Scene the First.

The greatest part of this Scene, makes the last Part of the Prologue, or at least, it is so much of that Nature as properly enough to be call'd by that Name, though it be not placed before the Play, as the Word Prologue, in the most strict Sense, implies.

Pag. 46. l. 7, &c. Their vast haste, is only for a Vessel safely arriv'd, an old Fellow upo' the Fret, or so.] This, and a Line or two before, was design'd by Plautus for a Satyr upon some of the Play-Wrights of his time, whose chiefest Beauties, it seems, consisted in a Slave's running in vast haste with some such News as before mention'd, and throwing down all he meets; so making the Spe∣ctators laugh by such means, when they cou'd not by better.

Scene the Second.

In this little Scene, there is a great deal of Art of the Poet, by making Amphitryon so particularly tell the seve∣ral places he had been at, to look for Naucrates; for if it had been otherwise, the Spectators might all have wonder'd that Socia did not meet him, since he was gone but a little before to the same place; and their Meeting wou'd have spoil'd the whole Plot. This is an excellent Instance of the exact Probability that the Ancients ob∣serv'd; and what is still remarkable, is, that tho' at ano∣ther time it wou'd have been undecent, and unlikely for a Man of his Quality to look himself at so many places, yet now it was highly probable, since he was so extreamly overcome with Rage and Jealousie.

Scene the Third.

Pag. 48. l. 21. Thou cursed branded Rogue.] Ulmorum acheruns. That is to say, One whose Back had consum'd as much Brush-Wood as Hell cou'd. A Verbal Translation, in this place, wou'd have sounded wretchedly. Perhaps, Thou Plague to the Whipping-Post, might have done as well as any.

Ibid. l. antepenult. &c. Then I shall sacrifice—Amp. What? Me•…. Something to your Worship's Pate.] Sacrifico tibi. Am. Qui? Me. Quia enim te macto infortunio. The Jest of this Passage consists in Mercury's playing so comi∣cally upon the Word Macto, which is a proper Term us'd in Sacrificing, and, in that place, the same with Magis aucto, and Augeo; and whereas it is usually join'd to Honore, and the like, he merrily joins it to Infortunio, as it is in Terence's Phormio. This cannot be preserv'd in our Tongue; yet this Translation does in a great mea∣sure answer the Design.

Pag. 49. l. 1. You, Iail-bird?] Tun' me mactes, car∣nufex? All from this, to nigh the End of this Act, is generally suppos'd to have been done by another hand; but whether it be so or no, I shall not offer to deter∣mine. However, it is undoubtedly very ancient, and the Plot and Incidents as well carry'd on as Plautus himself cou'd have done; and I believe that those Persons who seem able to prove it not his by the difference in Stile, will be less able to do it by the difference in Spirit and Genius.

Ibid. l. 20. Y' ought to get your Brains clear'd.] Bac∣chanal te exercuisse oportuit. This is spoken in Reference to Drunkenness, or rather indeed Madness, which Mercury lays to Amphitryon's Charge; and therefore the Word Bacchus, about 18 Verses after, in that place, seems properly enough translated, T•…m-a-Bedlam.

Scene the Fifth.

It is pleasant to observe how naturally the Comical Incidents in this Scene, spring from their Preparations in the second and third Scenes of the third Act.

Pag. 51. l. 19. But why do I mention Foreign Prodigies, &c.] All this Monologue is of a right Tragical Strain; the Passi∣on truly just and natural; and the Thought as ingeni∣ous and moral. It seems to be writ exactly with the same Spirit as that Monologue in the beginning of the Se∣cond Scene of the Second Act.

Scene the Sixth.

Pag. 55. l. 11, &c. Nothing goes well wi' me to day. I left Blepharon and Socia, to hunt up my Cozen Naucra∣tes; him I can't find high nor low, and t'other two I ve quite lost.] Many have mistaken the Design of this Place, and have thought it was spoken by Amphitryon, or that something had been left out; whereas Iupiter speaks this only to puzzle and confound Amphitryon, Blepharon, and Socia, and so carry on his Design the better.

Scene the Seventh.

Pag. 56. l. 17. For that Affront, I'll throatle ye.] It may seem very indecent for Iupiter and Amphitryon to scuffle at this rate, and not rather to have drawn their Swords; but this agrees exactly with that Character which Mercury in the Prologue gives of this Play, when he calls it Tragi Comedy. Besides, drawing of Swords might have prov'd too Tragical.

Pag. 57. l. 15. Because if our Army were routed, I might secure m' own Retreat.] The Application of this Passage is very Satyrical, considering this Play was acted before the Romans, whose Generals were never us'd to practise such ways. The Sharpness of the Reflection is conside∣rably lost upon our Stages.

Page  79 Pag. 58. l. 22. And I can go no further*.] Quid agam nescio. Here ends all that which goes by the Name of Supposititious.