370

And naturally now get thrashed for fibbing.
(_advances_)

_Sos._

Non edepol volo profecto.

(_retreats_) Oh dear, I object, naturally.

_Mer._

At pol profecto ingratiis.
hoc quidem profecto certum est, non est arbitrarium.

Oh well, naturally that is immaterial. My "naturally,"
at least, is a cold hard fact, no matter of opinion.
(_beats him_)

_Sos._

Tuam fidem obsecro.

(_squirming_) Easy, easy, for Heaven's sake!

_Mer._

Tun te audes Sosiam esse dicere,
qui ego sum?

Durst say that thou art Sosia when I am he?

_Sos._

Perii.

Murder! murder!

_Mer._

Parum etiam, praeut futurum est, praedicas.
quoius nunc es?

(_continuing to beat him_) Murder? A mere nothing compared
with what is coming. Whose are you now?

_Sos._

Tuos, nam pugnis usu fecisti tuom.
pro fidem, Thebani cives.

Yours! Your fists have got a title to me by limitation.
Help, Thebans, help!

_Mer._

Etiam clamas, carnifex?
loquere, quid venisti?

So? Bellowing, varlet? Speak up, why camest thou?

_Sos._

Ut esset quem tu pugnis caederes.

Just to give you some one to punch, sir.

_Mer._

Cuius es?

Whose are you?

_Sos._

Amphitruonis, inquam, Sosia.

Amphitryon's Sosia, I tell you.

_Mer._

Ergo istoc magis,
quia vaniloquo's, vapulabis: ego sum, non tu, Sosia.

Well then, you shall be pummelled the more for talking
nonsense. You Sosia! I am he myself.

_Sos._

Ita di faciant, ut tu potius sis atque ego te ut verberem. 380

(_in low tone_) I wish to God you were, instead of me, and I
was thumping you.

_Mer._

Etiam muttis?

Ha! Muttering, eh?

_Sos._

Iam tacebo.

I won't, I won't, sir!

_Mer._

Quis tibi erust?

Who is your master?

_Sos._

Quem tu voles.

Anyone you like, sir.

_Mer._

Quid igitur? qui nunc vocare?

Indeed? And your name now?

_Sos._

Nemo nisi quem iusseris.

Nothing but what you order, sir.

_Mer._

Amphitruonis te esse aiebas Sosiam.

You were saying you were Amphitryon's Sosia.

_Sos._

Peccaveram.
nam Amphitruonis[13] socium ne me esse volui dicere.

All a mistake, sir; "Amphitryon's associate" I meant, sir,
really I did.

_Mer._

Sciebam equidem nullum esse nob