The Self-Tormentor: Act the Fourth: Scene V
CHREM. (to himself). 'Fore Heav'n, I pity Menedemus.His case is lamentable: to maintainThat jade and all her harlot family!Although I know for some few days to comeHe will not feel it; so exceedinglyHe long'd to have his son: but when he seesSuch monstrous household riot and expenseContinue daily, without end or measure,He'll wish his son away from him again.But yonder's Syrus in good time. (Seeing SYRUS.)SYRUS. I'll to him. (Aside.)
SYRUS. Who's there? (Turning about.)
SYRUS. The very man!I have been wishing for you this long time.
CHREM. You seem to've been at work with the old man.
SYRUS. What! at our plot? No sooner said than done.
CHREM. I can't forbear to strokeYour head for it. Good lad! come nearer, Syrus!I'll do thee some good turn for this. I will,I promise you. (Patting his head.)
SYRUS. Ah, if you did but knowHow luckily it came into my head!CHREM. Pshaw, are you vain of your good luck?
SYRUS. Not I.I speak the plain truth.
CHREM. Let me know it then.
SYRUS. Clinia has told his father that the wenchIs mistress to your Clitipho; and thatHe brought her with him hither, to preventYour smoking it.
SYRUS. Aye, if you knew all.But only hear the rest of our advice.He'll tell his father he has seen your daughter,Whose beauty has so charm'd him at first sight,He longs to marry her.CHREM. Antiphila?
SYRUS. The same: and he'll request him to demand herOf you in marriage.
CHREM. To what purpose, Syrus?I don't conceive the drift on't.SYRUS. No! you're slow.
CHREM. Perhaps so.
SYRUS. Menedemus instantlyWill furnish him with money for the wedding,To buy----d'ye take me?
CHREM. Clothes and jewels.
CHREM. But I will neither marry, nor betrothMy daughter to him.
CHREM. Why!--is thatA question? to a wretch!----
SYRUS. Well, as you please.I never meant that he should marry her,But only to pretend----
CHREM. I hate pretense.Plot as you please, but do not render meAn engine in your rogueries. Shall IContract my daughter, where I never canConsent to marry her?SYRUS. I fancied so.
SYRUS. It might be done most dextrously:And, in obedience to your strict commands,I undertook this business.
CHREM. I believe it.
SYRUS. However, Sir, I meant it well.
CHREM. Nay, nay,Do't by all means, and spare no trouble in't;But bring your scheme to bear some other way.
SYRUS. It shall be done: I'll think upon some other.--But then the money which I mention'd to you,Owing to Bacchis by Antiphila,Must be repaid her: and you will not nowAttempt to shift the matter off; or say,"--What is't to me? was I the borrower?Did I command it? Could she pledge my daughterAgainst my will?"----You can say none of this;For 'tis a common saying, and a true,That strictest law is oft the highest wrong.CHREM. I mean not to evade it.
SYRUS. No, I'll warrant.Nay you, though others did, could never think on't;For all the world imagines you've acquir'dA fair and handsome fortune.
CHREM. I will carryThe money to her instantly myself.SYRUS. No; rather send it by your son.
SYRUS. Because he acts the part of her gallant.
CHREM. What then?
SYRUS. Why then 'twill seem more probable,If he presents it: I too shall effectMy scheme more easily.--And here he is.----In, Sir, and fetch the money out.
CHREM. I will. (Exit CHREMES.
HarperAfter which, enter CHREMES.Colman 1768Enter CHREMES.
HarperCHREM. You seem to've been at work with the old man.Colman 1768CHREM. You seem to've been at work with Menedemus.
HarperHe brought her with him hither, to preventYour smoking it.CHREM. Incomparable!SYRUS. Really?CHREM. O, admirable!SYRUS. Aye, if you knew all.But only hear the rest of our advice.Colman 1768He brought her over with him to their house,To hinder your detecting it.CHREM. Good! good!SYRUS. D'ye think so?CHREM. Charming!SYRUS. Aye, if you knew all.But only hear the rest of our device.
HarperAgainst my will?"----You can say none of this;Colman 1768
Words in this poem
- luckily adv.
- In a lucky manner; by good fortune; fortunately; -- used in a good sense; as, they luckily escaped injury. [From Lucky.]
- pshaw interj.
- Pish! pooch! -- an exclamation used as an expression of contempt, disdain, dislike, etc. [Of imitative origin.]
- 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,]
- borrower n.
- One who borrows.
- probable a.
- Capable of being proved. [L. probabilis, fr. probare to try, approve, prove: cf. F. probable. See Prove, and cf. Provable.]
- harper n.
- A player on the harp; a minstrel. [AS. hearpere.]
- incomparable a.
- Not comparable; admitting of no comparison with others; unapproachably eminent; without a peer or equal; matchless; peerless; transcendent. [L. incomparabilis: cf. F. incomparable. See In- not, and Comparable.]
- admirable a.
- Fitted to excite wonder; wonderful; marvelous. [L. admirabilis: cf. F. admirable.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
The Self-Tormentor: Act the Fourth: 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 Self-Tormentor: Act the Fourth: Scene V, in The Comedies of Terence (1765), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #22695, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/terence-comedies/the-self-tormentor-act-the-fourth-scene-v.html, id L25805.
Form and metre
The Self-Tormentor: Act the Fourth: Scene V is 119 lines in 35 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.
- 1 -A------A-- menedemus · maintainA · family · come · exceedingly · sees · expense · measure · againA · syrus · aside
- 20 -AA--- pretense · meA · iA · can · her · so
- 24 A-A nayA · in't · wayA
- 25 -A------A-- other · youA · antiphila · now · say · borrower · daughter · this · trueA · wrong · it
- 26 AA-- warrantA · on'tA · acquir'd · fortune
- 32 -A-A harper · chremesA · — · chremesA
- 34 --AB-BBC--A---BC harper · prevent · itA · incomparableB · really · admirableB · allB · adviceC · — · house · itA · good · so · charming · allB · deviceC
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 himself). 'Fore Heav'n, I pity Menedemus. | 13 | ··˘/···/˘···· |
| His case is lamentable: to maintain | 10 | ···˘/˘˘·˘/ |
| That jade and all her harlot family! | 10 | ·····/˘/˘˘ |
| Although I know for some few days to come | 10 | ·········· |
| He will not feel it; so exceedingly | 10 | ······˘/˘˘ |
| He long'd to have his son: but when he sees | 10 | ·········· |
| Such monstrous household riot and expense | 10 | ·/˘/·/˘·˘/ |
| Continue daily, without end or measure, | 11 | ˘/˘/˘····/˘ |
| He'll wish his son away from him again. | 10 | ····˘/··˘/ |
| But yonder's Syrus in good time. (Seeing SYRUS.) | 11 | ·/˘·····/·· |
| SYRUS. I'll to him. (Aside.) | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| SYRUS. Who's there? (Turning about.) | 8 | ····/˘·· |
| SYRUS. The very man! | 6 | ···/˘· |
| I have been wishing for you this long time. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| CHREM. You seem to've been at work with the old man. | 11 | ··········· |
| SYRUS. What! at our plot? No sooner said than done. | 12 | ····/··/˘··· |
| CHREM. I can't forbear to stroke | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| Your head for it. Good lad! come nearer, Syrus! | 11 | ·······/˘·· |
| I'll do thee some good turn for this. I will, | 10 | ·········· |
| I promise you. (Patting his head.) | 8 | ·/˘·/˘·· |
| SYRUS. Ah, if you did but know | 8 | ········ |
| How luckily it came into my head! | 10 | ·/˘˘······ |
| CHREM. Pshaw, are you vain of your good luck? | 9 | ········· |
| SYRUS. Not I. | 4 | ···· |
| I speak the plain truth. | 5 | ····· |
| CHREM. Let me know it then. | 6 | ······ |
| SYRUS. Clinia has told his father that the wench | 12 | ·······/˘··· |
| Is mistress to your Clitipho; and that | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| He brought her with him hither, to prevent | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| Your smoking it. | 4 | ·/˘· |
| SYRUS. Aye, if you knew all. | 7 | ······· |
| But only hear the rest of our advice. | 10 | ·/˘····/˘/ |
| He'll tell his father he has seen your daughter, | 11 | ···/˘····/˘ |
| Whose beauty has so charm'd him at first sight, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| He longs to marry her. | 6 | ···/˘· |
| CHREM. Antiphila? | 5 | ····· |
| SYRUS. The same: and he'll request him to demand her | 13 | ······˘/··˘/· |
| Of you in marriage. | 5 | ···/˘ |
| CHREM. To what purpose, Syrus? | 7 | ···/˘·· |
| I don't conceive the drift on't. | 7 | ··˘/··· |
| SYRUS. No! you're slow. | 5 | ····· |
| CHREM. Perhaps so. | 4 | ·˘/· |
| SYRUS. Menedemus instantly | 9 | ······/˘˘ |
| Will furnish him with money for the wedding, | 11 | ·/˘··/˘··/˘ |
| To buy----d'ye take me? | 5 | ····· |
| CHREM. Clothes and jewels. | 5 | ···/˘ |
| CHREM. But I will neither marry, nor betroth | 11 | ····/˘/˘·˘/ |
| My daughter to him. | 5 | ·/˘·· |
| CHREM. Why!--is that | 4 | ···· |
| A question? to a wretch!---- | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| SYRUS. Well, as you please. | 6 | ······ |
| I never meant that he should marry her, | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| But only to pretend---- | 6 | ·/˘·˘/ |
| CHREM. I hate pretense. | 5 | ···˘/ |
| Plot as you please, but do not render me | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| An engine in your rogueries. Shall I | 9 | ·/˘······ |
| Contract my daughter, where I never can | 10 | ˘/·/˘··/˘· |
| Consent to marry her? | 6 | ˘/·/˘· |
| SYRUS. I fancied so. | 6 | ···/˘· |
| SYRUS. It might be done most dextrously: | 10 | ·········· |
| And, in obedience to your strict commands, | 10 | ··˘/˘···˘/ |
| I undertook this business. | 7 | ··˘/·/˘ |
| CHREM. I believe it. | 5 | ··˘/· |
| SYRUS. However, Sir, I meant it well. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| CHREM. Nay, nay, | 3 | ··· |
| Do't by all means, and spare no trouble in't; | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| But bring your scheme to bear some other way. | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| SYRUS. It shall be done: I'll think upon some other. | 13 | ···········/˘ |
| --But then the money which I mention'd to you, | 11 | ···/˘··/˘·· |
| Owing to Bacchis by Antiphila, | 10 | /˘·/˘····· |
| Must be repaid her: and you will not now | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| Attempt to shift the matter off; or say, | 10 | ˘/···/˘··· |
| "--What is't to me? was I the borrower? | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| Did I command it? Could she pledge my daughter | 11 | ··˘/·····/˘ |
| Against my will?"----You can say none of this; | 10 | ·········· |
| For 'tis a common saying, and a true, | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| That strictest law is oft the highest wrong. | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| CHREM. I mean not to evade it. | 8 | ·····˘/· |
| SYRUS. No, I'll warrant. | 6 | ····/˘ |
| Nay you, though others did, could never think on't; | 10 | ···/˘··/·· |
| For all the world imagines you've acquir'd | 11 | ····˘/˘·˘/˘ |
| A fair and handsome fortune. | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| CHREM. I will carry | 5 | ···/˘ |
| The money to her instantly myself. | 10 | ·/˘··/˘˘·/ |
| SYRUS. No; rather send it by your son. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| SYRUS. Because he acts the part of her gallant. | 12 | ··········/˘ |
| CHREM. What then? | 3 | ··· |
| SYRUS. Why then 'twill seem more probable, | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| If he presents it: I too shall effect | 10 | ··˘/····˘/ |
| My scheme more easily.--And here he is.---- | 10 | ···/˘˘···· |
| In, Sir, and fetch the money out. | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| CHREM. I will. (Exit CHREMES. | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| After which, enter CHREMES. | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| Enter CHREMES. | 3 | /˘· |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| CHREM. You seem to've been at work with the old man. | 11 | ··········· |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| CHREM. You seem to've been at work with Menedemus. | 12 | ············ |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| He brought her with him hither, to prevent | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| Your smoking it. | 4 | ·/˘· |
| CHREM. Incomparable! | 6 | ·˘/˘˘˘ |
| SYRUS. Really? | 4 | ··/˘ |
| CHREM. O, admirable! | 6 | ··/˘˘˘ |
| SYRUS. Aye, if you knew all. | 7 | ······· |
| But only hear the rest of our advice. | 10 | ·/˘····/˘/ |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| He brought her over with him to their house, | 10 | ·········· |
| To hinder your detecting it. | 8 | ·/˘·˘/˘· |
| CHREM. Good! good! | 3 | ··· |
| SYRUS. D'ye think so? | 5 | ····· |
| CHREM. Charming! | 3 | ·/˘ |
| SYRUS. Aye, if you knew all. | 7 | ······· |
| But only hear the rest of our device. | 10 | ·/˘····/˘/ |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| Against my will?"----You can say none of this; | 10 | ·········· |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
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