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

Scene the Fourth.

Pag. 167. l. ult. &c. Faith, 'twas an excellent Cast; 'thas quite gammon'd the Rascal.] Profecto nimio lepide jecisti bolum: perjurum perdidisti. The Beauty of this doth in a great measure consist in the double signification of the Phrase, Iacere bolum, which is equally apply'd to casting of a Net, and to casting of Dice, therefore it has the greater propriety in this Case; and likewise to the different meanings of the word, Perdere, which signifies either to Perish, and to Ruin, in a strict sense, else to Lose, or to Break in a Gamester's sense. All these things I cou'd not preserve in my Translation.

Pag. 168. l. 5. Troth, I believe the Whore's-bud has drunk more than he cou'd bear.] Credo hercle 〈◊〉〈◊〉 da∣tum quod •…•…iberet. This is an Allusion to the Custom in

some of their great Feasts, of finishing all with a larger Cup than ordinary, which every one was oblig'd to drink without losing a drop; and this was call'd Anan∣caeum poculum, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Cup of Necessity. So that in effect, Ampelisca said, That Neptune had invited the Rogue to a Feast, and had kill'd him with his Cup of Neces∣sity. But this cou'd not so well be taken notice of in a Translation. Some think it alludes to that deadly Cup given to some sort of Criminals; and others, to the Water of Lethe; but neither of these is very proba∣ble.

Pag. 168. l. 16. Iust at Morning, we were thrown half dead ashore.] Here Ampelisca finishes her Narration, which is very short and to the purpose. It is very re∣markable how hansomly and judiciously the Poet leaves out all that latter part of the Ship-wrack, which the Audience were already inform'd of by Sceparnio, in the fourth Scene of the first Act. This is a thing that ought carefully to be observ'd by Dramatick Poets in all Nar∣rations.

Ibid. l. 18. He's a plaguy hard Custom-master.] Easti∣diosus Aedilis est. Part of the Bus'ness of the Edil's was to inspect Merchants Goods, examine Weights and Measures, and the like. Therefore Custom-master is the most proper for us, to make it intelligible.

Ibid. l. 23. &c. I think I had best send for Gown and Fur-Cap, and set up for a Fortune teller.] Capillum pro∣mittam optumum'st, occipiamque ariolari. The Latin sig∣nifies, I'll let my H•…•…r grow, &c. It was usual for their Fortune-tellers, and such kind of People, to wear ex∣tream long Hair; but that being a Custom not known among us, I thought it not necessary to observe it in a Translation, the force of it being preserv'd after a more intelligible manner.

Pag. 169. l 8, &c. She's mightily concern'd for Labrax's taking away a Casket of hers; for there s•…•…e had something to discover her Parents by.] It ought to be observ'd that

this, and six or seven lines further were design'd by the Poet to interest Trachalio more firmly in Palestra's concerns, and to give a fair Pretext for demanding the Casket in the fourth Scene of the fourth Act, without which the main discovery cou'd never have been brought about. So it is an excellent Preparation for that; but the Spectators cou'd by no means foresee it.