Let me alone, and give me leave to have my own way in this matter.MENEDEMUS I do give you leave: is this your desire?CHREMES It is so.MENEDEMUS Then be it so. CHREMES And now let your son prepare to fetch the bride. The other one shall be schooled in such language as befits children. But Syrus—MENEDEMUS What of him?CHREMES What? If I live, I will have him so handsomely dressed, so well combed out, that he shall always remember me as long as he lives; to imagine that I’m to be a laughing-stock and a plaything for him! So may the Gods bless me! he would not have dared to do to a widow-woman the things which he has done to me.Which he has done to me: Colman has the following Note: The departure of Menedemus here is very abrupt, seeming to be in the midst of a conversation; and his re-entrance with Clitipho, already supposed to be apprised of what has passed between the two old gentlemen, is equally precipitate. Menage imagines that some verses are lost here. Madame Dacier strains hard to defend the Poet, and fills up the void of time by her old expedient of making the Audience wait to see Chremes walk impatiently to and fro, till a sufficient time is elapsed for Menedemus to have given Clitipho a summary account of the cause of his father’s anger. The truth is, that a too strict observance of the unity of place will necessarily produce such absurdities; and there are several other instances of the like nature in Terence.(They go into their respective houses.)

(Enter MENEDEMUS, with CLITIPHO and SYRUS.)CLITIPHO Prithee, is it really the fact, Menedemus, that my father can,in so short a space of time, have cast off all the natural affection of a parent for me? For what crime? What so great enormity have I, to my misfortune, committed? Young men generally do the same.