by chance-fathers. Nor yet for the sake of vanity have I driven her to the calling of a Courtesan, but that I mightn’t starve.SILENIUM But it had been better to give her in marriage to a husband in preference.A PROCURESS Heyday, now! Surely, faith, she’s married to a husband every day; she has both been married to one to-day, she’ll be marrying again to-night. I’ve never allowed her to go to bed a widow. For if she weren’t to be marrying, the household would perish with doleful famine.GYMNASIUM It behoves me, mother, to be just as you wish I should be.A PROCURESS I’ troth, I don’t regret it, if you will prove such as you say you’ll be; for if, indeed, you shall be such as I intend, you’ll never be a HecaleA Hecale: Hecala seems a preferable reading here to Hecata. Hecale was a very poor old woman, whom Plutarch mentions as having entertained Theseus on one of his expeditions. As poor as Hecale, became a proverb. Her poverty is mentioned by Ovid, in the Remedy of Love, in conjunction with that of the beggar Irus. in your old age, and you’ll ever keep that same tender age which you now have, and you’ll prove a loss to many and a profit to myself full oft, without any outlay of my own.GYMNASIUM May the Gods grant it.A PROCURESS Without your own energiesWithout your own energies: This is very similar to our provert, that Providence helps those who help themselves., the Gods cannot possibly do anything in this.GYMNASIUMI’ faith, for my own part, I’ll zealously devote my energies to it. But what mean you amid this conversation, apple of my eye, my own Silenium? (never did I see you more sad); prithee, do tell me, why does mirth so shun you?