Assuredly, at your peril have you come here this day, with your trumped-up lies, your patched-up knaveries, you essence of effrontery.SOSIAWhy no, it’s rather with garments patched-up that I’m arrived here, not with knaveries.MERCURYWhy, you are lying again; you come with your feet, surely, and not with your garments.SOSIAYes, certainly. MERCURYThen certainly take that for your lie.(He strikes him.)SOSIABy my troth, I certainly don’t wish for it of course.MERCURYBut by my faith, you certainly shall have it of course, whether you wish or not: for, in fact, this is certainly my determination, and it is not at your own option.(He strikes him.)SOSIAMercy, I entreat of you.MERCURYDo you dare to say that you are Sosia, when I myself am he?(Strikes him.)SOSIA(crying at the top of his voice.)I’m being murdered.MERCURYWhy, you are crying out for a trifle as yet, compared with what it will be.Whose are you now?SOSIAYour own; for with your fists you have laid hands on meLaid hands on me: Usufecisti.Usufacere was a term used in law, to signify the taking possession of a thing by the laying of hands thereon. this, Sosia means to say, Mercury has most effectually done.. Help, help, citizens of Thebes.(MERCURY striking him.)MERCURYWhat, still bawling, you scoundrel? Speak—what have you come for?SOSIAFor there to be somebody for you to belabour with your fists.MERCURYWhose are you?SOSIAAmphitryon’s Sosia, I tell you.MERCURYFor this reason then you shall be beaten the more, because you prate thus idly; I am Sosia, not you.SOSIA(aside.)I wish the Gods would have it so, that you were he in preference, and that I were thrashing you.MERCURYWhat, muttering still?(Strikes him.)SOSIAI’ll hold my tongue then.MERCURYWho is your master?SOSIAWhoever you like.MERCURYHow then? What’s your name now?SOSIANothing but what you shall command.MERCURYYou said that you were Amphitryon’s Sosia.SOSIAI made a mistake; but this I meant to say, that I was Amphitryon’s associate Associate: This poor pun is founded on the similarity of sound between Sosia and socius, a companion or associate..MERCURYWhy, I was sure that we had no servant called Sosia except myself. Your senses are forsaking you.SOSIAI wish that those fists of yours had done so.MERCURYI am that Sosia, whom you were just now telling me that you are.