | ··/˘····/˘· |
| CHREM. What is there more that he can counterfeit? | 11 | ········/˘· |
| Harper edition reads "more than he" | 9 | /˘˘/˘···· |
| Fool, fool! But by my life I'll be reveng'd: | 10 | ·········· |
| the 1896 Harper printing has "I'll he". Everywhere else, | 12 | ·/˘/˘···/˘·· |
| the 1859 and 1896 printings appear to be made from the same | 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.