Perde 5
[Textpart 2]
Prithee, what have I to do with you? Whence or what person are you? Is your mind right, or hers, in fact, who is an annoyance to me in every way?
THE WIFE OF MENAECHMUS of Epidamnus.
Don’t you see how his eyes sparkle? How a green colour A green colour: It was supposed that in madness, or extreme anger, the countenance assumed a greenish hue. Ben Jonson has probably imitated this passage in the Silent Woman, Act IV., sc. 4.: Lord! how idly he talks, and how his eyes sparkle! he looks green about the temples! Do you see what blue spots he has? is arising
on his temples and his forehead; look how his eyes do glisten
MENAECHMUS SOSICLES
O me! They say I’m mad, whereas they of themselves are mad.
THE WIFE OF MENAECHMUS of Epidamnus.
How he yawns, as he stretches himself. What am I to do now, my father?
OLD MAN
Step this way, my daughter, as far as ever you can from him.
MENAECHMUS SOSICLES
What is there better for me than, since they say I’m mad, to pretend that I am mad, that I may frighten them away from me? (He dances about.)
Evoë, Bacchus, ho! Bromius Ho! Bromius: Evius and Bromius were two of the names by which the Bacchanals addressed Bacchus in their frenzy., in what forest dost thou invite me to the chase? I hear thee, but I cannot get away from this spot, so much does this raving mad female cur watch me on the left side. And behind there is that other old he-goat, who many a time in his life has proved the destruction of an innocent fellow-citizen by his false testimony.
835
OLD MAN
Woe to your head.
840
MENAECHMUS SOSICLES
Lo! by his oracle, Apollo bids me burn out her eyes with blazing torches.
840
THE WIFE OF MENAECHMUS of Epidamnus.
I’m undone, my father; he’s threatening to burn my eyes out.
OLD MAN
Hark you, daughter.
THE WIFE OF MENAECHMUS of Epidamnus.
What’s the matter? What are we to do?
OLD MAN
What if I call the servants out here?
I’ll go bring some to take him away hence, and bind him at home, before he makes any further disturbance.
845
MENAECHMUS SOSICLES
So now; I think now if I don’t adopt some plan for myself, these people will be carrying me off home to their house. (Aloud.) Dost thou forbid me to spare my fists at all upon her face, unless she does at once get out of my sight to utter and extreme perdition?
I will do what thou dost bid me, Apollo.
850
OLD MAN
Away with you home as soon as possible, lest he should knock you down.
850
THE WIFE OF MENAECHMUS of Epidamnus.
I’m off. Watch him, my father, I entreat you, that he mayn’t go anywhere hence. Am I not a wretched woman to hear these things?
MENAECHMUS SOSICLES
I’ve got rid of her not so badly. (Aloud.) Now as for this most filthy, long-bearded, palsied Tithonus, who is said to have had Cygnus for his father Cygnus for his father: Plautus designedly makes Menaechmus Sosicles be guilty of the mistake of styling Tithonus the son of Cygnus, as helping to promote the belief of his madness. Tithonus was the son of Laomedon, and the brother of Priam. He was beloved by Aurora, and the poets feigned that he was her husband. Having received the gift of immortality, he forgot to have perpetual youthfulness united with the gift; and at length, in his extreme old age, he was changed into a grasshopper. There were several persons of the name of Cygnus, or Cycnus; one was the son of Apollo and Hyrie, another of Mars and Pelopea, or Pyrene, another of Neptune and Cayx, and a fourth of Ocitus and Amophile.,
