The Self-Tormentor: Act the Third: Scene VII
SOSTRA. Or I'm deceiv'd,Or this is certainly the very ring;The ring with which my daughter was expos'd.
SOSTRA. Tell me, Nurse!Does it appear to you to be the same?
NURSE. Aye, marry: and the very moment thatYou show'd it me, I said it was the same.SOSTRA. But have you thoroughly examin'd, Nurse?
NURSE. Aye, thoroughly.
SOSTRA. In then, and let me knowIf she has yet done bathing; and meanwhileI'll wait my husband here. (Exit NURSE.
SYRUS. She wants you, Sir! inquireWhat she would have. She's grave, I know not why.'Tis not for nothing; and I fear the cause.
CHREM. The cause? pshaw! nothing. She'll take mighty painsTo be deliver'd of some mighty trifle.SOSTRA. (seeing them). Oh husband!
SOSTRA. I was looking for you,
CHREM. Your pleasure?
SOSTRA. First, I must entreat you then,Believe, I would not dare do any thingAgainst your order.
CHREM. What! must I believeA thing past all belief?--I do believe it.
SYRUS. This exculpation bodes some fault, I'm sure. (Aside.)
SOSTRA. Do you remember, I was pregnant once,When you assur'd me with much earnestness,That if I were deliver'd of a girl,You would not have the child brought up?
CHREM. I knowWhat you have done. You have brought up the child.SYRUS. Madam, if so, my master gains a loss.
SOSTRA. No, I have not: but there was at that timeAn old Corinthian woman dwelling here,To whom I gave the child to be expos'd.
CHREM. O Jupiter! was ever such a fool!
SOSTRA. Ah, what have I committed?
CHREM. What committed!
SOSTRA. If I've offended, Chremes, 'tis a crimeOf ignorance, and nothing of my purpose.
CHREM. Own it or not, I know it well enough,That ignorantly, and imprudently,You do and say all things; how many faultsIn this one action are you guilty of!For first, had you complied with my commands,The girl had been dispatch'd; and not her deathPretended, and hopes given of her life.But that I do not dwell upon: You'll cry,"--Pity,--a mother's fondness."--I allow it.But then how rarely you provided for her!What could you mean? consider!--for 'tis plain,You have betray'd your child to that old beldam,Either for prostitution, or for sale.So she but liv'd, it was enough, you thought:No matter how, or what vile life she led.--What can one do, or how proceed, with those,Who know of neither reason, right, nor justice?Better or worse, for or against, they seeNothing but what they list.
SOSTRA. My dearest Chremes,I own I have offended: I'm convinc'd.But since you're more experienc'd than myself,I pray you be the more indulgent too,And let my weakness shelter in your justice.
CHREM. Well, well, I pardon you: but, Sostrata,Forgiving you thus easily, I doBut teach you to offend again. But come,Say, wherefore you began this?
SOSTRA. As we womenAre generally weak and superstitious,When first to this Corinthian old womanI gave the little infant, from my fingerI drew a ring, and charg'd her to exposeThat with my daughter: that if chance she died,She might have part of our possessions with her.CHREM. 'Twas right: you thus preserv'd yourself and her.
SOSTRA. This is that ring.
CHREM. Where had it you?
SOSTRA. The girlThat Bacchis brought with her----
SYRUS. Ha! (Aside.)
CHREM. What says she?
SOSTRA. Desir'd I'd keep it while she went to bathe.I took no notice on't, at first; but INo sooner look'd on't than I knew't again,And straight ran out to you.
CHREM. And what d'ye think,Or know concerning her?
SOSTRA. I can not tell,Till you inquire it of herself, and find,If possible, from whence she had the ring.
SYRUS. Undone! I see more hope than I desire.She's ours, if this be so. (Aside.)
CHREM. Is she aliveTo whom you gave the child?SOSTRA. I do not know.
CHREM. What did she tell you formerly?
SOSTRA. That sheHad done what I commanded her.
CHREM. Her name;That we may make inquiry.
SYRUS. The very same! she's found, and I am lost. (Aside.)
CHREM. In with me, Sostrata!
SOSTRA. Beyond my hopes.How much I fear'd you should continue stillSo rigidly inclin'd, as formerly,When you refus'd to educate her, Chremes!
CHREM. Men can not always be as they desire,But must be govern'd by their fortunes still.The times are alter'd with me, and I wishTo have a daughter now; then, nothing less.
HarperSYRUS. She wants you, Sir! inquireWhat she would have. She's grave, I know not why.Colman 1768SYRUS. She wants you, Sir!
Words in this poem
- meanwhile n.
- The intervening time; as, in the meantime (or mean time).
- pshaw interj.
- Pish! pooch! -- an exclamation used as an expression of contempt, disdain, dislike, etc. [Of imitative origin.]
- entreat v. t.
- To treat, or conduct toward; to deal with; to use. [OE. entreten to treat, request, OF. entraiter to treat of; pref. en- (L. in) + traitier to treat. See Treat.]
- exculpation n.
- The act of exculpating from alleged fault or crime; that which exculpates; excuse. [Cf. LL. exculpatio.]
- ignorantly adv.
- In a ignorant manner; without knowledge; inadvertently.
- dwell v. i.
- To delay; to linger. [OE. dwellen, dwelien, to err, linger, AS. dwellan to deceive, hinder, delay, dwelian to err; akin to Icel. dvelja to delay, tarry, Sw. dväljas to dwell, Dan. dv]
- fondness n.
- The quality or state of being fond; foolishness.
- beldam n.
- Grandmother; -- corresponding to belsire. [Pref. bel-, denoting relationship + dame mother: cf. F. belledame fair lady, It. belladonna. See Belle, and Dame.]
- forgiving a.
- Disposed to forgive; inclined to overlook offenses; mild; merciful; compassionate; placable; as, a forgiving temper.
- wherefore adv.
- For which reason; so; -- used relatively. [Where + for.]
- went n.
- Course; way; path; journey; direction.
- undone a.
- Not done or performed; neglected. [Pref. un- not + done.]
- rigidly v.
- In a rigid manner; stiffly.
- 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 Third: Scene VII 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 VII, 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-vii.html, id L25800.
Form and metre
The Self-Tormentor: Act the Third: Scene VII is 117 lines in 41 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.
- 23 ------AA women · superstitious · woman · finger · expose · died · herA · herA
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 |
|---|---|---|
| SOSTRA. Or I'm deceiv'd, | 6 | ····˘/ |
| Or this is certainly the very ring; | 10 | ···/˘˘·/˘· |
| The ring with which my daughter was expos'd. | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| SOSTRA. Tell me, Nurse! | 5 | ····· |
| Does it appear to you to be the same? | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| NURSE. Aye, marry: and the very moment that | 11 | ··/˘··/˘/˘· |
| You show'd it me, I said it was the same. | 10 | ·········· |
| SOSTRA. But have you thoroughly examin'd, Nurse? | 11 | ·····/˘˘/˘· |
| NURSE. Aye, thoroughly. | 5 | ··/˘˘ |
| SOSTRA. In then, and let me know | 8 | ········ |
| If she has yet done bathing; and meanwhile | 10 | ·····/˘·/· |
| I'll wait my husband here. (Exit NURSE. | 9 | ···/˘·/˘· |
| SYRUS. She wants you, Sir! inquire | 8 | ······˘/ |
| What she would have. She's grave, I know not why. | 10 | ·········· |
| 'Tis not for nothing; and I fear the cause. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| CHREM. The cause? pshaw! nothing. She'll take mighty pains | 11 | ····/˘··/˘· |
| To be deliver'd of some mighty trifle. | 11 | ··˘/˘··/˘/˘ |
| SOSTRA. (seeing them). Oh husband! | 8 | ··/˘··/˘ |
| SOSTRA. I was looking for you, | 8 | ····/˘·· |
| CHREM. Your pleasure? | 4 | ··/˘ |
| SOSTRA. First, I must entreat you then, | 9 | ·····˘/·· |
| Believe, I would not dare do any thing | 10 | ˘/·····/˘· |
| Against your order. | 5 | ···/˘ |
| CHREM. What! must I believe | 6 | ····˘/ |
| A thing past all belief?--I do believe it. | 11 | ····˘/··˘/· |
| SYRUS. This exculpation bodes some fault, I'm sure. (Aside.) | 14 | ············˘/ |
| SOSTRA. Do you remember, I was pregnant once, | 12 | ····˘/˘··/˘· |
| When you assur'd me with much earnestness, | 10 | ··˘/···/˘˘ |
| That if I were deliver'd of a girl, | 10 | ····˘/˘··· |
| You would not have the child brought up? | 8 | ········ |
| CHREM. I know | 3 | ··· |
| What you have done. You have brought up the child. | 10 | ·········· |
| SYRUS. Madam, if so, my master gains a loss. | 12 | ··/˘···/˘··· |
| SOSTRA. No, I have not: but there was at that time | 12 | ············ |
| An old Corinthian woman dwelling here, | 10 | ··˘/˘/˘/˘· |
| To whom I gave the child to be expos'd. | 10 | ········˘/ |
| CHREM. O Jupiter! was ever such a fool! | 10 | ··/˘˘·/··· |
| SOSTRA. Ah, what have I committed? | 9 | ······˘/˘ |
| CHREM. What committed! | 5 | ··˘/˘ |
| SOSTRA. If I've offended, Chremes, 'tis a crime | 11 | ····˘/˘···· |
| Of ignorance, and nothing of my purpose. | 11 | ·/˘˘·/˘··/˘ |
| CHREM. Own it or not, I know it well enough, | 11 | ·········˘/ |
| That ignorantly, and imprudently, | 10 | ·/˘˘˘·˘/˘˘ |
| You do and say all things; how many faults | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| In this one action are you guilty of! | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| For first, had you complied with my commands, | 10 | ····˘/··˘/ |
| The girl had been dispatch'd; and not her death | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| Pretended, and hopes given of her life. | 10 | ˘/˘··/˘··· |
| But that I do not dwell upon: You'll cry, | 10 | ·········· |
| "--Pity,--a mother's fondness."--I allow it. | 11 | /˘·/˘/˘·˘/· |
| But then how rarely you provided for her! | 11 | ···/˘·˘/˘·· |
| What could you mean? consider!--for 'tis plain, | 10 | ····˘/˘··· |
| You have betray'd your child to that old beldam, | 11 | ··˘/······· |
| Either for prostitution, or for sale. | 10 | /˘··˘/˘··· |
| So she but liv'd, it was enough, you thought: | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| No matter how, or what vile life she led. | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| --What can one do, or how proceed, with those, | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| Who know of neither reason, right, nor justice? | 11 | ···/˘/˘··/˘ |
| Better or worse, for or against, they see | 10 | /˘········ |
| Nothing but what they list. | 6 | /˘···· |
| SOSTRA. My dearest Chremes, | 6 | ···/˘· |
| I own I have offended: I'm convinc'd. | 10 | ····˘/˘·˘/ |
| But since you're more experienc'd than myself, | 10 | ····˘/˘··/ |
| I pray you be the more indulgent too, | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| And let my weakness shelter in your justice. | 11 | ···/˘/˘··/˘ |
| CHREM. Well, well, I pardon you: but, Sostrata, | 11 | ····/˘····· |
| Forgiving you thus easily, I do | 10 | ˘/˘··/˘˘·· |
| But teach you to offend again. But come, | 10 | ····˘/˘/·· |
| Say, wherefore you began this? | 7 | ·/˘·˘/· |
| SOSTRA. As we women | 6 | ····/˘ |
| Are generally weak and superstitious, | 11 | ·/˘˘˘···˘/˘ |
| When first to this Corinthian old woman | 11 | ····˘/˘˘·/˘ |
| I gave the little infant, from my finger | 11 | ···/˘/˘··/˘ |
| I drew a ring, and charg'd her to expose | 10 | ········˘/ |
| That with my daughter: that if chance she died, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| She might have part of our possessions with her. | 11 | ·····/˘/˘·· |
| CHREM. 'Twas right: you thus preserv'd yourself and her. | 11 | ·····˘/˘/·· |
| SOSTRA. This is that ring. | 6 | ······ |
| CHREM. Where had it you? | 5 | ····· |
| SOSTRA. The girl | 4 | ···· |
| That Bacchis brought with her---- | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| SYRUS. Ha! (Aside.) | 5 | ···˘/ |
| CHREM. What says she? | 4 | ···· |
| SOSTRA. Desir'd I'd keep it while she went to bathe. | 12 | ··˘/········ |
| I took no notice on't, at first; but I | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| No sooner look'd on't than I knew't again, | 10 | ·/˘·····˘/ |
| And straight ran out to you. | 6 | ······ |
| CHREM. And what d'ye think, | 5 | ····· |
| Or know concerning her? | 6 | ··˘/˘· |
| SOSTRA. I can not tell, | 6 | ······ |
| Till you inquire it of herself, and find, | 10 | ··˘/··˘/·· |
| If possible, from whence she had the ring. | 10 | ·/˘˘······ |
| SYRUS. Undone! I see more hope than I desire. | 12 | ··˘/······˘/ |
| She's ours, if this be so. (Aside.) | 9 | ·/˘····˘/ |
| CHREM. Is she alive | 5 | ···˘/ |
| To whom you gave the child? | 6 | ······ |
| SOSTRA. I do not know. | 6 | ······ |
| CHREM. What did she tell you formerly? | 9 | ······/˘˘ |
| SOSTRA. That she | 4 | ···· |
| Had done what I commanded her. | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| CHREM. Her name; | 3 | ··· |
| That we may make inquiry. | 7 | ····˘/˘ |
| SYRUS. The very same! she's found, and I am lost. (Aside.) | 14 | ···/˘·······˘/ |
| CHREM. In with me, Sostrata! | 7 | ······· |
| SOSTRA. Beyond my hopes. | 6 | ······ |
| How much I fear'd you should continue still | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| So rigidly inclin'd, as formerly, | 10 | ·/˘˘˘/·/˘˘ |
| When you refus'd to educate her, Chremes! | 10 | ··˘/·/˘··· |
| CHREM. Men can not always be as they desire, | 11 | ····/····˘/ |
| But must be govern'd by their fortunes still. | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| The times are alter'd with me, and I wish | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| To have a daughter now; then, nothing less. | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Harper | 2 | /˘ |
| SYRUS. She wants you, Sir! inquire | 8 | ······˘/ |
| What she would have. She's grave, I know not why. | 10 | ·········· |
| Colman 1768 | 2 | /˘ |
| SYRUS. She wants you, Sir! | 6 | ······ |
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