The Self-Tormentor: Act the Third: Scene III
SYRUS (to himself.) This way, or that way, or some way or other!For money must be had, and th' old man trick'd.
CHREM. (overbearing.) Was I deceiv'd in thinking they were at it?That slave of Clinia's, it should seem, is dull,And so our Syrus has the part assign'd him.
SYRUS. Who's there (seeing CHREMES). Undone if he has overheard me.(Aside.)
SYRUS. Nothing.--But I wonderTo see you up so early in the morning,Who drank so freely yesterday.
SYRUS. Not much? You have, Sir, as the proverb goes,The old age of an eagle.
SYRUS. A pleasant,Good sort of girl, this wench of Clinia's.CHREM. Aye, so she seems.
SYRUS. And handsome.
CHREM. Well enough.
SYRUS. Not like the maids of old, but passable,As girls go now: nor am I much amaz'dThat Clinia dotes upon her. But he has,Alas, poor lad! a miserable, close,Dry, covetous, curmudgeon to his father:Our neighbor here; d'ye know him?--Yet, as ifHe did not roll in riches, his poor sonWas forc'd to run away for very want.D'ye know this story?
CHREM. Do I know it? Aye.A scoundrel! should be horse-whipp'd.
CHREM. That slaveOf Clinia's----SYRUS. Troth, I trembled for you, Syrus! (Aside.)
CHREM. Who suffer'd this.
SYRUS. Why what should he have done?
CHREM. What?--have devis'd expedients, contriv'd schemes,To raise the cash for the young gentlemanTo make his mistress presents; and have doneA kindness to th' old hunks against his will.CHREM. Not I: it was his duty, Syrus.
SYRUS. How's this? why prithee then, d'ye praise those slaves,Who trick their masters?
CHREM. Yes upon occasion.
SYRUS. Mighty fine, truly!
CHREM. Why, it oft preventsA great deal of uneasiness: for instance,This Clinia, Menedemus' only son,Would never have elop'd.
SYRUS. I can not tellWhether he says all this in jest or earnest;But it gives fresh encouragement to me. (Aside.)
CHREM. And now what is't the blockhead waits for, Syrus?Is't till his master runs away again,When he perceives himself no longer ableTo bear with the expenses of his mistress?Has he no plot upon th' old gentleman?SYRUS. He's a poor creature.
CHREM. But it is your part,For Clinia's sake, to lend a helping hand.
SYRUS. Why, that indeed I easily can do,If you command me; for I know which way.CHREM. I take you at your word.
SYRUS. I'll make it good.
SYRUS. But hark ye, Sir! remember this,If ever it hereafter comes to pass,--As who can answer for th' affairs of men!That your own son----
CHREM. I hope 'twill never be.
SYRUS. I hope so too; nor do I mention thisFrom any knowledge or suspicion of him:But that in case--his time of life, you know;And should there be occasion, trust me, Chremes,But I could handle you most handsomely.
CHREM. Well, well, we'll think of it, when that time comes.Now to your present task! (Exit CHREMES.
HarperSYRUS. This way, or that way, or some way or other!For money must be had, and th' old man trick'd.Colman 1768SYRUS. One way, or other, money must be had,And the old gentleman impos'd upon.
HarperCHREM. What?--have devis'd expedients, contriv'd schemes,Colman 1768CHREM. What?--have devis'd some scheme, some ways and means
HarperThis Clinia, Menedemus' only son,Would never have elop'd.SYRUS. I can not tellWhether he says all this in jest or earnest;But it gives fresh encouragement to me.Colman 1768My neighbour Menedemus, well deceiv'd,Would ne'er have seen his son abandon him.SYRUS. I don't know whether he's in jest or earnest,But it gives me encouragement to trick him.
Words in this poem
- undone a.
- Not done or performed; neglected. [Pref. un- not + done.]
- drank n.
- Wild oats, or darnel grass. See Drake a plant. [Cf. 3d Drake.]
- covetous a.
- Very desirous; eager to obtain; -- used in a good sense. [OF. coveitos, F. convoiteux. See Covet, v. t.]
- curmudgeon n.
- An avaricious, grasping fellow; a miser; a niggard; a churl. [OE. cornmudgin, where -mudgin is prob. from OF. muchier, mucier, F. musser to hide; of uncertain origin; cf. OE. muchares skulking thieves, E. miche, micher.]
- troth n.
- Belief; faith; fidelity. [A variant of truth. See Truth.]
- hunks n.
- A covetous, sordid man; a miser; a niggard. [Etymol. uncertain.]
- prithee interj.
- A corruption of pray thee; as, I prithee; generally used without I.
- 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]
- hereafter adv.
- In time to come; in some future time or state. [AS. hræfter.]
- harper n.
- A player on the harp; a minstrel. [AS. hearpere.]
- neighbour v. i.
- To dwell in the vicinity; to be a neighbor, or in the neighborhood; to be near.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
The Self-Tormentor: Act the Third: Scene III 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 Third: Scene III, in The Comedies of Terence (1765), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #22695, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/terence-comedies/the-self-tormentor-act-the-third-scene-iii.html, id L25796.
Form and metre
The Self-Tormentor: Act the Third: Scene III is 94 lines in 30 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 83%).
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.
- 14 -AA-- schemes · gentlemanA · doneA · will · syrus
- 20 -A--A- syrus · againA · able · mistress · gentlemanA · creature
- 30 ----A---BAB harper · son · elop'd · tell · earnestA · me · — · deceiv'd · himB · earnestA · himB
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 |
|---|---|---|
| SYRUS (to himself.) This way, or that way, or some way or other! | 16 | ···˘/·········/˘ |
| For money must be had, and th' old man trick'd. | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| CHREM. (overbearing.) Was I deceiv'd in thinking they were at it? | 16 | ·/˘/˘··˘/·/˘···· |
| That slave of Clinia's, it should seem, is dull, | 10 | ·········· |
| And so our Syrus has the part assign'd him. | 11 | ··/·····˘/· |
| SYRUS. Who's there (seeing CHREMES). Undone if he has overheard me. | 15 | ····/·˘/···/˘/· |
| (Aside.) | 2 | ˘/ |
| SYRUS. Nothing.--But I wonder | 8 | ··/˘··/˘ |
| To see you up so early in the morning, | 11 | ·····/˘··/˘ |
| Who drank so freely yesterday. | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| SYRUS. Not much? You have, Sir, as the proverb goes, | 12 | ·········/˘· |
| The old age of an eagle. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| SYRUS. A pleasant, | 5 | ···/˘ |
| Good sort of girl, this wench of Clinia's. | 9 | ········· |
| CHREM. Aye, so she seems. | 5 | ····· |
| SYRUS. And handsome. | 5 | ···/˘ |
| CHREM. Well enough. | 4 | ··˘/ |
| SYRUS. Not like the maids of old, but passable, | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| As girls go now: nor am I much amaz'd | 10 | ········˘/ |
| That Clinia dotes upon her. But he has, | 10 | ·········· |
| Alas, poor lad! a miserable, close, | 10 | ˘/···/˘˘˘· |
| Dry, covetous, curmudgeon to his father: | 11 | ·/˘˘˘/˘··/˘ |
| Our neighbor here; d'ye know him?--Yet, as if | 10 | //˘······· |
| He did not roll in riches, his poor son | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Was forc'd to run away for very want. | 10 | ····˘/·/˘· |
| D'ye know this story? | 5 | ···/˘ |
| CHREM. Do I know it? Aye. | 6 | ······ |
| A scoundrel! should be horse-whipp'd. | 7 | ·/˘···· |
| CHREM. That slave | 3 | ··· |
| Of Clinia's---- | 3 | ··· |
| SYRUS. Troth, I trembled for you, Syrus! (Aside.) | 12 | ····/˘····˘/ |
| CHREM. Who suffer'd this. | 5 | ··/˘· |
| SYRUS. Why what should he have done? | 8 | ········ |
| CHREM. What?--have devis'd expedients, contriv'd schemes, | 11 | ···˘/˘/˘˘/· |
| To raise the cash for the young gentleman | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| To make his mistress presents; and have done | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| A kindness to th' old hunks against his will. | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| CHREM. Not I: it was his duty, Syrus. | 10 | ······/˘·· |
| SYRUS. How's this? why prithee then, d'ye praise those slaves, | 12 | ·····/˘····· |
| Who trick their masters? | 5 | ···/˘ |
| CHREM. Yes upon occasion. | 7 | ····˘/˘ |
| SYRUS. Mighty fine, truly! | 7 | ··/˘·/˘ |
| CHREM. Why, it oft prevents | 6 | ····˘/ |
| A great deal of uneasiness: for instance, | 11 | ·····/˘˘·/˘ |
| This Clinia, Menedemus' only son, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Would never have elop'd. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| SYRUS. I can not tell | 6 | ······ |
| Whether he says all this in jest or earnest; | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| But it gives fresh encouragement to me. (Aside.) | 11 | ····˘/˘··˘/ |
| CHREM. And now what is't the blockhead waits for, Syrus? | 12 | ······/····· |
| Is't till his master runs away again, | 10 | ···/˘·˘/˘/ |
| When he perceives himself no longer able | 11 | ··˘/˘/·/˘/˘ |
| To bear with the expenses of his mistress? | 11 | ····˘/˘··/˘ |
| Has he no plot upon th' old gentleman? | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| SYRUS. He's a poor creature. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| CHREM. But it is your part, | 6 | ······ |
| For Clinia's sake, to lend a helping hand. | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| SYRUS. Why, that indeed I easily can do, | 11 | ····˘/·/˘·· |
| If you command me; for I know which way. | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| CHREM. I take you at your word. | 7 | ······· |
| SYRUS. I'll make it good. | 6 | ······ |
| SYRUS. But hark ye, Sir! remember this, | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| If ever it hereafter comes to pass, | 10 | ·/˘·˘/˘··· |
| --As who can answer for th' affairs of men! | 10 | ···/˘·˘/·· |
| That your own son---- | 4 | ···· |
| CHREM. I hope 'twill never be. | 7 | ····/˘· |
| SYRUS. I hope so too; nor do I mention this | 12 | ·········/˘· |
| From any knowledge or suspicion of him: | 11 | ·/˘/˘·˘/˘·· |
| But that in case--his time of life, you know; | 10 | ·········· |
| And should there be occasion, trust me, Chremes, | 10 | ····˘/˘··· |
| But I could handle you most handsomely. | 10 | ···/˘··/˘˘ |
| CHREM. Well, well, we'll think of it, when that time comes. | 11 | ··········· |
| Now to your present task! (Exit CHREMES. | 9 | ···˘/·/˘· |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| SYRUS. This way, or that way, or some way or other! | 13 | ···········/˘ |
| For money must be had, and th' old man trick'd. | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| SYRUS. One way, or other, money must be had, | 12 | ·····/˘/˘··· |
| And the old gentleman impos'd upon. | 10 | ···/˘˘˘/·· |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| CHREM. What?--have devis'd expedients, contriv'd schemes, | 11 | ···˘/˘/˘˘/· |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| CHREM. What?--have devis'd some scheme, some ways and means | 11 | ···˘/······ |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| This Clinia, Menedemus' only son, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Would never have elop'd. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| SYRUS. I can not tell | 6 | ······ |
| Whether he says all this in jest or earnest; | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| But it gives fresh encouragement to me. | 10 | ····˘/˘˘·· |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| My neighbour Menedemus, well deceiv'd, | 10 | ·/˘·····˘/ |
| Would ne'er have seen his son abandon him. | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| SYRUS. I don't know whether he's in jest or earnest, | 13 | ···········/˘ |
| But it gives me encouragement to trick him. | 10 | ····˘/˘··· |
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