Plautus's comedies ... made English, with critical remarks upon each play.

ACT I.

Scene the First.

PAg. 8. l. 8, &c. Out o' which damn'd Kitchin, to mor∣row must I be dish'd up for the Whipping-Post.] Inde cras è promtuariâ cellâ depromar ad flagrum. The Joak of this cannot easily be preserv'd in our Language; which chiefly consists in the double Signification of the Word Depromo, which is either to Draw, or to Take, or else a proper Term in Cookery, such as, to Dish, to Serve up, or the like.

Pag. 10. l. 7, &c. Madam, at our first happy Arrival at th' Enemies Country, &c.] Here begins an admirable Narration of a Battel; excellent, first, for the perfect Compleatness of the Description in so few Words, with an Air of Grandure, which makes it more diverting in a Servants mouth; but more especially, for the ex∣traordinary Address of the Poet by finding such an in∣genious Pretext for letting the Spectators know a thing so very necessary for their understanding the Plot, and that by the mouth of a single Person; so, both seriously informing, and comically delighting 'em the same time. If any object, that the Language is too good for a Ser∣vant; it may be reply'd, that Socia says not a word but what he heard from others, and what he says now, is only to have his Speech perfect.

Pag. 12. l. 21, &c. Except that night I had the Strapa∣do, and rid the Woodden Horse till Morning.] Nisi item unam, verberatus quam pependi perpetem. Slaves, when they were beaten, were often hung up by the Legs or Hands, and kept in that Posture for a considerable while. For the Liberty I have taken, see the latter part of the fourth Remark upon the Prologue.

Pag. 13. l. 6. This may be some Rogue to steal my Cloak off my Back.] Illic hoc homo denuo volt pallium detexere.

The Word Detexere, is a Weavers Term, signifying to Put on to the Loom, and the like. Now Socia seeing Mer∣cury in a remarkable Posture, with his hands lifted up, he pleasantly intimates as tho' he had stood ready to take his Cloak, and new weave it for him; but this is not easily preserv'd in our Tongue. I believe it wou'd have done better, and nigher to the Author's Design, if I had translated it, I'm afraid this Fellow has some great Business with my Cloak.

Ibid. l. 24. Dissociate me to Quintus.] Quintus fiam è Sosiâ. The Jest of this, in the Original, is much great∣er than in the Translation: For it was usual among the Romans, to call their Sons by the Names of Primus, Se∣cundus, Tertius, Quartus, Quintus, Sextus, &c. according to their Births; as likewise their Daughters by the Names of Prima, Secunda, Tertia, Quarta, &c.

Pag. 14. l. 21. Far enough lately.] Verùm longè binc ab∣fuit. As Madam Dacier observes, it is Socia that says this, and not Mercury, as it is in all the common Books.

Pag. 15. l. 19, &c. Whither away, Sirrah? you that car∣ry Fire i' your Lantborn.] Quò ambulas, tu, qui Vulcanum in cornu conclusum geris? I do not see how the Comi∣calness of this Passage can be preserv'd in our Tongue.

Ibid. l. 27, &c. Sirrah, you'll be kick'd. Soc. You lye, Sir, for once.] Verbero. So. Mentiris n•…•…nc jam. The Jest here is wholly lost in the Translation, which con∣sists in the double meaning of the Word Verbero; which is either a Noun, signifying, A Slave that deserves to be beaten; or a Verb, signifying, I beat you. Now Mercury us'd it in the former Sense, and Socia took it in the lat∣ter; and tho' it be but an ordinary Jest, it was agree∣able enough to Socia's Character.

Pag. 16. l. 1, &c. Sirrah, I shall stop that damn'd foul Mouth o' yours. Soc. 'Tis past your skill, Sir. 'Tis kept as well and as clean as any Mans.] Ego tibi istam hodie scele∣stam comprimam linguam. So. Haud potes: bene pudicéque asservatur. This is exactly of the same Stamp with the last; playing upon the double meaning of the Word

Comprimo, which signifies, to Stop, Stay, or Repress; as likewise, to lye with a Woman. It was us'd in the for∣mer Sense by the first, and taken in the latter by the l•…•…st; and has nothing of that ill meaning which the Commentators and others imagine, they being most certainly in the wrong. I have more successfully transla∣ted, or rather imitated, this than the last, by making the Opposites, Foul and Clean, as he had done Comprimo and Pudicè; especially since, I'll stop your foul Mouth, is as common a Phrase among us, as Comprimam linguam was among the Romans.

Ibid. l. 19. I shall exalt your Worship to the Honour.] Fa∣ciam ego hodie te superbum. Some think that the Word Superbum, here signifies Death, and Auferere, immediate∣ly after, being carry'd in a Coffin, or the like; and others think Superbum, a great Swelling, by the Blows he wou'd give him. But the way that I have done it, seems to me to be much the more natural Sense, and to have the most Wit in it.

Pag. 17. l. 4, &c. You came wi' your Feet, not wi' your Cloaths.] Certe pedibus, non tunicis venis. This, in its self, is one of the meanest Jests in the Play; but con∣sidering that Mercury had to deal with a mean, cavil∣ling, quibbling Fellow, who wrested all his Words to a wrong Meaning, (particularly his Verbero and Compri∣mo) and one whom he was to banter all the ways he cou'd, it seems proper enough in this place.

Pag. 21. l. 8, &c. He has erected my Statue i' my Life∣time; I ll be sworn no body will honour me so much after I'm dead and gone.] Vivo fit, quod nunquam quisquam mortue faciet mihi. This is Wit in all Languages.

Scene the Second.

This Scene is a Part of the Prologue; for which our Poet is not to be excus'd, not only for placing of it here, and so confounding the Spectators Attention by mingling their Concerns with the Actors, but likewise

foretelling in it, the Catastrophe, which ought to have been carefully conceal'd from them. The first of these Faults, to wit, his mingling the Actors and Spectators Concerns, he is several times guilty of in other Plays, and when it is not by way of Prologue neither; but the latter, he is guilty of no where but in his Prologue to Poenulus, that I remember.

Pag. 22. l. 12. My Father's so tender of Alcmena.] Al∣cumena hujus honoris gratiâ, pater curavit. As Madam Dacier observes, this Tenderness is in respect of her Health and Body, and not of her Reputation, as the Word Ho∣noris seem to imply.

Scene the Third.

Pag. 23. l. 1. Take care o' the bringing up the Child.] Verùm quod erit natum, tollito. It seems very odd to us, that Iupiter shou'd leave such an impertinent useless Command with Alcmena; but in those days nothing was more common, than the exposing of their Children, so that this Order was very proper at that time; and the Word Tollito alludes to that very Custom.

Ibid. l. 14. If your Lady shou'd find out the Cheat.] Illa si istis rebus te•…•…sciat operam dare. It is a great doubt among the Interpreters, whether this Illa means Iano or Alc∣mena; therefore I have done it in as general Terms as my Author has.

Scene the Fifth.

Pag. 25. l. 8. This has been a longer night than ordinary.] Many Learned Men have mistaken this long Night for that of Hercules's Begetting, and so have thought this Play had continued nine or ten Months; whereas this, most evidently, is that immediately before his Birth; our Poet not going according to the common Fable, as they suppos'd he did.