1832 /}! The Amphitryon, of Plautus, 329 



AM'PH. Plague! what trifling stuff is this? 

 Have you your senses ? 

 Sos. I am as you see me. 



AMPH. Sure, since he left me, he has been bewitched, 

 And worked on by ill hands. 



Sos. Ill hands, I own ; 



For he has mauled me with his fists most sadly. 

 AMPH. Who beat you ? 



Sos. I-myself beat me-myself, 

 I that am now at home. 



Amphitryon can gather no farther information from any of Sosia's 

 answers ; but he now proceeds to ask him in regular order who that 

 Sosia was, and who he is, and all about them ; but it is all useless, and 

 at last he tries to account for the singular vision of a duplicate Sosia : 



AMPH. Haply you saw, if any such you saw, 

 That Sosia in a dream. 



Sos. I am not wont 



To dream o'er your commands. Awake I saw him ; 

 Awake I see you now ; awake I'm talking ; 

 And with his fists just now did he awake 

 Maul me awake. 



AMPH. What he ? 



Sos. I tell you, Sosia, 

 That I-he. Prithee, don't you understand ? 



AMPH. How is it possible that any one 

 Should understand such jargon as you jabber ? 



They now march on with all expedition to sift the matter thoroughly. 

 They soon meet Alcmena, and a very interesting interview takes place 

 between them ; Amphitryon is inclined to think that she is mad, and 

 Alcmena is certain that her husband is demented, to discredit her 

 story, and to deny having returned to his palace before, since his depar- 

 ture ; and Sosia of course supports his master ; but Alcmena is not to 

 be put down by their united force, and even baffles them both, and 

 makes Amphitryon himself, who had been laughing at Sosia for a simi- 

 lar deception, doubt of his identity and after all confess that he " scarce 

 knows who he is, he's so bewildered."* 



Amphitryon goes now to find Naucrates, the pilot of the ship in 

 which he had sailed, in order to make him a party in his cause ; and 

 by-and-by he re-enters on the stage, giving an account of his search : 



This Naucrates, whom I did wish to meet, ' 



Was not on board ; nor found I any one, 



At home or in the city, that had seen him. 



I've crawled through every street, been at the riding-house, 



At the perfumers, the exchange, the market, 



The wrestling ring, the forum, at the barbers', 



The apothecaries' shops, at all the temples. 



I'm tired with searching ; nowhere can ,1 find him. 



I'll now go home, and of my wife proceed 



To make inquiry. 



He then proceeds home, and when he arrives at the door finds it shut, 

 upon which the following scene ensues : 



II. 2, 212. 

 M.M. New Series. VOL. XIII. No. 75. Z 



