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

Scene the Third.

Pag. 156. l. 12, &c. Father, well met. Dem. Good morrow t' ye, Sir. Sce. Are ye Man or Woman, that you call him Father? Pleu. A Man, undoubtedly. Dem. If so, you must seek elsewhere. I had once a little Daughter, which I lost formerly, but ne'r had a Son i' my Life.] De∣mones's mentioning the loss of a Daughter, was a very necessary Circumstance for the Audience to take notice of, and an excellent Preparation for the main Incident: But for the manner of bringing of it in, tho' there appears little design of instructing the Audience, and consequently well in that respect, yet, methinks, it might have been better, or at least more civil after this manner. Pleu. Father, well met. Dem. Ah, Sir, that word, Father, brings my poor Daughter to remembrance, that I lost formerly.

Pag. 157. l. 32. Hark ye, Sir, you that haunt the Tem∣ple for your Belly-sake.] Heus tu! qui fana ventris caussa circumis. This was a very high Affront to a Gentle∣man, in those days. But Pleusidippus takes no notice of it, either because his Thoughts were otherwise em∣ploy'd, or rather (as Madam Dacier observes) from the likeness of the word Ventris to Veneris, and, by means of the pronunciation, he might mistake the sound. But this I cou'd not preserve in my Translation. It is observable besides, that the Scurtility, and the low Jests of Sceparnio, which seem so very odd to us, do very well shew the Nature and Disposition of the poor Slaves of those Days.

Pag. 158. l. 8, &c. I fancy they're some damnable Camesters. Dem. Why so? Sce. Because they've lost all, their Ship and all.] Ut mea est opinio, propter viam illi sunt vocati ad prandium. Dae•…•… Qui? S•…•… Quia post coenam, credo, laverunt heri; confr•…•… navis in ma•…•…i est illis. This is a very difficult Passage, and is founded upon a Custom of those days, of sacrificing to Hercules before they made a Voyage, and all what they cou'd not eat, they burn't, so that nothing was left behind. From this Custom, Scep•…•…rnio takes an occasion to s•…•…y, that those People on the Sea, propter viam illi sunt vocati ad prandium, that is, they had sacrific'd for a Voyage, be∣cause, says he, post coenam laverunt, that is, had consum'd all, for Lavo, here, and in several other Places of Plau∣tus, signifies to Lose, to Destroy, to get rid •…•…ff, and the like; and the word, Coenam, signifies the Meal they made at that Office. This is undoubtedly the true explana∣tion of this Passage; but the Jest is lost in our Tongue, therefore I have made something that has much of the same Force and Design.

Ibid. l. 22. Fare ye well.] Here Pleusidippus goes to the Assistance of the Persons Ship-wrack'd, but finds 'em not, tho' he had seen 'em just before. This may seem improbable for a Man of his amorous Temper to look so negligently; and Madam Dacier reckons it a conside∣rable Fault. But in answer to this, it may easily be supposed, that the Rocks and Cliffs, and the distance of the Shore, might make him miss of 'em, and come too late, for they were landed immediately after his leave∣ing the Stage. If it be ask'd, why did he not give this, or some other Reason for it, when he came next on to the Stage? It may be reply'd, that neither his Haste, Business, nor the Subject wou'd admit of such a Narra∣tion at that time. But if this be not allow'd as an An∣swer, and it still be counted a Fault, yet thus far must be allow'd, that our Author has not such another in all the three Plays.