T. Maccius Plautus Miles Gloriosus 4.6

MILPHIDIPPA

(in a low voice.)

Mistress, see! the Captain’s near.

ACROTELEUTIUM

(in a low voice.)

Where is he?

MILPHIDIPPA

Only look to the left.

Eye him askance, that he mayn’t perceive that we are looking at him.

ACROTELEUTIUM

I see him. Troth, now’s the time, in our mischief, for us to become supremely mischievous.

MILPHIDIPPA

’Tis for you to begin.

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

Prithee, did you see him yourself?

(Aside.) don’t spare your voice, so that he may hear.

1220

MILPHIDIPPA

(aloud.)

By my troth, I talked with his own self, at my ease, as long as I pleased, at my leisure, at my own discretion, just as I wished.

PYRGOPOLINICES

(to PALAESTRIO.)

Do you hear what she says?

PALAESTRIO

(to PYRGOPOLINICES.)

I hear. How delighted she is because she had access to you.

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

O happy woman that you are!

PYRGOPOLINICES

How I do seem to be loved!

PALAESTRIO

You are deserving of it.

MILPHIDIPPA ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

By my troth, ’tis passing strange what you say, that you had access to him and prevailed. They say that he is usually addressed, like a king, through letters or messengers.

MILPHIDIPPA

(aloud.)

But, i’ faith, ’twas with difficulty I had an opportunity of approaching and beseeching him.

PALAESTRIO

(to PYRGOPOLINICES.)

How renowned you are among the fair.

PYRGOPOLINICES

(to PALAESTRIO.)

I shall submit, since Venus wills it so.

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

By heavens! I return to Venus grateful thanks, and her I do beseech and entreat, that I may win him whom I love and whom I seek to win,

and that to me he may prove gentle, and not make a difficulty about what I desire.

1230

MILPHIDIPPA

(aloud.)

I hope it may be so; although many ladies are seeking to win him for themselves, he disdains them and estranges himself from all but you alone.

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

Therefore this fear torments me, since he is so disdainful, lest his eyes, when he beholds me, should change his sentiments,

and his own gracefulness should at once disdain my form.

1235

MILPHIDIPPA

(aloud.)

He will not do so; be of good heart.

PYRGOPOLINICES

(to PALAESTRIO.)

How she does slight herself!

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

I fear lest your account may have surpassed my looks.

MILPHIDIPPA

(aloud.)

I’ve taken care of this, that you shall be fairer than his expectations.

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

Troth, if he shall refuse to take me as his wife, by heavens I’ll embrace his knees

and entreat him! If I shall be unable to prevail on him, in some way or other, I’ll put myself to death. I’m quite sure that without him I cannot live.

1240

PYRGOPOLINICES

(to PALAESTRIO.)

I see that I must prevent this woman’s death. Shall I accost her?

PALAESTRIO

By no means; for you will be making yourself cheap if you lavish yourself away of your own accord. Let her come spontaneously, seek you, court you, strive to win you.

Unless you wish to lose that glory which you have, please have a care what you do. For I know that this was never the lot of any mortal, except two persons, yourself and Phaon of Lesbos ¹ , to be loved so desperately.

1245

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

I’ll go in-doors ² —or, my dear Milphidippa, do you call him out of doors.

MILPHIDIPPA

(aloud.)

Aye; let’s wait until some one comes out.

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

I can’t restrain myself

from going in to him.

1250

MILPHIDIPPA

(aloud.)

The door’s fastened.

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

I’ll break it in then.

MILPHIDIPPA

(aloud.)

You are not in your senses.

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

If he has ever loved, or if he has wisdom equal to his beauty, whatever I may do through love, he will pardon me by reason of his compassionate feelings.

PALAESTRIO

(to PYRGOPOLINICES.)

Prithee, do see, how distracted the poor thing is with love.

PYRGOPOLINICES

(to PALAESTRIO.)

’Tis mutual in us.

PALAESTRIO

Hush! don’t you let her hear.

MILPHIDIPPA

(aloud.)

Why do you stand stupefied? Why don’t you knock?

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

Because he is not within whom I want.

1255

MILPHIDIPPA

(aloud.)

How do you know ³ ?

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

By my troth, I do know it easily; for my nose would scent him if he were within.

PYRGOPOLINICES

(to PALAESTRIO.)

She is a diviner.

Because she is in love with me, Venus has made her prophesy.

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

He is somewhere or other close at hand whom I do so long to behold. I’m sure I smell him.

PYRGOPOLINICES

(to PALAESTRIO.)

Troth, now, she really sees better with her nose than with her eyes.

PALAESTRIO

(to PYRGOPOLINICES.)

She is blind from love.

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

Prithee, do support me.

1260

MILPHIDIPPA

(aloud.)

Why?

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

Lest I should fall.

MILPHIDIPPA

(aloud.)

Why?

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

Because I cannot stand; my senses—my senses are sinking so by reason of my eyes.

MILPHIDIPPA

(aloud.) Heavens! you’ve seen the Captain.

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

I have.

MILPHIDIPPA

(aloud.)

I don’t see him. Where is he?

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

Troth, you would see him if you were in tove.

MILPHIDIPPA

(aloud.)

I’ faith, you don’t love him more than I do myself, with your good leave.

PALAESTRIO

(to PYRGOPOLINICES.)

No doubt all of the women, as soon as each has seen you, are in love with you.

PYRGOPOLINICES

(to PALAESTRIO.) I don’t know whether you have heard it from me or not; I’m the grandson of Venus.

1265

ACROTELEUTIUM

(aloud.)

My dear Milphidippa, prithee do approach and accost him.

PYRGOPOLINICES

(to PALAESTRIO.)

How she does stand in awe of me!

PALAESTRIO

(to PYRGOPOLINICES.)

She is coming towards us.

MILPHIDIPPA

(advancing.)

I wish to speak with you.

PYRGOPOLINICES

And we with you.

MILPHIDIPPA

I have brought my mistress out of the house, as you requested me.

PYRGOPOLINICES

So I see.

MILPHIDIPPA

Request her, then, to approach.

PYRGOPOLINICES

Since you have entreated it, I have prevailed upon my mind not to detest her just like other women.

MILPHIDIPPA

I’ faith she wouldn’t be able to utter a word if she were to come near you; while she was looking at you, her eyes have in the meantime tied her tongue.

1270

PYRGOPOLINICES

I see that this woman’s disorder must be cured.

MILPHIDIPPA

See how terrified she is since she beheld you.

PYRGOPOLINICES

Even armed men are the same; don’t wonder at a woman being so. But what does she wish me to do?

MILPHIDIPPA

You to come to her house; she wishes to live and to pass her life with you.

1275

PYRGOPOLINICES

What!—I come home to her, when she is a married woman? Her husband is to be stood in fear of.

MILPHIDIPPA

Why,—for your sake, she has turned her husband out of her house.

PYRGOPOLINICES

How? How could she do so?

MILPHIDIPPA

The house was her marriage-portion.

PYRGOPOLINICES

Was it so?

MILPHIDIPPA

It was so, on my word.

PYRGOPOLINICES

Bid her go home; I’ll be there just now.

MILPHIDIPPA

Take care, and don’t keep her in expectation; don’t torment her feelings.

PYRGOPOLINICES

Not I, indeed. Do you go then.

MILPHIDIPPA

We are going. (ACROTELEUTIUM and MILPHIDIPPA go into the house of PERIPLECOMENUS.)

PYRGOPOLINICES

But what do I see?

PALAESTRIO

What do you see?

PYRGOPOLINICES

See there, some one is coming, I know not who, but in a sailor’s dress.

PALAESTRIO

He is surely wanting us, now; really, it is the shipmaster.

PYRGOPOLINICES

He’s come, I suppose, to fetch her.

PALAESTRIO

I fancy so.