Perde 3
[Textpart 2]
For never has anything proved more grievous to my feelings than when I heard that you were angry with me. Why did you charge me? you will say. I’ll tell you; by my troth, not that I deemed you to be unchaste; but I was trying your feelings,
910
JUPITER
what you would do, and in what manner you would bring yourself to bear it. Really, I said these things to you just now in jest, for the sake of the joke. Do but ask Sosia this.
915
ALCMENA
But why don’t you bring here my kinsman, Naucrates, whom you said just now that you would bring as a witness
that you had not come here?
920
JUPITER
If anything was said in joke, it isn’t right for you to take it in earnest.
920
ALCMENA
I know how much this has pained me at heart.
JUPITER
Prithee, Alcmena (taking her hand), by your right hand I do entreat you, grant me pardon; forgive me, don’t be angry.
ALCMENA
By my virtue have I rendered these accusations vain. Since then I eschew conduct that’s unchaste, I would wish to avoid imputations of unchastity. Fare you well, keep your own Keep your own: This was the formula used on separation by mutual consent, when the wife’s portion was returned to her, as a matter of course. property to yourself, return me mine. Do you order any maids to be my attendants?
925
JUPITER
Are you in your senses?
ALCMENA
If you don’t order them,
let me go alone; chastity shall I take as my attendant.
930
JUPITER
Stay—at your desire, I’ll give my oath that I believe my wife Believe my wife: Madame Dacier suggests that Jupiter is hem equivocating, and that he is covertly resorting to a salvo, by alluding to the chastity of Juno, his heavenly consort. He is so full of quibbles and subterfuges, that it is not unlikely to be intentional, although Dacier has been ridiculed by Gueudeville and Thornton for the notion. to be chaste. If in that I deceive you, then, thee, supreme Jupiter, do I entreat that thou wilt ever be angered againstEver be angered against: This oath is similar in its absurdity to that of Mercury, in l. 392. Jupiter, personating Amphitryon, says, that if he himself breaks his oath, then may he himself always prove hostile to Amphitryon. Amphitryon.
ALCMENA
Oh! rather may he prove propitious.
935
JUPITER
I trust that it will be so; for before you have I taken a truthful oath. Now then, you are not angry?
935
JUPITER
You act properly. For in the life of mortals many things of this nature come to pass; and now they take their pleasures, again they meet with hardships.
Quarrels intervene, again do they become reconciled. But it perchance any quarrels of this nature happen between them, when again they have become reconciled, twofold more loving are they between themselves than they were before.
940
ALCMENA
At the first you ought to have been careful not to say so;
but if you excuse yourself to me for the same, it must be put up with.
945
JUPITER
But bid the sacred vessels to be got ready for me, that I may fulfil all those vows which I made when with the army, in case I should return safe home.
