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

The First SCENE.

THis First Scene explains the very same to the Au∣dience, that Plautus's Prologues generally used to do, which is far more natural than to do it in a Prologue. This Scene, in the Original, is also very remarkable for an unusual Air of Wit and Sharpness; and there are not many Scenes in this Author that come up to it in its Fineness and Neatness of Railery.

Pag. 84. l. 11. You're a puny Town-Chitterlin] Scurra es. The Word, Scurra, signifies properly, a Buffoon, or Parisite; but since these sort of People for the most part seek after the softness and Luxury of Courts and Cities, and abhor the Hardships of Camps, it here signifies, Urbanus, and is opposed to Militaris; so that this Translation is the true sense, tho it may appear otherwise at the first sight.

Ibid. l. 17, &c. Off and on—Epi. The Wooden Horse, you mean. O, I hate that damn'd Variety most mor∣tally.] Variè. Ep. Qui variè valent, caprigenam homi∣nem non placet mihi, neque pantherinum genus. That Word, Varius, was often us'd by the Slaves of those Times in a jocose sense, to signify the streaks of ones Back, after he was whipp'd, which was of Various Co∣lours, as in the first Act of Pseudolus, Ita ego vostra la∣tera loris faciam ut valide varia sint. Thesprion, by Va∣riè, meant nothing but, Sometimes well and sometimes ill, or, Off and on, as I have translated it; but Epidicus took it in this last sense, and takes an occasion presently to call those who variè valent, those Laced People, Caprige∣nam, ac pantherinum genus, that is, of the Race of

Wild Beasts, such as, Goats, and Panthers, whose Skins were of various Colours. A close Translation here, wou'd have lost much of the Beauty of the Original; therefore I have taken a little more Liberty, and by that means, the Force of the Repartee, is in a great Mea∣sure preserv'd.

Ibid. l. 30, &c. Hear me, and you shall be heard i'your turn. Thes. The very Words of a Iudge, in truth.] Operam da: opera redibitur tibi. Th. Ius dicis. The Phrases, Ope∣ram da, and, Opera redibitur, are proper Terms us'd in their Courts by their Judges upon all occasions; and this made Thesprion answer him, Ius dicis. If the Beau∣ty of it be any ways lost in our Tongue, it is more because it will not be so readily perceiv'd, than for any other Reason I can assign.

Pag. 85. l. 4. Your Beadles, with their Staffs for your Honour's Pate.] Lictores duo, duo viminei fasces virgarum. It 〈◊〉〈◊〉 customary for the Pretors (which were much the same with our Lord Chief-Iustices) to have Rods carried before them, and upon this Custom consists all the sharp∣ness of the Jest, these Rods being the most usual Punishment for Slaves. This is much lost in our Tongue.

Ibid. l. 9. What's become o' my Master Stratippocles's Arms.] This Question wou'd have been impertinent up∣on our Stage; but Thesprion being Stratippocles's Armour-Bearer, who ought to have had 'em with him at that Time, the Question was very proper.

Ibid. l. 22. Troth, I believe Vulcan made his Arms for him, &c.] This, and a good deal more, is an allusion to the Story of Achilles, and the sharpness of it appear'd more among the Romans, than it does to us; because they were far better acquainted with this Story than we are.

Ibid. l. 31. Where's my Master Stratippocles? &c] Here begins a Narration of what pass'd before the open∣ing of the Stage. It is very short, and extream lively; and the Poet most ingeniously manages it by the Mouths

of two several Persons, who both have a part in it; and this still makes it more diverting, and more natu∣ral. But nothing can seem with less Design or Affecta∣tion than Epidicus's part of it.