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

ACT IV.

THE third Interval is fill'd up with Epidicus's go∣ing to the Slave-merchants, and procuring the Musick-woman for Apecides: And also with Cheribulus's waiting for his Mistress at his Friend's House.

Scene the First.

This short Scene is very moral, and very natural for a considering cool-headed Old Man to speak. It is ob∣servable that the Ancients were full of these sort of grave Passages in their Comedies, as well as Tragedies, and our Author was not much behind-hand, notwithstand∣ing his Inclination to Merryment upon every slight and trivial occasion.

Scene the Third.

Pag. 105. l. 7. There's vast difference between th' Edu∣cation of a young Maid, and a Curtizan.] The ancient Athenians, and Romans were rather more careful of their Daughters Honesty than we; and to attempt the Chastity of a Virgin, was no less than a Capital Crime.

Scene the Fourth.

Ibid. l. 17, 18. Without doubt you've an admirable Ser∣vant, &c.] Here begins a very pleasant short Narration of what was done off the Stage; the very Plot and Sub∣ject makes it so, and not the Stile. But the chief De∣sign of it is for a Preparation to make the Seventh, but. especially the Eighth Scene of this Act, more diverting. See more of that Preparation, in the second Remark in the third Scene of the Second Act.

Pag. 106. l. 3, &c. All the while, I did as tho' I was a silly clod-pated Ass, that cou'dn't say Bo to a Goose. Per. You cou'd do no otherwise.] Ego illic me autem sic assimu∣labam quasi stolidum, cum bardum me faeciebam. Per. Imo ita decet. This, Imo ita decet, is an equivocal An∣swer to the foregoing Sentence; as is, You cou'd do no otherwise, the same; it being taken either in a good or bad Sense. This is very pleasant when rightly ap∣prehended.

Scene the Fifth.

Ibid. l. 18, &c. What silly Fellow's yon, who comes, tossing and brandishing his Cloak so?] Sed hic quis est quem advenientem conspicor, suam qui undantem chlamydem quassando facit? These two Verses are misplaced in all the Editions of Plautus that I ever saw; they placing them the last in the Scene, whereas they shou'd go im∣mediately before Atque haec stultitia'st, &c. Five Lines before. And this has made many Interpreters force a Sense out of the Verse, Atque haec stultitia'st, me illi vitio vortere, which the Author never intended.

Scene the Sixth.

That such a considerable Incident as the Rhodian Cap∣tain's coming, might not seem to be made only to serve the Poet's Design, he has wisely taken care to prepare it before-hand, in the latter end of the Second Scene of the Second Act, so that here can be nothing pre∣cipitated, or any thing unnatural. This is a Rule that ought to be carefully observ'd by all Dramatick Poets.

Pag. 107. l. 7, &c. I've atchiev'd that by my great and mighty Valour, that all Mankind ought to gi'me Thanks.] It is observable, that Plautus seldom brings a Soldier upon the Stage, but he is a blundring, rough-hewn, swaggering Fellow. Terences's Thraso is just of the same Character, but more moderatly drawn than Plautus's Soldier.

Pag. 108. l. 5, &c. I intend to give her her Freedom, and make her Partner i'my Bed.] Here our noble Captain's Character is hansomly carry'd on, for he does not only want Politeness and Civility, but you see he wants com∣mon Discretion too,

Scene the Eighth.

Pag. 110. l. 9, &c. I heard young Stratippocles, rich Periphanes's Son, took care to get her freed in his absence. Per. 'S death, I must run my Country if all this be true.] This was Acropolistis the Musick-girl, whom Periphanes himself had freed, taking her all this while for his Daughter Thelestis, and knew nothing to the contrary; which much startled him to hear that his Son had freed, Acropolistis, one he knew nothing of. Periphanes's Com∣plaints, were all for Epidicus's last Cheats; for as yet

he did not so much as suspect the first, to wit his impo∣sing upon him with Acropolistis instead of his Daughter. So that here is an excellent Contrivance of the Poet's to raise new Troubles, and add new Pleasure to the Specta∣tors in the last Scene of this Act, and make it the most diverting of all, by causing Periphanes Troubles to come one after another, and such too as he thought himself most secure from.

Scene the Ninth.

Ibid. l. 25, &c. Shall I, who ha'signed so many War∣rants and Edicts, suffer this Rascal to go unpunish'd?] Qui in tantis positus sum sententiis, eamne ego sinam im∣pune? This is a very hard Passage, and Interpreters have explain'd it a great many several ways; but here I have follow'd Madam Daciers Explanation, which seems much more probable, and natural, than any other I have seen.

Scene the Tenth.

Pag. 111. l. 10, &c. My poor Girl's fallen into th' Ene∣mies Hands; and I can hear no Tale or Tidings of her.] Here the Poet gives a very good reason for Philippa's coming to Athens; so that this Incident is no ways forc'd or unnatural. What is remarkable still, is, that tho' her Daughter had been fallen into the Enemies Hands a considerable time; yet she, coming from Thebes, cou'd not arrive before this Time, because the Peace was but just now concluded on and ratified. For more of the Preparations of this Interview, see the first Re∣mark in the second Act.

Pag. 113. l. 24. Bid my Daughter Thelestis come out.] Iube Acropolistidem prodire filiam ante aedis meam. This Passage is undoubtedly false in all the Editions of this Author, and instead of Acropolistidem, it ought to be Thelestidem; for tho' her name was really Acropolistis, yet Pèriphanes took her for his Daughter Thelestis. I suppose it was alter'd by some Person not well acquain∣ed with the Plot.

Scene the Eleventh.

Pag. 114. l. 16. All Creatures ha' their several ways of knowing their Young.] Aliter catuli longe olent, aliter sues, That is to say, Puppies, and Hogs ha' better Noses. It is a Proverb taken from nature, but too gross and base for the refin'dness of our Conversation, therefore I have alter'd it a little.

Pag. 115. l. 1. I've pull'd an old House upo' my Head.] Plaustrum Perculi. This is a Proverb borrowed from Husbandmen; who seldom knew a greater Misfortune than the overthrowing of a Cart after it was well loa∣den. It seems mo•…•…e expressive in this Place than our English Proverb.