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

Scene the Second.

Pag. 31. l. 16, &c. Why there's your Lady has din'd, by her Belly. Amp. 'Po, Blockhead, I left her wi' Child when I went to the Campaign.] I am apt to believe, that this Jest of Socia's wou'd scarcely pass Muster upon our Theatre, tho' in a Farce; yet still it serves to keep up the Character, and carry on the Humour of a mean Slave, such as Socia was. But what is most remarkable, is, that this insipid Jest shou'd be a Preparation to the Main Inci∣dent, and there is but one more in the whole Comedy, except in the Prologue, which in reality is no part of a Play. If the Matter of a Preparation be ridiculous, it is oftentimes the Poet's Art and Cunning, tho' I know not whether I may say it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 so here.

Pag. 33. l. 34, &c. Yes, Madam, there are Fruits too, of •…•…ying-in Women, and Fruits too, to strengthen their Hearts, and keep 'em from Swooning.] Enimverò pregnanti oportet & malum, & malum dari, ut quod obrodat sit, animo si malè esse occaeperit. The Wit (or whatever the Reader please to call it) of this Passage, consists in Socia's play∣ing upon the ambiguous Word Malum, which Alcmena had spoken just before; and this signifies either a Mis∣chief, or an Apple; therefore nothing, that I know of, in our Language, cou'd answer it so well as Fruits, which may be taken in either good or bad Sense.