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

ACT II.

THE First Interval is fill'd up, with the Priestesses care about Palestra and Ampelisca, and with all what passed in the Temple.

Scene the First.

This Scene of the Fishermen, and their Discourse, is a good Preparation for the second Scene of the Fourth Act; and Plautus's lucky choice of a Place, to bring 'em there with probability, is remarkable. The only Fault is, their speaking a little too directly to the Audience, so mixing the Representation with the Theatral Action, but not in so open a manner as he do's in some other of his Plays.

Pag. 164. l. 13. We make Incursions, every Day, from the Town to the Sea, for Forrage.] Ex urbe ad mare hu•…•…

prodimus pabulatum. The word, Pabulatum, is a pro∣per military Term, signifying Forrage, and here by a comical Metaphor apply'd to Fishing; therefore the Translation, I believe, is just.

Ibid. l. 19. We slink home, well liquor'd wi' Salt-water.] Salsi la•…•…tique pure domum re•…•…us clanculum. The Comi∣calness of this Passage cannot be well preserv'd in our Language, consisting in the equivocal meaning of the Phrase; which, as Madam Dacier observes, signifies either, A fine Treat of Salt Meats, or, A washing, and cleansing with Salt Water, which was the truest sense in this Place. The equivocal meaning of the Phrase, well liquor'd, seems to preserve a little of the Design, tho' not much.

Pag. 165. l. 12. Not drown'd yet?] Ut peritis? This is instead of, Ut valetis, which is, How do you? and that makes the thing so comical; it being a perfect op∣position of Terms which will not do in our Tongue: Therefore I thought the best way to preserve it, wou'd be to have a word proper to their Trade.

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.

Scene the Sixth.

Pag. 171. l. 3, 4. What a fine black Complexion▪ I meant, a lovely brown!] Subvolturium! illud quidem, subaquilum volui dicere. The Word, Subaquilum, signi∣fies Brown, that is, Nigh the Colour of an Eagle: Now Sceparnio aiming at that Word for Ampelisca's Skin, cou'd only call to mind it was the colour of some great ravinous Bird, therefore forges the Word Subvolturium▪ and therein consists the comicalness of this Expression, which cannot easily be preserv'd in our Tongue. Some think, that after Sceparnio had compared Ampelisca's Skin to a Vulture, by reason of its brownness, he, re∣collecting himself, calls it, Subaquilum, as being much of the same Colour, but the nobler Bird of the two. This Explanation agrees best with my Translation, but is nothing so good as the other.

Ibid. l. 6. I'm not for every one's turn.] Non ego sum pollucta pago. The Word, Pollucta, is a Term bor∣row'd from the Sacrifices, and is not to be express'd in our Tongue. When they offer'd to Hercules, that little part of the Beast which was burnt upon the Altar, was call'd Porrectum; and the rest, which was expos'd to the People's eating, was call'd Polluctum: So that the beauty of the Word consists in the Allusion to that Cu∣stom, and the figurative sense, which is lost to us. If I had done it, I'm no Pye for every one's cutting up, it wou'd have been somewhat nigher the Design, but not so modest.

Scene the Eighth.

Pag. 172. l. 16. Without Flattery.] Praefis•…•…ine. This Praefiscine, was always us'd as a molifying word when one commended himself, and signifies properly, with∣out Envy. The Pleasantry of this place, consists in Sce∣parnio's applying it to a quite contrary thing, namely, to his calling himself Great Owl, immediately after.

Ibid. l. 17. I was a great Owl for not falling in Love before now.] Not so much for the Pleasure of the Amour, as the ease of drawing of Water with half the Pains; a Fancy natural and comical enough, when rightly ap∣prehended.

Scene the Tenth.

Labrax and Charmides were both cast away at the same Time with Palestra and Ampelisca, but yet 'tis a consi∣derable while after, that they appear upon the Stage, because they were thrown a-shore on a distant Place from them, sometime after too, and the mean time were searching for what they had lost,

Pa. 173. l. 22. Oh, Liberty, thou'rt a rare Goddess too, thou ne'r go'st to Sea with a Hero.] Edipol, Libertas, le∣pida es, quae nunquam pedem vol•…•…isti in navem cum Hercule una imponere. This Passage is founded upon the Story of Hercules's Voyages, which were undertaken against his will; from whence, the People afterwards took an occasion to say, Liberty never much cared for an Hero's Company at Sea.

Pag. 174. l. 16, 17. 'Twas a more fatal Supper to me than e'r Thyestes's, and Ter•…•…us's was to them.] Thyestes, and Tereus, had their Children serv'd up to 'em at Sup∣per. This Story is not so well known among us, but for want of a parallel one in our Ages, to preserve the Force of this Passage, I was forc'd to take it as it is.

Ibid. l. 27, &c. You were a fresh raw Fellow, n•…•…w I've season'd your Understa•…•…g.] Te ex 〈◊〉〈◊〉 salsum f•…•…ci opera mea. The Jest of this consists in the equivocal meaning of the Word Salsus, which signifies either, Sa•…•…ed, or else, Cunning, Subtle, and the like; but the equivocal Words, Fresh, R•…•…w, and Season'd, have done e'n as we•…•… in our Tongue.

Ibid. l. 30, &c. Wou'd the Devil had ye for a Rogue, Char. And you too: I'm sure I made broad signs t' have him come for ye.] Quin tu hinc is a me in maximam malam crucem. Ch. Eas: easque res agebam commodum. I will not positively affirm that I have hit of the true Sense of this Passage; but however the beauty of Charmides's answer consists in the playing upon the word, Eas, which is either a Verb or a Noun, and that makes such a double meaning, as I do not find our English Tongue is capable of expressing.

Pag. 175. l. 4, &c. Faith, I tremble like one ready to engage th' Enemy; and my Iaws do so quake, that my Words break out like Flashes o' Lightning.] Equidem me ad velita∣tionem exerceo: nam omnia corusca prae tremore fabulor. This is a very difficult Passage to understand, and more to translate, by reason of the harshness of the Simile in our Tongue. V•…•…litatio, signifies a Skirmish, which was usually made by the Velites, that is, the Light-harness'd Soldiers; and these Men always made •…•…se of Darts, whose Points wou'd glitter at a distance, sometimes one way, and sometimes another. Now Charmides, trem∣bling with Cold, compares himself to these Velites, or Skirmishers, who never keep their Place; and his Words, which came out broken and by piece-meal, to the une∣qual Glitterings or Flashes of their Darts. This is the best Interpretation I can find of this Place, and the little Liberty I have taken, cou'd not be avoided.

Ibid. l. 9. This God can't afford one Brandy-shop in all his Dominions.] Ne thermopolium quidem ullum instruit. There Thermopoli•…•…, were certain Publick Places, com∣mon

in Greece and Italy, where they drank hot Waters, sometimes mingled with Wine and Hony; but this cou'd not be taken notice on in a Translation.

Ibid. l. 15. I fancy, I shou'd make an excellent Snap-Dragon.] Quid, si aliquo ad ludos me pro ma•…•…duco locem? The Ancients had their Mand•…•…ci, and their C•…•…riae, to march before their great Sights and Triumphs; the first were certain Antick Figures with wide Mouths, like our Snap-dragons for Mayor's Shows, and the second were somewhat like our Merry Andrews.

Scene the Tenth.

Pag. 176. l. 10, &c. The poor Creatures are mightily afraid o' some Body, and talk o' being tost all Night long, and thrown ashore this Morning.] By these Words of Sce∣pernio's, Labrax finds out his Girls, whom he suppos'd to have been drown'd, which most naturally clears the Stage and finishes the Act. The Poet's Conduct in bring∣ing about this material Discovery, is excellent: Ampe∣lisca is sent out in the fourth Scene for Water to De∣mones's House, and upon that depends the greatest part of the Act. The Time Sceparnio is gone in to draw Water, she is frighted off the Stage, which occasions him to follow her to the Temple; and in his Return, he drops these Words accidentally, so that nothing cou'd have been brought about more naturally.

Scene the Eleventh.

Pag. 177. l. 13, &c. For shame! Arn't ye content to ha' the Sea wash all away, but you must be for the same Sport at Land too? Sce. Be wash'd, and powder'd too, I care n't a Straw.] Eho! an te poenitet in mari quod elavi, in hic in terra iterum eluam? Sc. Eluas tu an ex•…•…ngare, ciccum non interduim. The Word, Eluo, is equivocal, signifying either, Washing, or Ruining; upon which depends Sce∣parnio's

answer, El•…•…as tu an exungare, where I render'd Exungare, Powder'd, because Anointing is not known a∣mong us. The Word, Ciccum, signifies that Skin or Membrane which parts the little Cells or Holes of a Pomgranate, and contains the Kernels; and is here mention'd as a thing of the smallest value in the World.

Scene the Twelfth.

Ibid. l. ult. Old Neptune put upon us with his Water, as tho' it had been Wine o'the best.] Quasi vinis Graecis Nep∣tunus nobis suffudit mare. In those times, they always mingled Sea-Water with all Greek Wines when they transported 'em, except that of Chio, which makes Horace call it, Chium maris expers. The natural Sense of this Passage, is, Neptune has mixed us with Sea-water as tho' we had been Greek Wine; but the Wit of it is in a great measure lost to us.