DEMEA alone. DEMEA Never was there any person of ever such well-trained habits of life, but that experience, age, and custom are always bringing him something new, or suggesting something; so much so, that what you believe you know you don't know, and what you have fancied of first importance to you, on making trial you reject; and this is my case at present: for the rigid life I have hitherto led, my race nearly run, I now renounce. Why so ?—I have found, by experience, that there is nothing better for a man than an easy temper and complacency. That this is the truth, it is easy for any one to understand on comparing me with my brother. He has always spent his life in ease and gayety; mild, gentle, offensive to no one, having a smile for all, he has lived for himself, and has spent his money for himself; all men speak well of him, all love him. I, again, a rustic, a rigid, cross, self-denying, morose and thrifty person, married a wife; what misery I entailed in consequence! Sons were born—a fresh care. And just look, while I have been studying to do as much as possible for them, I have worn out my life and years in saving; now, in the decline of my days, the return I get from them for my pains is their dislike. He, on the other hand, with out any trouble on his part, enjoys a father's comforts; they love him; me they shun; him they trust with all their secrets, are fond of him, are always with him. I am forsaken; they wish him to live; but my death, forsooth, they are longing for. Thus, after bringing them up with all possible pains, at a trifling cost he has made them his own; thus I bear all the misery, he enjoys the pleasure. Well, then, henceforward let us try, on the other hand, whether I can't speak kindly and act complaisantly, as he challenges me to it: I also want myself to be loved and highly valued by my friends. If that is to be effected by giving and indulging, I will not be behind him. If our means fail, that least concerns me, as I am the eldest. 
 Am the eldest : And therefore likely to be the first to die, and to avoid seeing such a time come. 
 Enter SYRUS. SYRUS Hark you, Demea, your brother begs you will not go out of the way. DEMEA Who is it?—O Syrus, my friend, 
 O Syrus, my friend : The emptiness of his poor attempts to be familiar are very evident in this line. save you! how are you? How goes it with you? SYRUS Very well. DEMEA Very good. Aside. I have now for the first time used these three expressions contrary to my nature,—"O Syrus, my friend, how are you ?—how goes it with you?" To SYRUS. You show yourself far from an unworthy servant, and I shall gladly do you a service. SYRUS I thank you. DEMEA Yes, Syrus, it is the truth; and you shall be convinced of it by experience before long. Enter GETA, from the house of SOSTRATA. GETA to SOSTRATA, within . Mistress, I am going to see after them, that they may send for the damsel as soon as possible; but see, here's Demea. Accosting him. Save you! DEMEA O, what's your name? GETA Geta. DEMEA Geta, I have this day come to the conclusion that you are a man of very great worth, for I look upon him as an undoubtedly good servant who has a care for his master; as I have found to be your case, Geta; and for that reason, if any opportunity should offer, I would gladly do you a service. Aside. I am practicing the affable, and it succeeds very well. GETA You are kind, sir, to think so. DEMEA aside. Getting on by degrees—I'll first make the lower classes my own. Enter AESCHINUS, from the house of MICIO. AESCHINUS to himself. They really are killing me while too intent on performing the nuptials with all ceremony; the whole day is being wasted in their preparations. DEMEA Aeschinus ! how goes it? AESCHINUS Ha, my father! are you here ? DEMEA Your father, indeed, both by affection and by nature; as I love you more than my very eyes; but why don't you send for your wife ? AESCHINUS So I wish to do; but I am waiting for the music-girl 
 The music-girl : " Tibicinae ," or music-girls, attended at marriage ceremonials. See the Aulularia of Plautus, where Megadorus hires the music-girls on his intended marriage with the daughter of Euclio. and people to sing the nuptial song. DEMEA Come now, are you willing to listen to an old fellow like me? AESCHINUS What is it? DEMEA Let those things alone, the nuptial song, the crowds, the torches, 
 The crowds, the torches : See the Casina of Plautus, Act IV., Scenes 3 and 4, for some account of the marriage ceremonial. The torches, music-girls, processions, and hymeneal song, generally accompanied a wedding, but from the present passage we may conclude that they were not considered absolutely necessary. and the music-girls, and order the stone wall in the garden 
 Stone wall in the garden : The " maceria ," or garden-wall of loose stones, is also mentioned in the Truculentus of Plautus, 1. 301. here to be pulled down with all dispatch, and bring her over that way; make but one house of the two; bring the mother and all the domestics over to our house. AESCHINUS With all my heart, kindest father. DEMEA aside. Well done! now I am called " kind." My brother's house will become a thoroughfare; he will be bringing home a multitude, incurring expense in many ways: what matters it to me ? I, as the kind Demea, shall get into favor. Now then, bid that Babylonian 
 Bid that Babylonian : This passage has much puzzled the Commentators; but it seems most probable that it is said aside, and that in consequence of his profuseness he calls his brother a Babylonian, (just as we call a wealthy man a nabob,) and says, "Well, let him, with all my heart, be paying twenty mine (between £70 and £80) for a music-girl." pay down his twenty minae. To SYRUS. Syrus, do you delay to go and do it ? SYRUS What am I to do? DEMEA Pull down the wall: and you, Geta, go and bring them across. GETA May the Gods bless you, Demea, as I see you so sincere a well-wisher to our family. GETA and SYRUS go into MICIO'S house. 
 DEMEA I think they deserve it. What say you, Aeschinus, as to this plan ? AESCHINUS I quite agree to it. DEMEA It is much more proper than that she, being sick and lying-in, should be brought hither through the street. AESCHINUS Why, my dear father, I never did see any thing better contrived. DEMEA It's my way; but see, here's Micio coming out. Enter MICIO, from his house. MICIO speaking to GETA, within. Does my brother order it? Where is he? To DEMEA. Is this your order, Demea? DEMEA Certainly, I do order it, and in this matter, and in every thing else, wish especially to make this family one with ourselves, to oblige, serve, and unite them.
 AESCHINUS Father, pray let it be so. MICIO I do not oppose it. DEMEA On the contrary, i' faith, it is what we ought to do: in the first place, she is the mother of his wife pointing to AESCHINUS . MICIO She is. What then? DEMEA An honest and respectable woman. MICIO So they say. DEMEA Advanced in years. MICIO I am aware of it. DEMEA Through her years, she is long past child-bearing; there is no one to take care of her; she is a lone woman. MICIO aside. What can be his meaning ? DEMEA It is right you should marry her; and that you, Aeschinus, should use your endeavors to effect it. MICIO I, marry her, indeed ? DEMEA You. MICIO I? DEMEA You, I say. MICIO You are trifling ! DEMEA Aeschinus, if you are a man, he'll do it AESCHINUS My dear father— MICIO What, ass! do you attend to him? DEMEA 'T is all in vain; it can not be otherwise. MICIO You are mad! AESCHINUS Do let me prevail on you, my father. MICIO Are you out of your senses? Take yourself off. 
 Take yourself off : Aeschinus, probably, in his earnestness, has seized hold of him with his hand, which Micio now pushes away. 
 DEMEA Come, do oblige your son. MICIO Are you quite in your right mind? Am I, in my five-and-sixtieth year, to be marrying at last? A decrepit old woman too ? Do you advise me to do this? AESCHINUS Do; I have promised it. 
 I have promised it : This is not the truth; the notion has only been started since he last saw them. 
 MICIO Promised, indeed; be generous at your own cost, young man. DEMEA Come, what if he should ask a still greater favor ?
 MICIO As if this was not the greatest ! DEMEA Do comply. AESCHINUS Don't make any difficulty. DEMEA Do promise. MICIO Will you not have done? AESCHINUS Not until I have prevailed upon you. MICIO Really, this is downright force. 
 Really, this is downright force : " Vis est haec quidem ." The same expression occurs in the Captivi of Plautus, l. 755 . The expression seemed to be a common one with the Romans. According to Suetonius, Julius Caesar used it when attacked by his murderers in the senate-house. On Tullius Cimber seizing hold of his garments, he exclaimed, Ita quidem vis est! (82.1) —" Why, really, this is violence !" 
 DEMEA Act with heartiness, Micio. MICIO Although this seems to me 
 This seems to me : Donatus informs us that in Menander's Play, the old man did not make any resistance whatever to the match thus patched up for him. Colman has the following observation on this fact: "It is surprising that none of the critics on this passage. have taken notice of this observation of Donatus, especially as our loss of Menander makes it rather curious. It is plain that Terence in the plan of his last Act followed Menander; but though he has adopted the absurdity of marrying Micio to the old lady, yet we learn from Donatus that his judgment rather revolted at this circumstance, and he improved on his original by making Micio express a repugnance to such a match, which it seems he did not in the Play of Menander." to be wrong, foolish, absurd, and repugnant to my mode of life, yet, if you so strongly wish it, be it so. AESCHINUS You act obligingly. DEMEA With reason I love you; but— MICIO What ? DEMEA I will tell you, when my wish has been complied with. MICIO What now ? What remains to be done? DEMEA Hegio here is their nearest relation; he is a connection of ours and poor; we ought to do some good for him. MICIO Do what? DEMEA There is a little farm here in the suburbs, which you let out; let us give it him to live upon. MICIO But is it a little one ? DEMEA If it were a large one, still it ought to be done; he has been as it were a father to her; he is a worthy man, and connected with us; it would be properly bestowed. In fine, I now adopt that proverb which you, Micio, a short time ago repeated with sense and wisdom—it is the common vice of all, in old age, to be too intent upon our own interests. This stain we ought to avoid: it is a true maxim, and ought to be observed in deed. MICIO What am I to say to this? Well then, as he desires it pointing to AESCHINUS , it shall be given him. AESCHINUS My father! DEMEA Now, Micio, you are indeed my brother, both in spirit and in body. MICIO I am glad of it. DEMEA aside. I foil him at his own weapon. 
 At his own weapon : He probably means, by aping the kind feeling which is a part of Micio's character.