How, prithee, can I be so?LYCONIDESBecause that deed which is afflicting your mind, I did it, and I confess it.EUCLIOWhat is it I hear from you?LYCONIDESThat which is the truth. EUCLIOWhat evil, young man, have I deserved, by reason of which you should do thus, and go to ruin both me and my children?LYCONIDESA Divinity was my prompter; he prompted me to do itPrompted me to do it: Ad illam illexit. Literally, enticed me to her. The humour of the whole scene turns upon Euclio and Lyconides mistaking the meaning of each other—the former thinking that the latter is speaking about the aula, or pot, while the latter fancies that Euclio is amenting the mishap of his daughter. In the Latin language, the word aula is or the feminine gender, by reason of which the misunderstanding is much more natural than it would be in the English language. In consequence, some little latitude in the translation is absolutely necessary to sustain the equivoque of the original.EUCLIOHow? LYCONIDESI confess that I have done wrong, and I know that I deserve censure; for that reason I’m come to beseech you, that, with feelings assuaged, you will pardon me.EUCLIOWhy did you dare do so, to touch that which was not your own?