Chapter 3

ENTER _Jupiter_ AND _Alcmena_ FROM THE HOUSE.

_Iup._ _Jup._

Bene vale, Alcumena, cura rem communem, quod facis; atque inperce quaeso: menses iam tibi esse actos vides. 500 mihi necesse est ire hinc; verum quod erit natum tollito.

Good-bye and God bless you, my dear. Continue to look out for our common interests, and do be sure not to overdo: you are near your time now, you know. I am obliged to leave you--but don’t expose the child.

_Alc._

Quid istuc est, mi vir, negoti, quod tu tam subito domo abeas?

(_plaintively_) Why, my husband, what is it takes you away so suddenly?

_Iup._ _Jup._

Edepol haud quod tui me neque domi distaedeat; sed ubi summus imperator non adest ad exercitum, citius quod non facto est usus fit quam quod facto est opus.

No weariness of you and home, I swear to that. But when the commander-in-chief is not with his army, things are much more liable to go wrong than right.

_Mer._

Nimis hic scitust sycophanta, qui quidem meus sit pater. observatote eum, quam blande muliori palpabitur.

(_aside_) Ah, he’s a sly old dodger--does me[D] credit, my father does! Notice how suavely he’ll smooth her down.

[Footnote D: Mercury was the patron god of roguery.]

_Alc._

Ecastor te experior quanti facias uxorem tuam.

(_pouting_) Oh yes, I’m learning how much you think of your wife.

_Iup._ _Jup._

Satin habes, si feminarum nulla est quam aeque diligam?

(_fondly_) Isn’t it enough that you’re the dearest woman in the world to me? (_embraces her_)

_Mer._

Edepol ne illa si istis rebus te sciat operam dare 510 ego faxim ted Amphitruonem esse malis, quam Iovem.

(_aside_) Now, now, sir! Just let the lady up yonder (_pointing thumb heavenward_) learn of your performances here, and I’ll guarantee you’d rather be Amphitryon than Jove.

_Alc._

Experiri istuc mavellem me quam mi memorarier. prius abis quam lectus ubi cubuisti concaluit locus. heri venisti media nocte, nunc abis. hocin placet?

Actions speak louder than words. Here you are leaving me before your place on the couch had time to get warm. You came last night at midnight, and now you are going. Does that seem right?

_Mer._

Accedam atque hanc appellabo et subparasitabor patri. numquam edepol quemquam mortalem credo ego uxorem suam sic ecflictim amare, proinde ut hic te ecflictim deperit.

(_aside_) I’ll go slip a word in and play henchman to my father. (_to Alcmena, stepping up_) Lord, ma’am, I don’t believe there’s a mortal man alive loves his own wife (_glancing slyly at Jupiter_) so madly as the mad way he dotes on you.

_Iup._ _Jup._

Carnufex, non ego te novi? abin e conspectu meo? quid tibi hanc curatio est rem, verbero, aut muttitio? quon ego iam hoc scipione--

(_angrily_) You rascal, don’t I know you? Out of my sight, will you! What business have you to interfere with this matter, or to breathe a word about it, you scamp? I’ll take my cane this instant and--

_Alc._

Ah noli.

(_seizing his arm_) Oh, please don’t!

_Iup._ _Jup._

Muttito modo. 520

You just breathe a word now!

_Mer._

Nequiter paene expedivit prima parasitatio.

(_aside dryly_) The henchman’s first try at henching pretty nearly came to grief.

_Iup._ _Jup._

Verum quod tu dicis, mea uxor, non te mi irasci decet. clanculum abii a legione: operam hanc subrupui tibi, ex me primo ut prima scires, rem ut gessissem publicam. ea tibi omnia enarravi. nisi te amarem plurimum, non facerem.

But as to what you say, precious,--you oughtn’t to be cross with me. It was on the sly that I left my troops: this is a stolen treat, stolen for your sake, so that your first news of how I served my country might come first from me. And now I have told you the whole story. I wouldn’t have done such a thing, if I hadn’t loved you with all my heart.

_Mer._

Facitne ut dixi? timidam palpo percutit.

(_aside_) Doing as I said, eh? Stroking her down, patting her back, poor thing.

_Iup._ _Jup._

Nunc, ne legio persentiscat, clam illuc redeundum est mihi, ne me uxorem praevertisse dicant prae re publica.

Now I must slip back, so that my men may not get wind of this and say I put my wife ahead of the public welfare.

_Alc._

Lacrimantem ex abitu concinnas tu tuam uxorem.

(_tearfully_) And make your own wife cry at your leaving her!

_Iup._ _Jup._

Tace, ne corrumpe oculos, redibo actutum.

(_affectionately_) Hush! Don’t spoil your eyes: I shall be back soon.

_Alc._

Id actutum diu est. 530

That “soon” is a long, long time.

_Iup._ _Jup._

Non ego te hic lubens relinquo neque abeo abs te.

It’s not that I like to leave you here and go away.

_Alc._

Sentio, nam qua nocte ad me venisti, eadem abis.

So I perceive--going away the same night you came to me! (_clings to him_)

_Iup._ _Jup._

Cur me tenes? tempus est: exire ex urbe prius quam lucescat volo. nunc tibi hanc pateram, quae dono mi illi ob virtutem data est, Pterela rex qui potitavit, quem ego mea occidi manu, Alcumena, tibi condono.

Why do you hold me? It is time: I wish to get out of the city before daybreak. (_producing a golden bowl_) Here is the bowl they presented me for bravery on the field--the one King Pterelas used to drink from, whom I killed with my own hand--take it as a gift from me, Alcmena.

_Alc._

Facis ut alias res soles. ecastor condignum donum, qualest qui donum dedit.

(_taking bowl eagerly_) That _is_ so like you! Oh, your gift just matches the giver!

_Mer._

Immo sic: condignum donum, qualest cui dono datumst.

Oh no, not the giver--that gift matches the getter.

_Iup._ _Jup._

Pergin autem? nonne ego possum, furcifer, te perdere?

(_savagely_) So? At it again? Is there no choking you off, you jailbird? No? (_advances with upraised cane_)

_Alc._

Noli amabo, Amphitruo, irasci Sosiae causa mea. 540

(_holding him back_) Please, Amphitryon, don’t be angry with Sosia on my account.

_Iup._ _Jup._

Faciam ita ut vis.

(_halting_) Anything you please.

_Mer._

Ex amore hic admodum quam saevos est.

(_aside_) Love has made an out-and-out savage of him.

_Iup._ _Jup._

Numquid vis?

(_kissing Alcmena and turning to go_) Nothing else, then?

_Alc._

Ut quom absim me ames, me tuam te absente tamen.

This,--even though I am not near you, love me still, your own true wife, absent or not.

_Mer._

Eamus, Amphitruo. lucescit hoc iam.

Let’s go, sir; it is getting light already.

_Iup._ _Jup._

Abi prae, Sosia, Iam ego sequar. numquid vis?

Go ahead, Sosia; I shall be with you in a moment. [EXIT _Mercury._ (_kisses Alcmena again and turns to go_) Nothing further?

_Alc._

Etiam: ut actutum advenias.

Yes, yes--do come back soon.

_Iup._ _Jup._

Licet, prius tua opinione hic adero: bonum animum habe. nunc te, nox, quae me mansisti, mitto uti cedas die, ut mortalis inlucescat luce clara et candida. atque quanto, nox, fuisti longior hac proxuma, tanto brevior dies ut fiat faciam, ut aeque disparet. sed dies e nocte accedat. ibo et Mercurium sequar. 550

Indeed I will: I shall be here sooner than you think. Come, come, cheer up! (_embraces her and moves away_) [EXIT _Alcmena_ INTO HOUSE, SADLY. Now, Night, who hast tarried for me, I dismiss thee: give place to Day, that he may shine upon mortals in radiance and splendour. And Night, since thou wert longer than the last, I shall make the day so much the shorter, that there may be fair adjustment. But let day issue forth from night. Now to follow after Mercury. [EXIT _Jupiter._

ACTVS II