Act IV, Scene II

Enter PAMPHILUS and DAVUS.

PAM. Charinus, unintentionally I have ruined both myself and you, unless the Gods in some way befriend us.

CHAR. Unintentionally, is it! An excuse has been discovered at last. You have broken your word.

PAM. How so, pray?

CHAR. Do you expect to deceive me a second time by these speeches?

PAM. What does this mean?

CHAR. Since I told you that I loved her, she has become quite pleasing to you. Ah wretched me! to have judged of your disposition from my own.

PAM. You are mistaken.

CHAR. Did this pleasure appear to you not to be quite complete, unless you tantalized me in my passion, and lured me on by groundless hopes? --You may take her.

PAM. I, take her? Alas! you know not in what perplexities, to my sorrow, I am involved, and what vast anxieties this executioner of mine (pointing to DAVUS) has contrived for me by his devices.

CHAR. What is it so wonderful, if he takes example from yourself?

PAM. You would not say that if you understood either myself or my affection.

CHAR. I’m quite aware (ironically); you have just now had a dispute with your father, and he is now angry with you in consequence, and has not been able to-day to prevail upon you to marry her.

PAM. No, not at all,-- as you are not acquainted with my sorrows, these nuptials were not in preparation for me; and no one was thinking at present of giving me a wife.

CHAR. I am aware; you have been influenced by your own inclination.

PAM. Hold; you do not yet know all.

CHAR. For my part, I certainly do know that you are about to marry her.

PAM. Why are you torturing me to death? Listen to this. He (pointing to DAVUS) never ceased to urge me to tell my father that I would marry her; to advise and persuade me, even until he compelled me.

CHAR. Who was this person?

PAM. Davus.

CHAR. Davus! For what reason?

PAM. I don’t know; except that I must have been under the displeasure of the Gods, for me to have listened to him.

CHAR. Is this the fact, Davus?

DAV. It is the fact.

CHAR. (starting.) Ha! What do you say, you villain? Then may the Gods send you an end worthy of your deeds. Come now, tell me, if all his enemies had wished him to be plunged into a marriage, what advice but this could they have given?

DAV. I have been deceived, but I don’t despair.

CHAR. (ironically.) I’m sure of that.

DAV. This way it has not succeeded; we’ll try another. Unless, perhaps, you think that because it failed at first, this misfortune can not now possibly be changed for better luck.

PAM. Certainly not; for I quite believe that if you set about it, you will be making two marriages for me out of one.

DAV. I owe you this, Pamphilus, in respect of my servitude, to strive with hands and feet, night and day; to submit to hazard of my life, to serve you. It is your part, if any thing has fallen out contrary to expectation, to forgive me. What I was contriving has not succeeded; still, I am using all endeavors; or, do you yourself devise something better, and dismiss me.

PAM. I wish to; restore me to the position in which you found me.

DAV. I’ll do so.

PAM. But it must be done directly.

DAV. But the door of Glycerium’s house here makes a noise.

PAM. That’s nothing to you.

DAV. (assuming an attitude of meditation.) I’m in search of--

PAM. (ironically.) Dear me, what, now at last?

DAV. Presently I’ll give you what I’ve hit upon.