If it is your determination thus to act, I hold it to be of very great foment that he should not be aware that with a full knowledge you grant him this.MENEDEMUS What shall I do?CHREMES Any thing, rather than what you are thinking of;supply him with money through some other person; suffer yourself to be imposed upon by the artifices of his servant: although I have smelt out this too, that they are about that, and are secretly planning it among them. Syrus is always whispering with that servant of yours;With that servant of yours: Dromo. they impart their plans to the young men; and it were better for you to lose a talent this way, than a mina the other. The money is not the question now, but this—in what way we can supply it to the young man with the least danger. For if he once knows the state of your feelings, that you would sooner part with your life, and sooner with all your money, than allow your son to leave you; whew! what an inletWhat an inlet: Fenestram; literally, a window. will you be opening for his debauchery! aye, and so much so, that henceforth to live can not be desirable to you. For we all become worse through indulgence. Whatever comes into his head, he’ll be wishing for; nor will he reflect whether that which he desires is right or wrong. You will not be able to endure your estate and him going to ruin. You will refuse to supply him: he will immediately have recourse to the means by which he finds that he has the greatest hold upon you, and threaten that he will immediately leave you.MENEDEMUS You seem to speak the truth, and just what is the fact.CHREMES I’faith, I have not been sensible of sleep this night with my eyes,This night with my eyes: Colman has the following Note here: Hedelin obstinately contends from this passage, that neither Chremes nor any of his family went to bed the whole night; the contrary of which is evident, as Menage observes, from the two next Scenes. For why should Syrus take notice of his being up so early, if he had never retired to rest? Or would Chremes have reproached Clitipho for his behavior the night before, had the feast never been interrupted? Eugraphius’s interpretation of these words is natural and obvious, who explains them to signify that the anxiety of Chremes to restore Clinia to Menedemus broke his rest. for thinking of this—how to restore your son to you. MENEDEMUS(taking his hand.)Give me your right hand. I request that you will still act in a like manner, Chremes.CHREMES I am ready to serve you.MENEDEMUS Do you know what it is I now want you to do?CHREMES Tell me.MENEDEMUS As you have perceived that they are laying a plan to deceive me, that they may hasten to complete it. I long to give him whatever he wants: I am now longing to behold him.CHREMES I’ll lend my endeavors. This little business is in my way. Our neighbors Simus and Crito are disputing here about boundaries; they have chosen me for arbitrator. I’ll go and tell them that I can not possibly give them my attention to-day as I had stated I would. I’ll be here immediately.(Exit.)MENEDEMUS Pray do. (To himself.) Ye Gods, by our trust in you! That the nature of all men should be so constituted, that they can see and judge of other men’s affairs better than their own! Is it because in our own concerns we are biased either with joy or grief in too great a degree? How much wiser now is he for me, than I have been for myself!(Re-enter CHREMES.)CHREMES I have disengaged myself, that I might lend you my services at my leisure. Syrus must be found and instructed by me in this business.Some one, I know not who, is coming out of my house: do you step hence home, that they may not perceiveThat they may not perceive: Madame Dacier observes that Chremes seizes this as a very plausible and necessary pretense to engage Menedemus to return home, and not to his labors in the field, as he had at first intended. that we are conferring together.(MENEDEMUS goes into his house.)

(Enter SYRUS from the house of CHREMES.)SYRUS(aloud to himself.)Run to and fro in every direction; still, money, you must be found: a trap must be laid for the old man. CHREMES(apart, overhearing him.)Was I deceived in saying that they were planning this?That servant of Clinia’s is somewhat dull; therefore that province has been assigned to this one of ours.SYRUS(in a low voice.)Who’s that speaking? (Catches sight of CGREMES.) I’m undone! Did he hear it, I wonder?CHREMES Syrus.SYRUS Well—CHREMES What are you doing here ?SYRUS All right. Really, I am quite surprised at you, Chremes, up so early, after drinking so much yesterday.CHREMES Not too much.SYRUS Not too much, say you? Really, you’ve seen the old age of an eagle,Old age of an eagle: This was a proverbial expression, signifying a hale and vigorous old age. It has been suggested, too, that it alludes to the practice of some old men, who drink more than they eat. It was vulgarly said that eagles never die of old age, and that when, by reason of their beaks growing inward, they are unable to feed upon their prey, they live by sucking the blood. as the saying is.