Abeo potius. di immortales, obsecro vostram fidem, ubi ego perii? ubi immutatus sum? ubi ego formam perdidi? an egomet me illic reliqui, si forte oblitus fui? nam hic quidem omnem imaginem meam, quae antehac fuerat, possidet.

(retreating) Don’t, don’t,—­I’ll be off! (aside) Ye immortal gods!  For heaven’s sake, where did I lose myself?  Where was I transformed?  Where did I drop my shape?  I didn’t leave myself behind at the harbour, did I, if I did happen to forget it?  For, my word, this fellow has got hold of my complete image, mine that was!

vivo fit quod numquam quisquam mortuo faciet mihi. ibo ad portum atque haec uti sunt facta ero dicam meo; 460 nisi etiam is quoque me ignorabit; quod ille faxit Iuppiter, ut ego hodie raso capite calvos capiam pilleum.

Here I am alive and folks carry my image—­more than anyone will ever do when I’m dead.  I’ll go down to the harbour and tell my master all about these goings on—­that is unless he doesn’t know me, too,—­and I hope to Jupiter he won’t, so that I may shave my hair off this very day and stick my bald head in a freeman’s cap. [EXIT Sosia.

I. 2.

    Scene 2.

Mer.

Bene prospere hoc hodie operis processit mihi:  amovi a foribus maximam molestiam, patri ut liceret tuto illam amplexarier. iam ille illuc ad erum cum Amphitruonem advenerit, narrabit servom hinc sese a foribus Sosiam amovisse; ille adeo illum mentiri sibi credet, neque credet huc profectum, ut iusserat.

Well, my little affair has progressed finely, famously.  I have sent a confounded nuisance to the right-about from the door and given my father a chance to embrace the lady there in safety.  Now when our friend gets back there to his master, Amphitryon, he’ll tell his tale how it was servant Sosia that packed him off.  Yes, and then Amphitryon will think he is lying, and never came here as he ordered.

erroris ambo ego illos et dementiae 470 complebo atque omnem Amphitruonis familiam, adeo usque, satietatem dum capiet pater illius quam amat. igitur demum omnes scient quae facta. denique Alcumenam Iuppiter rediget antiquam coniugi in concordiam.

I’ll muddle up the pair of them, bedevil them completely, and Amphitryon’s whole household, too, and keep it up till my father has his fill of her whom he loves:  then all shall know the truth, but not before.  And finally Jupiter will renew the former harmony between Alcmena and her spouse.

nam Amphitruo actutum uxori turbas conciet atque insimulabit eam probri; tum meus pater eam seditionem illi in tranquillum conferet. nunc de Alcumena dudum quod dixi minus, hodie illa pariet filios geminos duos 480