ACTVS II

ACT II

ENTER _Eunomia_ AND _Megadorus_ FROM LATTER'S HOUSE

_Eun._

Velim te arbitrari med haec verba, frater, 120
meai fidei tuaique rei
causa facere, ut aequom est germanam sororem.
quamquam haud falsa sum nos odiosas haberi;
nam multum loquaces merito omnes habemur,
nec mutam profecto repertam ullam esse
aut hodie dicunt mulierem aut ullo in saeclo.

Brother, I do hope you'll believe I say this out of my
loyalty to you and for your welfare, as a true sister
should. Of course I'm well enough aware you men think us
women are a bother; yes, awful chatterboxes--that's the name
we all have, and (_ruefully_) it fits. And then that
common saying, "Never now, nor through the ages, never any
woman dumb."

verum hoc, frater, unum tamen cogitato,
tibi proximam me mihique esse item te;
ita aequom est quod in rem esse utrique arbitremur
et mihi te et tibi me consulere et monere; 130
neque occultum id haberi neque per metum mussari,
quin participem pariter ego te et tu me ut facias,
eo nunc ego secreto ted huc foras seduxi,
ut tuam rem ego tecum hic loquerer familiarem.

But just the same, do remember this one thing, brother,--
that I am closer to you and you to me than anyone else in
the whole world. So both of us ought to advise and counsel
each other as to what we feel is to either's advantage, not
keep such things back or be afraid to speak out openly, we
ought to confide in one another fully, you and I. This is
why I've taken you aside out here now--so that we can have
a quiet talk on a matter that concerns you intimately.

_Mega._

Da mi, optuma femina, manum.

(_warmly_) Let's have your hand, you best of women!

_Eun._

Ubi ea est? quis ea est nam optuma?

(_pretending to look about_) Where is she? Who on earth is
that best of women?

_Mega._

Tu.

Yourself.

_Eun._

Tune ais?

You say that--you?

_Mega._

Si negas, nego.

(_banteringly_) Oh well, if you deny it--

_Eun._

Decet te equidem vera proloqui;
nam optuma nulla potest eligi:
alia alia peior, frater, est.

Really now, you ought to be truthful. There's no such
thing, you know, as picking out the best woman; it's only a
question of comparative badness, brother.

_Mega._