Silence

 

 

Κρομουελλος. Ἀλλὰ πῶς εἴη; Διότι αὕτη ἡ σιγὴ ἐσημαίνε— αὕτη ἡ σιγὴ ἦν—οὐ σιγή, ἀλλ’ εὐγλωσσοτάτη ἐξάρηνσις!

Μωρ. Οὔκ ἐστι. Οὔκ ἐστι, ὦ Γραμματεῦ. Ἡ παροιμία ἐστι “Qui tacet consentire”· ἡ παροιμία τοῦ νόμου ἡγεῖται ὅτι σīγῆσαί ἐστι συγχωρήσαι. Εἴ γαρ σὺ βούλει ἑρμηνεύειν τι ἐσήμηνε ἡ μοῦ σιγή, ὀφείλεις ἑρμηνεύειν ἐμὲ συγχωρήσαι, οὐκ ἀρνήσασθαι.

Κρομουελλος. Καὶ ἐκεῖνο ἀληθῶς οἱ πάντες ἑρμηνεύουσι; Σὺ προσποιεῖ ὅτι ἐκεῖνο σὺ βούλει  ὑπὸ τῶν πάντων ἑρμηνεύεσθαι;

Μωρ. Ὀφείλουσιν ἑρμηνεύειν οἵ μεν πάντες κατὰ νοῦν, τό δε δικαστέριον κατὰ νόμον.

 

(Kromouéllos. Alla pôs eíē? Dióti haútē hē sigē esēmaíne—haútē hē sigē ên—ou sigḗ, all’ euglōssotátē exárēnsis!

Môr. Oúk esti. Oúk esti, ô Grammateû. Hē paroimía esti “Qui tacet consentire”: hē paroimía toû nómou hēgeîtai hóti sīgêsaí esti synchōrḗsai. Eí gar su boúlei hermēneúein ti esḗmēne hē moû sigḗ, opheíleis hermēneúein eme synchōrḗsai, ouk arnḗsasthai.

Kromouéllos. Kai ekeîno alēthôs hoi pántes hermēneúousi? Su prospoieî hóti ekeîno su boúlei hypo tôn pántōn hermēneúesthai?

Môr. Opheílousin hermēneúein hoí men pántes kata noûn, tó de dikastérion kata nómon.)

 

Cromwell. Yet how can this be? Because this silence betokened—nay, this silence was—not silence at all, but most eloquent denial!

More. Not so. Not so, Master Secretary. The maxim is “Qui tacet consentire”: the maxim of the law is “Silence gives consent”. If, therefore, you wish to construe what my silence betokened, you must construe that I consented, not that I denied.

Cromwell. Is that in fact what the world construes from it? Do you pretend that is what you wish the world to construe from it?

More. The world must construe according to its wits; this court must construe according to the law.

 

—"A Man for all Seasons"