JUP. I shall take this opportunity of appearing to Alcmene to banish the sorrow in which she wishes to indulge, and, under the pretence that brings me here, I will gratify my passion with the delight of a reconciliation with her. Alcmene is upstairs, is she not? CLE. Yes; she is thoroughly upset and wishes to be left alone: she has forbidden me to follow her. JUP. Whatever prohibition she may have given you does not concern me. CLE. So far as I can see, his grief has beaten a quick retreat. SCENE V CLEANTHIS, SOSIE SOS. What do you say, Cleanthis, to these cheerful looks, after his terrible rage? CLE. That we should all do well to send all men to the devil; the best of them is not worth much. SOS. You say that because you are in a passion; but you are too fond of men; upon my word, you would all look as black as thunder if the devil were to take them all away. CLE. Really... SOS. Here they come. Hush. SCENE VI JUPITER, ALCMENE, CLEANTHIS, SOSIE JUP. Do you want to drive me to despair? Alas! Stay, lovely Alcmene. ALC. No, I cannot remain longer with the author of my grief. JUP. I beseech you ALC. Leave me. JUP. What...? ALC. Leave me, I tell you. JUP. Her tears touch me to the heart; her sorrow troubles me. Allow me to ALC. No, do not follow me. JUP. Where are you going? ALC. Where you are not. JUP. That would be a vain attempt to make. I am linked to your beauty by too close a bond to suffer a moment's separation from you. I shall follow you everywhere, Alcmene. ALC. And I shall flee from you everywhere. JUP. I am very terrible, then! ALC. Yes, more than I can say. Indeed, I look upon you as a frightful monster, a cruel, furious monster, whose approach is to be feared; as a monster to be avoided everywhere. My heart suffers incredible grief at the sight of you; it is a torture that overpowers me; I do not know anything under Heaven so frightful, horrible and odious, that I could not better endure than you. JUP. Alas! Do these words really come from your mouth? ALC. I have many more in my heart; I only regret I cannot find words to express all I feel. JUP. Ah! What has my heart done to you, Alcmene, that I should be looked upon as such a monster? ALC. Oh! Just Heaven! He can ask that? Is it not enough to drive me mad? JUP. Yet, in a milder spirit... ALC. No; I do not wish either to see or to hear anything of you. JUP. Have you really the heart to treat me thus? Is this the tender love which I heard yesterday was to last so long? ALC. No, no, it is not; your base insults have ordained it otherwise. That passionate and tender love does not exist any longer; you have cruelly killed it in my heart by a hundred keen wounds. In its place stands an inflexible wrath, a lively resentment, an invincible indignation, the despair of a heart justly incensed, which resolves to hate you for this grievous injury, as much as it was willing to love you; that is to say to hate as much as possible.