O happy woman that you are!PYRGOPOLINICES How I do seem to be loved!PALAESTRIO You are deserving of it. MILPHIDIPPAACROTELEUTIUM(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.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.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.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 LesbosPhaon of Lesbos: Sappho, the poetess, was enamoured of Phaon the Lesbian. When he deserted her, she threw herself from the Leucadian promontory or Lover’s Leap, which was supposed to provide a cure for unrequited love. Her death was the consequence. See her Epistle to Phaon, the twenty-first of the Heroides of Ovid., to be loved so desperately.ACROTELEUTIUM(aloud.)I’ll go in-doorsI’ll go indoors: It must be remembered, that all this time they have pretended not to see Palaestrio or his master. Milphidippa cautioned her mistress only to take a side-glance at him (limis), after which they have, probably turned their backs.—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.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.