Perde 1
[Textpart 2]
this day will she bring forth two sons, twins; the one will be born in the tenth month after he was begotten, the other in the seventh monthIn the seventh month: It is difficult to imagine how a critic can suppose that the duration of this Play is intended to be seven months, merely because, according to the ancient story, Hercules was born seven months after the intercourse of Jupiter with Alcmena. Heinsius and Vossius, however, were of this extraordinary opinion. They probably did not reflect that Plautus, for the sake of finding material for his Play, supposed the same intercourse to have been repeated on the same night on which Hercules was born.; of these the one is the son of AmphitryonSon of Amphitryon: Iphiclus was the son of Amphitryon., the other of Jupiter. But of the younger son the father is the superior,
480
MERCURY
of the elder the inferior. (To the AUDIENCE.) Now do you comprehend this how it is? But for the sake of the honorOf the honor: Honoris. Madame Dacier has observed, that the tenderness of Jupiter extended only to her health, and not to her reputation, as the word honoris would seem to imply. Honoris gratiâ may however, simply mean for her own sake. of this Alcmena, my father will take care that it shall happen at one birth, so that in one travail she may complete her double pangs, and not be laid under suspicion of unchastity,
485
and that the clandestine connexion may remain concealed. Although, as I have said just now, Amphitryon shall still know all the matter in the end. What then? No one surely will impute it to Alcmena as a disgrace; for it does not seem that a God is acting justly
490
to permit his own offences and his own faultiness to fall upon a mortal. I’ll cut short my talk: the door makes a noise. See, the counterfeit Amphitryon is coming out of doors, and together with him Alcmena, the wife that he has taken the loan of.
495
[Textpart 3]
Kindly fare you well, Alcmena; take care, as you are doing, of our common interest,
JUPITER
and pray be sparing of yourself; you see that now your months are completed. It’s necessary for me to go away from here; but the offspring that shall be born do you bring up Do you bring up: Tollito. It was a custom among the ancients for the new-born child to be laid on the ground, upon which it was taken up by the father, or such other person as intended to stand in the place of a parent to it. If it was not taken up, it was disowned, and left to starve. For this reason Jupiter makes this request of Alcmena..
500
ALCMENA
What business is this, my husband, since you thus suddenly leave your home?
JUPITER
By my troth, ’tis not that I am wearied of you or of my home; but when the chief commander is not with the army,
that is sooner done which ought not to be done than that which needs to be done.
505
MERCURY
This is a very clever counterfeit, who really is my own father. (To the AUDIENCE.) Do you observe him, how blandly he smoothes the lady over.
ALCMENA
I’ faith, I find by experience how much you value your wife.
JUPITER
If there is no one among women whom I love so much, are you satisfied?
MERCURY
Verily, upon my faith, if Juno only knew that you were giving your attention to such matters, I’d warrant that you’d rather beYou’d rather be: Edepol nae illa si istis rebus ne sciat operam dare, Ego faxim ted Amphitryonem malis esse quam Jovem. This passage has been differently rendered by Richter. He says that illa, she, refers to Alcmena, and not to Juno, as has been generally imagined, and that Mercury says these words aside, and, turning to the Audience, remarks, that if he were only to tell Alcmena that Jupiter is not the real Amphitryon, he would wish himself the real one, in preference to being Jupiter, and losing the lady. The translation in the text seems, however, to convey the real meaning of the passage. Probably, when using the word illa, as applying to Juno, ha slily points upwards to the heavens. Amphitryon than Jupiter.
510
ALCMENA
I would rather that I should find it so by experience, than that it should be told me. You leave me before the spot in the bed where.you have been lying has well grown warm. Yesterday, in the middle of the night, you came, and now you are going away. Is this your pleasure?
MERCURY
I’ll approach, and address her, and play second fiddle to my father. (He approaches ALCMENA.) Never, upon my faith, do I believe that any mortal did so. distractedly love his wife as he distractedly dotes upon you.
515
JUPITER
Scoundrel!—don’t I know you of old? Won’t you be off out of my sight? What business have you in this matter, whip-knave? or why your muttering?
Whom this very instant, with this walking-stick, I’ll—
520
JUPITER
Only make a whisper.
520
MERCURY
My first attempt at playing second fiddle had almost come to an unfortunate conclusion.
