lly} ought to have been a man of
fortune.

GETA. When departing hence, both the old gentlemen left me as a sort
of tutor to their sons.

DAV. Ah, Geta, you undertook a hard task {there}.

GETA. I came to experience it, I know that. I'm quite sure that I was
forsaken by my good Genius, who must have been angry with me.[27]
I began to oppose them at first; {but} what need of talking? As long
as I was trusty to the old men, I was paid for it in my
shoulder-blades. This, then, occurred to my mind: why, this is folly
to kick against the spur.[28] I began to do every thing for them that
they wished to be humored in.

DAV. You knew how to make your market.[29]

GETA. Our {young fellow did} no mischief whatever at first; that
Phaedria at once picked up a certain damsel, a Music-girl, {and} fell
in love with her to distraction. She belonged to a most abominable
Procurer; and their fathers had taken good care that they should have
nothing to give him. There remained nothing for him then but to feed
his eyes, to follow her about, to escort her to the school,[30] and to
escort her back again. We, having nothing to do, lent our aid to
Phaedria. Near the school at which she was taught, right opposite the
place, there was a certain barber's shop: here we were generally in
the habit of waiting for her, until she was coming home again. In the
mean time, while {one day} we were sitting there, there came in a
young man in tears;[31] we were surprised at this. We inquired what
was the matter? "Never," said he, "has poverty appeared to me a burden
so grievous and so insupportable as just now. I have just seen a
certain poor young woman in this neighborhood lamenting her dead
mother. She was laid out before her, and not a single friend,
acquaintance, or relation was there with her, except one poor old
woman, to assist her in the funeral: I pitied her. The girl herself
was of surpassing beauty." What need of a long story? She moved us
all. At once Antipho {exclaims}, "Would you like us to go and visit
her?" The other {said}, "I think we ought-- let us go-- show us the
way, please." We went, and arrived {there}; we saw her; the girl was
beautiful, and that you might say so the more, there was no
heightening to her beauty; her hair disheveled, her feet bare, herself
neglected, and in tears; her dress mean, so that, had there not been
an excess of beauty in her very charms, these circumstances must have
extinguished those charms. The one