subservient to your convenience, establish in me a precedent, that the young may be anxious rather to please you than themselves. ACT THE FIRST. SCENE I. _Enter CHREMES, and MENEDEMUS with a spade in his hand, who falls to digging._ CHREM. Although this acquaintanceship between us is of very recent date, from the time in fact of your purchasing an estate here in the neighborhood, yet either your good qualities, or our being neighbors (which I take to be a sort of friendship), induces me to inform you, frankly and familiarly, that you appear to me to labor beyond your years, and beyond what your affairs require. For, in the name of Gods and men, what would you have? What can be your aim? You are, as I conjecture, sixty years of age, or more. No man in these parts has a better or a more valuable estate, no one more servants; and yet you discharge their duties just as diligently as if there were none at all. However early in the morning I go out, and however late in the evening I return home, I see you either digging, or plowing, or doing something, in fact, in the fields. You take respite not an instant, and are quite regardless of yourself. I am very sure that this is not done for your amusement. But really I am vexed how little work is done here.[22] If you were to employ the time you spend in laboring yourself, in keeping your servants at work, you would profit much more. MEN. Have you so much leisure, Chremes, from your own affairs, that you can attend to those of others-- those which don’t concern you? CHREM. I am a man,[23] {and} nothing that concerns a man do I deem a matter of indifference to me. Suppose that I wish either to advise {you} in this matter, or to be informed {myself}: if {what you do} is right, that I may do the same; if it is not, {then} that I may dissuade you. MEN. It’s requisite for me {to do} so; do you as it is necessary for you to do. CHREM. Is it requisite for any person to torment himself? MEN. {It is} for me. CHREM. If you have any affliction, I could wish it otherwise. But prithee, what sorrow is this {of yours}? How have you deserved so {ill} of yourself? MEN. Alas! alas! (_He begins to weep._) CHREM. Do not weep, but make me acquainted with it, whatever it is. Do not be reserved; fear nothing; trust me, I tell you. Either by consolation, or by counsel, or by any means, I will aid you. MEN. Do you wish to know this matter? CHREM. Yes, and for the reason I mentioned to you. MEN. I will tell you. CHREM. But still, in the mean time, lay down that rake; don’t fatigue yourself. MEN. By no means. CHREM. What can be your object? (_Tries to take the rake from him._) MEN. Do leave me alone, that I may give myself no respite from my labor. CHREM. I will not allow it, I tell you. (_Taking the rake from him._) MEN. Ah! that’s not fair. CHREM. (_poising the rake._) Whew! such a heavy one as this, pray! MEN. Such are my deserts. CHREM. Now speak. (_Laying down the rake._)