Perde 4
[Textpart 2]
What—am I to kiss her?
PERIPHIANES
Why not, her who was born of you?
PHILIPPA
Man, you are mad.
575
PHILIPPA
Because this woman—I neither know nor understand who she is, nor have I beheld her with my eyes before this day.
575
PERIPHIANES
I know why you are mistaken; because this woman has her dress and ornaments changed.
PHILIPPA
Puppies have one smell Have one smell: She means that all animals have an instinct by which they recognize their own young., pigs quite another;
I say that I do not know her, who she is.
580
PERIPHIANES
Oh! by our trust in Gods and men, what is this? Am I following the calling of a Procurer, to be keeping strange women in my house, and to be emptying my house of my money? (To ACROPOLISTIS.) What are you to be calling me your father and kissing me? Why stand you stupidly there? Why do you keep silent?
580
ACROPOLISTIS
What do you want me to say?
PERIPHIANES
She denies that she is your mother.
ACROPOLISTIS
Don’t let her be so,
if she don’t choose. For my own part, whether she likes it or not, I shall be my mother’s daughter still. It isn’t right for me to compel this woman to be my mother if she doesn’t like.
585
PERIPHIANES
Why then did you call me father?
ACROPOLISTIS
That is your own fault, not mine; ought I not to call you father when you call me daughter? Her too, as well (pointing to PHILIPPA) if she were to call me daughter, I should call mother.
She declares that I am not her daughter; then she is not my mother. In fine, this is no fault of mine; what I’ve been taught, I’ve told you all of it. Epidicus was my instructor.
590
PERIPHIANES
I’m undone! I’ve upset my waggon I’ve upset my waggon: Evidently a proverbial expression borrowed from rustic life. To upset a man’s apple-cart, is used in cant phrase-ology in our day, as meaning to do a person a disservice.!
ACROPOLISTIS
Have I done anything amiss towards that?
