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

ACT V.

THE fourth Interval is fill'd up with Trachalio's going to find out his Master, and Demones's Sa∣crifice within Doors, as likewise Labrax's Tryal.

Scene the First.

In this Scene our Poet has drawn Pleusidippus both amorous and foolish, and all Trachalio's Trifling is chiefly to laugh at him.

Pag. 212. l. 21. Leave adviseing, and don't be al∣ways a Counsell•…•…r.] At sume quidem, ne censionem semper facias. Here Pleusidippus plays upon the equivocal meaning of the Word, Censeo, so often us'd by Tracha∣lio,

which is either to Pass Iudgment upon a thing, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a t•…•…rm of Sale which signifies to Prize a thing, s like. The little Liberty I have taken do's in some mea∣sure answer the Design.

Pag. 213. l. 16, 17. 'S Death, the Fellow has chang'd his N•…•…te, and has advis'd me to a fine purpose.] Per•…•… delectum dimisit, nunc non censet cum volo. Now Pleusi∣dippus runs upon another Meaning of the Word, Censeo, which is likewise a proper Term of the Censors, signi∣fying to List or Muster Soldiers When Trachalio had chang'd his Note and came to his Non censeos, Pleusi∣dippus, taking it in his own Sense, did in effect say, Alas, I'm come too late, he'll receive no more Soldiers. I cou'd not preserve this in my Translation.

Scene the Second.

Ibid. l. 22, &c. I'm perswaded that all Merchants o' my Faculty were born to make the World Sport.] Nam lenones ex gaudio credo esse procreatos. More closely thus, I be∣lieve that all Slave-Merchants were born (or produc'd) out of Ioy. But this wou'd not do in our Language.

Scene the Third.

Pag. 214. l. 21, 22. I think 'thas got a Consumption, it falls away so wretchedly.] Namque quidem hoc Vere natum est veru, ita in m•…•…nibus consen•…•…scit. More closely thus, I think 'tis like the Spring-Flowers, that wither as a Man touches 'em. I alter'd it because the Simile will scarce do in our Language, and I suppose it was made upon the account of the likeness of the Words, Ver and Veru.

Ibid. l. 28, &c. Are ye a Mountibank? Lab. No, Faith, I'm another sort o' Bank. Gri. What then, a

Bankrupt?] Num medicus quaeso es? La. Immo edepol una littera plus sum, quam medicus. Gr. Tum tu men∣dicus es? By the help of a little Liberty, the Humour of this Passage is preserv'd, but that is more owing to the Language than the Translator.

Pag. 215. l. penult. Ha' ye swallow'd a Fire-Coal, that you cann't open your Mouth?] That is, for fear the Wind shou'd get in, and blow it up afresh.

Scene the Fifth.

This Scene finishes the Play, and it is very remark∣able, that the Ancients often ended their Plays with few Actors, and with a small Appearance upon the Stage; and they scarce ever us'd an Actor but with an absolute necessity of carrying on, or unravelling the Plot. Our modern Comedies generally end with a multitude of Actors; now if this be done with Probability, and Ne∣cessary Pretexts of Business, and likewise without em∣barrasing the Stage, or confounding the Audience, it is undoubtedly a Perfection that the Ancients seldom or never aimed at.

Pag. 221. l. 1. Gallants, I wou'd invite ye all, &c] Here Demon•…•…s speaks directly to the Spectators, but since it is upon the finishing the Play, it has few or none of those Ill Consequence•…•… it would have had in another place.