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

ACT I.

Scene the First.

PAg. 155. l. 4. It can be no Wind, but some Conjurer raising the Devil.] Non ventus fuit, verum Alcumena Euripidi. This is an Allusion to that Tragedy in Euripides, call'd Alcumena, where a dreadful Storm was so lively repre∣sented, that it became a Proverb at last for all Tempe∣stuous Weather. This is lost among us, therefore I have taken a little Liberty. Madam Dacier observes, that it was not strange for a Slave of Cyrene to speak of this, because he was suppos'd to have long serv'd his Master in Athens, where he might have often seen that Play acted.

Ibid. l. 6. The Windows shatter'd, so we shall keep open House now.] Illustrioris fecit, fenestras indidit. It ought to be Illustriores, and refers to Aedes, understood. It is taken in a comical Sense, not without something of a Pun; therefore Open House, or, if you please, Splen∣did House, seems a true Imitation of the Author's Design.

Scene the Second.

The three Gentlemen whom Pleusidippu•…•… brings along with him, are all Mu•…•…es. If any of our modern Poets had had the Management of 'em, they wou'd undoubt∣edly have made 'em speak several things, and perhaps with Reason, it being somewhat improbable they sho•…•…'d be silent all the Time they were there: But the Anci∣cients,

in this point, were extream fearful of embaras∣sing the Stage, and often to a Fault, and too great a limitation to the variety of the Discourse. They had commonly more Actors, and we have usually more Speakers.

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.

Scene the Fourth.

Ibid. l. 27. I vom, two little Girls, all alone, in a small Boat, &c.] In the Original, nothing can be more na∣tural and lively, than Sceparnio's Discourse about the two Women in the Boat: And this is a sufficient In∣stance of Pla•…•…us's excellent Stroaks upon an occa∣sion.

Scene the Fifth.

Palestra was separated from her Companion, first by the greatness of her Fright, which made her suppose her drown'd; then by the different ways they took through the Cliffs and Precipices; and this makes her ap∣pear alone upon the Stage. What she says is very na∣tural for one of her Circumstances, and agreeable to the Doctrine and Religion of her time.

Pag. 160. l. 26. I was born a Gentlewoman, it avails nothing; I'm more miserable than if born a Slave.] These Words seem to have been spoken with no other Design than to express Palestra's concern at this time, and they appear only the natural effects of her Passion; but the Poet design'd 'em a Preparation towards the main Inci∣dent, her Discovery.

Scene the Sixth.

Pag. 161. l. 27. Prithee, whereabouts are ye?] Ampe∣lisc•…•… cou'd not see her Companion, because of the Cliffs between each other, at the further end of the Stage; tho' at the same time, the Spectators might do both.

Scene the Seventh.

Pag. 163. l. 10, 11. 'Tis a •…•…uge way from the Place we first set out at.] In reality it was but a small distance from Cyrene, the Place where they put to Sea at, but the Fright, and Ignorance of the Girls, made 'em think it a vast way off.

Ibid. l. 12. You came in a Ship, by Sea then?] Nempe equo ligneo per vias caeruleas estis vectae. This seems to have been taken from some Greek Tragedy, it being so like their way of Expression, and particularly to that of Homer, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. But this Ex∣pression wou'd by no means do in English Comedy.