I now appear out of regard for you, so as not to terminate this inchoate comedy.  At the same time I am here to help out Alcmena, poor innocent, denounced as disloyal by her lord, Amphitryon.  For it would be sinful of me, if the storm I have brewed should descend on the head of guileless Alcmena.

nunc Amphitruonem memet, ut occepi semel, esse adsimulabo, atque in horum familiam frustrationem hodie iniciam maxumam; post igitur demum faciam res fiat palam atque Alcumenae in tempore auxilium feram faciamque ut uno fetu et quod gravida est viro et me quod gravidast pariat sine doloribus.  Mercurium iussi me continue consequi, 880 si quid vellem imperare. nunc hanc adloquar.

I will pretend for the present to be Amphitryon myself, as I have already, and thoroughly confound this family to-day, Then, after that, I will eventually clear matters up, yes, and aid Alcmena in due season, contriving that she give birth at one time to both the children she carries, her husband’s and my own, without a pang.  Mercury has his orders to attend me closely, in case I have commands to give.  Now for a word with the lady.

III. 2.

    Scene 2.

    ENTER Alcmena FROM HOUSE.

Alc.

Durare nequeo in aedibus. ita me probri, stupri, dedecoris a viro argutam meo! ea quae sunt facta infecta ut reddat clamitat. quae neque sunt facta neque ego in me admisi arguit; atque id me susque deque esse habituram putat.

I can’t stand staying in the house!  To be branded so with shame, disloyalty, disgrace, by my own husband!  How he clamours to make facts no facts!  And what never happened, things I never, never did, he accuses me of, and thinks I’ll consider it quite immaterial.

non edepol faciam, neque me perpetiar probri falso insimulatam, quin ego illum aut deseram aut satis faciat mi ille atque adiuret insuper, nolle esse dicta quae in me insontem protulit. 890

Good gracious, but I won’t!  I won’t endure such an awful, unjustified accusation:  I will leave him, or he must apologize, one or the other, yes, and swear he is sorry, too, for the things he has said to an innocent woman.

Iup.
    Jup.

Faciundum est mi illud, fieri quod illaec postulat, si me illam amantem ad sese studeam recipere, quando ego quod feci, id factum Amphitruoni offuit atque illi dudum meus amor negotium insonti exhibuit, nunc autem insonti mihi illius ira in hanc et male dicta expetent.

(aside, dryly) Hm!  It’s incumbent upon me to meet her demands, if I wish the loving creature to take me into her good graces again.  Since my doings offended Amphitryon, and this love affair of mine lately occasioned his guiltless self some consternation, it is turn about now, and my guiltless self has to suffer for the scorn and contumely he heaped on her.

Alc.