Perde 4
[Textpart 4]
I’ll be off. Pay me a drachma.
LYSIMACHUS
It shall be paid.
A COOK.
Then order it to be paid me, please. It can be paid in the meantime, while they are putting down the provisions.
LYSIMACHUS
Why don’t you be off? Can’t you cease being troublesome?
A COOK.
Come, do you set down
those provisions before the feet of that old gentleman. These baskets I’ll order to be fetched from your house either by-and-by or else to-morrow. (To the SCULLIONS.) Do you follow me.
780
LYSIMACHUS
Perhaps you are surprised at that Cook, that he came and brought these things. I’ll tell you why it is.
DORIPPA
I’m not surprised if you do anything wrongful or criminal;
and, by heavens, I’ll not put up with it, that I am married thus unfortunately, and that harlots are brought into my house in this way. Syra, go ask my father, in my name, to come here directly together with you.
785
LYSIMACHUS
Prithee, wife, you don’t know what the matter is.
In set form now will I make oath, that I have never had anything to do with her. (Exit SYRA.) What, is Syra gone now? By heaven, I’m undone! (DORIPPA goes into the house.) (to himself.) But, see, she’s off as well! Woe to wretched me! Then, neighbour Demipho, may the Gods and Goddesses confound you, together with your mistress and your intriguings!
790
He has most unjustly loaded me with suspicions; he has stirred up enemies against me. At home my wife is most infuriated. I’ll be off to the Forum, and tell this to Demipho, that I’ll drag this woman by the hair into the street, unless he takes her hence out of this house wherever he chooses.
795
(Goes to the door and calls.) Hark you! wife, wife! although you’re angry at me, you’ll order, if you are wise, these things to be carried hence indoors. We shall be able by-and-by to dine all the better upon the same.
800
[Textpart 5]
Whither my mistress sent me, to her father —, he’s not at home; they said that he has gone off into the country. Now, I’ll take home this answer.
SYRA
I’ faith, the women do live upon hard terms, and, wretched creatures, on much more unjust ones than the men. For if a husband has been keeping a mistress without the knowledge of his wife,
if the wife comes to know it, the husband gets off with impunity; if, unknown to the husband, the wife goes from the house out of doors, a pretext arises for the husband, the marriage is dissolved The marriage is dissolved: She alludes to the facility with which at Rome, where the Play was performed, wives were divorced on the merest suspicion of infidelity.. I wish the law was the same for the husband as for the wife; for the wife that is a good one, is content with one husband;
820
why, any the less, should the husband be content with one wife? By my troth, I’d give cause, if men were punished in the same way (if any one should be keeping a mistress unknown to his wife), as those women are repudiated who are guilty of a slip, that there should be more divorced men than there are women now.
825
EUTYCHUS
I’m quite tired with hunting the whole city through; I find nothing whatever about this woman. But my mother has returned from the country; for I see Syra standing before the house. Syra!
805
SYRA
Who is it that’s calling me?
