_Sos._ I should know that voice by a secret instinct; 'tis a tongue of my family, and belongs to my brother Sosia: it must be so; for it carries a cudgelling kind of sound in it.--But put the worst: Let me weigh this matter wisely: Here's a beating, and a belly-full, against no beating, and no belly-full. The beating is bad; but the dinner is good. Now, not to be beaten, is but negatively good; but, not to fill my belly, is positively bad. Upon the whole matter, my final resolution is, to take the good and the bad as they come together. [_Is entering_: MERCURY _meets him at the Door_. _Merc._ Whither now, ye kitchen-scum? From whence this impudence, to enter here without permission? _Sos._ Most illustrious sir, my ticket is my hunger: Show the full bowels of your compassion to the empty bowels of my famine. _Merc._ Were you not charged to return no more? I'll cut you into quarters, and hang you upon the shambles. _Sos._ You'll get but little credit by me. Alas, sir, I am but mere carrion! Brave Sosia, compassionate coward Sosia; and beat not thyself, in beating me. _Merc._ Who gave you that privilege, sirrah, to assume my name? have you not been sufficiently warned of it, and received part of punishment already? _Sos._ May it please you, sir, the name is big enough for both of us; and we may use it in common, like a strumpet. Witness heaven, that I would have obeyed you, and quitted my title to the name; but, wherever I come, the malicious world will call me Sosia, in spite of me. I am sensible there are two Amphitryons; and why may there not be two Sosias? Let those two cut one another's throats at their own pleasure; but you and I will be wiser, by my consent, and hold good intelligence together. _Merc._ No, no; two Sosias would but make two fools. _Sos._ Then let me be the fool, and be you the prudent person; and chuse for yourself some wiser name: Or you shall be the eldest brother; and I'll be content to be the younger, though I lose my inheritance. _Merc._ I tell thee, I am the only son of our family. _Sos._ Ah! Then let me be your bastard brother, and the son of a whore; I hope that's but reasonable. _Merc._ No, thou shall not disgrace my father; for there are few bastards now-a-days worth owning. _Sos._ Ah, poor Sosia! what will become of thee? _Merc._ Yet again profanely using my proper name? _Sos._ I did not mean myself; I was thinking of another Sosia, a poor fellow, that was once of my acquaintance, unfortunately banished out of doors, when dinner was just coming upon the table. _Enter_ PHÆDRA. _Phæd._ Sosia, you and I must--Bless me! what have we here? a couple of you? or do I see double? _Sos._ I would fain bring it about, that I might make one of them; but he's unreasonable, and will needs incorporate me, and swallow me whole into himself. If he would be content to be but one-and-a-half, 'twould never grieve me.