Enter AESCHINUS, from the house of MICIO. AESCHINUS Where is that villain? SANNIO aside. He's looking for me. He's looking for me : Donatus remarks upon the readiness with which Sannio takes the appellation of " sacrilegus ," as adapted to no other person than himself. Is he bringing any thing with him? Confusion! I don't see any thing. AESCHINUS to CTESIPHO. Ha! well met; you are the very man I was looking for. How goes it, Ctesipho? All is safe: away then with your melancholy. CTESIPHO By my troth, I certainly will away with it, when I have such a brother as you. O my dear Aeschinus! O my brother! Alas! I am unwilling to praise you any more to your face, lest you should think I do so rather for flattery than through gratitude. AESCHINUS Go to, you simpleton! as though we didn't by this time understand each other, Ctesipho. This grieves me, that we knew of it almost too late, and that the matter had come to such a pass, that if all mankind had wished they could not possibly have assisted you. CTESIPHO I felt ashamed.
 AESCHINUS Pooh! that is folly, not shame; about such a trifling matter to be almost flying the country!
 
 Flying the country : Donatus tells us, that in Menander the young man was on the point of killing himself. Terence has here softened it into leaving the country. Colman remarks: "We know that the circumstance of carrying off the Music-girl was borrowed from Diphilus; yet it is plain from Donatus that there was also an intrigue by Ctesipho in the Play of Menander; which gives another proof of the manner in which Terence used the Greek Comedies." 'Tis shocking to be mentioned; I pray the Gods may forbid it! CTESIPHO I did wrong. AESCHINUS in a lower voice. What says Sannio to us at last? SYRUS He is pacified at last. AESCHINUS I'll go to the Forum to pay him off; you, Ctesipho, step in-doors to her. SANNIO aside to SYRUS. Syrus, do urge the matter. SYRUS to AESCHINUS. Let us be off, for he is in haste foe' Cyprus .
 
 He is in haste for Cyprus 
 : Donatus remarks that this is a piece of malice on the part of Syrus, for the purpose of teasing Sannio. 
 SANNIO Not particularly so; although still, I'm stopping here doing nothing at all. SYRUS It shall be paid, don't fear. SANNIO But he is to pay it all. SYRUS He shall pay it all; only hold your tongue and follow us this way. SANNIO I'll follow. CTESIPHO as SYRUS is going. Harkye, harkye, Syrus. SYRUS turning back. Well now, what is it? CTESIPHO aside. Pray do discharge that most abominable fellow as soon as possible; for fear, in case he should become more angry, by some means or other this matter should reach my father, and then I should be ruined forever. SYRUS That shall not happen, be of good heart; meanwhile enjoy yourself in-doors with her, and order the couches
 
 Order the couches : Those used for the purpose of reclining on at the entertainment. to be spread for us, and the other things to be got ready. As soon as this business is settled, I shall come home with the provisions. CTESIPHO Pray do so. Since this has turned out so well, let us make a cheerful day of it. CTESIPHO goes into the house of MICIO; and exeunt AESCHINUS and SYRUS, followed by SANNIO. 
 Enter SOSTRATA and CANTHARA, from the house of the former. SOSTRATA Prithee, my dear nurse, how is it like to end? CANTHARA Like to end, do you ask? I' troth, right well, I trust. SOSTRATA Her pains are just beginning, my dear. CANTHARA You are in a flight, now, just as though you had never been present on such an occasion—never been in labor yourself. SOSTRATA Unfortunate woman that I am! I have not a person at home; we are quite alone; Geta too is absent. I have no one to go for the midwife, or to fetch Aeschinus. CANTHARA I' faith, he'll certainly be here just now, for he never lets a day pass without visiting us. SOSTRATA He is my sole comfort in my afflictions. CANTHARA Things could not have happened, mistress, more for the advantage of your daughter than they have, seeing that violence was offered her; so far as he is concerned, it is most lucky,—such a person, of such disposition and feelings, a member of so respectable a family. SOSTRATA It is indeed as you say; I entreat the Gods that he may be preserved to us. They stand apart, on seeing GETA. 
 Enter GETA, on the other side of the stage. GETA to himself. Now such is our condition, that if all were to combine all their counsels, and to seek a remedy for this mischief that has befallen myself, my mistress, and her daughter, they could find no relief. Oh wretched me! so many calamities beset us on a sudden, we can not possibly extricate ourselves. Violence, poverty, oppression, desertion, infamy! What an age is this! O shocking villainy! O accursed race! O impious man!— SOSTRATA Unhappy me! How is it that I see Geta hurrying along thus terrified? GETA continuing. Whom neither promises, nor oaths, nor compassion could move or soften; nor yet the fact that the delivery was nigh at hand of the unfortunate woman on whom he had so shamefully committed violence. SOSTRATA apart to CANTHARA. I don't well understand what he is talking about. CANTHARA Pray, let us go nearer to him, Sostrata. GETA continuing. Ah wretched me! I am scarcely master of my senses, I am so inflamed with anger. There is nothing that 1 would like better than for all that family to be thrown in my way, that I might give vent to all my wrath upon them while this wound is still fresh. 1 could be content with any punishment, so I might only wreak my vengeance on them. First, I would stop the breath of the old fellow himself who gave being to this monster; then as for his prompter, Syrus, out upon him! How I would tear him piecemeal! I would snatch him by the middle up aloft, and dash him head downward upon the earth, so that with his brains he would bestrew the road: I would pull out the eyes of the young fellow himself, and afterward hurl him headlong over some precipice. The others I would rush upon, drive, drag, crush, and trample them under foot. But why do I delay at once to acquaint my mistress with this calamity? Moves as if going. 
 SOSTRATA to CANTHARA. Let us call him Lack. Geta— GETA Well—leave me alone,
 
 Leave me alone : Quoting from Madame Dacier, Colman has this remark here: "Geta's reply is founded on a frolicsome but ill-natured custom which prevailed in Greece —to stop the slaves in the streets, and designedly keep them in chat, so that they might be lashed when they came home for staying out so long." whoever you are. SOSTRATA 'Tis I,—Sostrata. GETA turning round. Why, where are you? You are the very person I am looking for. I was in quest of you; it's very fortunate you have met me. SOSTRATA What's the matter? Why are you trembling?
 GETA Alas! alas! SOSTRATA My dear Geta, why in such haste? Do take breath. GETA Quite— pauses. 
 SOSTRATA Why, what means this "quite"? GETA Undone—It's all over with us. SOSTRATA Say, then, I entreat you, what is the matter. GETA Now— SOSTRATA What "now," Geta? GETA Aeschinus— SOSTRATA What about him? GETA Has abandoned our family. SOSTRATA Then I am undone! Why so? GETA He has attached himself to another woman. SOSTRATA Woe unto wretched me! GETA And he makes no secret of it; he himself has carried her off openly from a procurer. SOSTRATA Are you quite sure of this? GETA Quite sure; I saw it myself, Sostrata, with these same eyes. SOSTRATA Ah wretched me! What is one now to believe, or whom believe? Our own Aeschinus, the very life of us all, in whom all our hopes and comforts were centred! Who used to swear he could never live a single day without her! Who used to say, that he would place the infant on his father's knees,
 
 On his father's knees : It was a prevalent custom with the Greeks to place the newly-born child upon the knee of its grandfather. and thus entreat that he might be allowed to make her his wife! GETA Dear mistress, forbear weeping, and rather consider what must be done for the future in this matter. Shall we submit to it, or shall we tell it to any person? CANTHARA Pooh, pooh! Are you in your senses, my good man? Does this seem to you a business to be made known to any one? GETA I, indeed, have no wish for it. In the first place, then, that his feelings are estranged from us, the thing itself declares. Now, if we make this known, he'll deny it, I'm quite sure; your reputation and your daughter's character will then be in danger. On the other hand, if he were fully to confess it, as he is in love with another woman, it would not be to her advantage to be given to him. Therefore, under either circumstance, there is need of silence. SOSTRATA Oh! by no means in the world! I'll not do it. GETA What is it you say? SOSTRATA I'll make it known. GETA Ha, my dear Sostrata, take care what you do! SOSTRATA The matter can not possibly be in a worse position than it is at present. In the first place, she has no portion; then, besides, that which was as good as a portion, her honor, is lost: she can not be given in marriage as a virgin. This resource is left; if he should deny it, I have a ring which he lost as evidence of the truth. In fine, Geta, as I am fully conscious that no blame attaches to me, and that neither interest nor any consideration unworthy of her or of myself has had a share in this matter, I will make trial— GETA What am I to say to this? I agree, as you speak for the best. SOSTRATA You be off as fast as possible, and relate all the matter just as it has happened to her kinsman Hegio; for he was the best friend of our lamented Simulus, and has shown especial regard for us. GETA aside. Aye, faith, because nobody else takes any notice of us. SOSTRATA Do you, my dear Canthara, run with all haste, and fetch the midwife, so that, when she is wanted, we may not have to wait for her. SOSTRATA goes into the house, and exit GETA and CANTHARA.