took his Miles Gloriosus, the Braggadochio Captain was most probably the principal. But this I think is not all: for in the present instance the poet seems to have intended to introduce a new sort of parasite, never seen upon the stage before; master of a more delicate manner of adulation than ordinary flatterers, and supporting his consequence with his patron at the same time that he lives upon him, and laughs at him. Comedendo & deridendo. Gnatho's ac quaintance describes the old school of parasites, which gives him occasion to shew, in his turn, the superior excellence of the new sect, of which he is himself the founder. The first of these, as Madam Dacier observes justly, was the exact definition of a parasite, who is described on almost every occasion by Plautus, as a fellow beaten, kicked, and cuffed at pleasure. Et hic quidem, hercle, nisi qui colaphos perpeti And here the parasite, unless he can Bear blows, and have pots broken on his sconce, Gnatho, on the contrary, by his artful adulation, contrives to be caressed instead of ill-treated. Had the Colax' of . Plautus at least remained to us, we should perhaps have seen the specific difference between him and other parasites more at large. In the Eunuch', Gnatho is but episodical; but if this manner of considering his character be not too refined, it accounts for the long speech, so obnoxious to Diderot, with which he introduces himself to the audience; throws a new light on all he says and does; and is a strong proof of the excellence of Menander in drawing characters. However this may be, it is certain that Gnatho is one of the most agreeable parasites in any play, antient or modern, except the incomparable Falstaff. 32 What are you upon ?-My legs.] Quid agitur ?. Statur. A mere play upon words, which is also in the Pseudolus' of Plautus. There is much the same kind of conceit with the present in the Merry Wives of Windsor.' Falstaff. My honest lads, I will tell you what I am about. Pistol. Two yards and more. 33 Desert Piraus.] Piræus, as well as Sunium, was a maritime town of Attica, with a port, where the Athenian youth were placed on guard to watch against the incursions of pirates, or other enemies.-DONATUS. 34 Away 34 Away with common beauties !] Tædet quotidianàrum harum formarum. It is impossible to translate this pas sage without losing much of its elegance, which consists in the three words ending in arum, which are admirably adapt. ed to express disgust, and make us even feel that sensation. DACIER. 35 They call her Nurse.] Pugilem esse aiunt. Lite. rally, they call her Boxer. The learned, I hope, will pardon, and the ladies approve my softening this passage. 36 As an Advocate.] The word Advocate, Advocatus, did not bear the same sense then as it does with us at present. The Advocates, Advocati, were friends that accompanied those who had causes, either to do them honour, or to appear as witnesses, or to render them some other service.DACIER. 31 All's over.] Jam conclamatum est. A metaphor taken from the funeral ceremonies of the antients. 33 What is his gift?] Observe with what address Terence proceeds to the main part of his argument: the Eunuch being casually mentioned, suggests, as it were of course, the stratagem of imposing Chærea upon the family of Thais for him.-DONATUS. 39 Is she so handsome, as she's said to be?] Another instance of the art of Terence, in preserving the probability of Chærea's being received for the Eunuch. He was such a stranger to the family, that he himself did not even know the person of Thais. It is added further, that she has not lived long in the neighbourhood, and the young fellow has been chiefly at Piræus.-DONATUS. 4° And Parmeno must pay for all.] Istæc in me cudetur faba. Literally, the bean will be threshed on me. A proverb taken from the countrymen's threshing beans; or from the cooks dressing them, who when they had not moistened them enough, but left them hard and tough, were 'sure to have them thrown at their heads.-DONATUS. The Commentators give us several other interpretations of this proverb; but all concur concerning the import of it. 41 Is it then wrong?] Here Terence obliquely defends the subject of the piece.-DONATUS. 1 42 Ev'n the King.] This may be understood of Darius the Third, who reigned in the time of Menander. But as Pyrrhus is mentioned in this very play, Madam Dacier thinks it ought rather to be understood of Seleucus, king of Asia.PATRICK. 43 Thraso. You've hit it.] That Shakspeare was familiarly acquainted with this comedy, is evident from the following passage. "Holofernes. Novi hominem, tanquam te. His huK mour is lofty, his discourse peremptory, his tongue filed, "his eye ambitious, his gait majestical, and his general "behavour vain, ridiculous, and THRASONICAL." Love's Labour Lost. 44 No general mar.] Homo perpaucorum hominum. That is, one who admits but few into a familiarity with him. Horace uses the same phrase, in the same sense, speaking of Mæcenas. Paucorum hominum, et mentis bene sanæ. In like manner, Cicero tells us in his book de fato, that Scipio having engaged two or three friends to sup with him sturgeon, and seeming inclined to detain some others who upon dropt in upon him; Pontius whispered him, "Take care, Scipio! Acipenser iste paucorum hominum est. geon does not love much company." The stur This passage of Cicero, quoted by the commentators both on Horace and Terence, puts the meaning of the phrase out of all doubt; and indeed in this sense the speech of Thraso more properly follows up the speech immediately preceding, and, without the least violence to the natural flow of the dia. logue, takes off the awkwardness of an aside from the reply of Gnatho, and leaves him that easy raillery, which distinguishes him in most parts of the play. 45 Are you a hare, &c.] Lepus tute es, et pulpamentum quæris? A proverbial expression in use at that time. The proper meaning of it, stript of the figure, is, "You are little more than a woman yourself, and do you want a mistress?" We learn from Donatus and Vopiscus, that Livius Andronicus had inserted it in his plays before Terence, Commentators, who enter into a minute explication of it, offer many conjectures, rather curious than solid, and of a nature not fit to be mentioned here.-PATRICK. 46 1. Suppose she lov'd me, &c.] I am at a loss to determine, whether it was in order to shew the absurdity of the Captain, or from inadvertence in the poet, that Terence here makes Thraso and Gnatho speak in contradiction to the idea of Thais's wonderful veneration for Thraso, with which they opened the scene. 47 Scene 41 Scene second.] Several persons of the play are concerned in this scene, and yet, by the art and excellence of the poet, there arises no confusion of dialogue; each speech being admirably adapted to the character to which it is ap propriated.-DONATUS. 48 A chip of the old block.] Ex homine hunc natum dicas. There has been much dispute about the meaning of these words. The old familiar expression, which I have made use of, is, I think, agreeable to the obvious and natu. ral meaning of them. That Dryden understood them in this sense, is evident from the following passage: "In the new comedy of the Græcians, the poets sought indeed to express the neos, as in their tragedies the wados, of mankind. But this contained only the general characters of men and manners; that is, one old man or father, one lover, one courtesan, so like another as if the first of them had begot the rest of every sort. Ex homine hunc natum dicas." Essay of Dramatick Poesie. 49 Treat, and parley with her.] Convenire & collo. qui. Military terms; used by Parmeno to sneer at Thraso.DONATUS. 50 Minæ.] A mina was equal to 31. 4s. 7d.-COOKE. 51 I'll warrant him accomplish'd.] From the following passage in Twelfth Night', concerning the disguise of Viola, one might be almost tempted to imagine that Shak. speare had the Eunuch of Terence in his eye. Conceal me what I am, and be my aid It may 5 Get your bread out of the fire.] Eflammá petere cibum. A proverb to express the lowest degree of meanness and infamy: taken from a custom among the antients of throwing victuals into the fire, at the time of burning their dead; to eat which was looked on as an act of the greatest indignity.-COOKE. 53 Take care now, Pythias, &c.] An artful prepara. tion for the ensuing difference between her and Thraso.— DONATUS. 54 Made a sacrifice.] The antients used to offer a sacrifice, crifice, before they entered on any affair of importance.— COOKE. 55 Rings were given.] It was usual to deposit their rings, as pledges of observing their appointment. 56 Oh, Jupiter! 'tis now the very time.] Proh Jupiter! Nunc est profectò, cùm interfici perpeti me possum, Ne hoc gaudium contaminet vita ægritudine aliquá. The passage from Shakspeare referred to in a note on the last act of the Andrian,' contains exactly the same sentiment, and almost in the same words with this of Terence. If I were now to die, 'Twere now to be most happy; for, I fear, OTHELLO. 39 But in an inner chamber, &c.] In Greece, the women always occupied the interior apartments, where nobody was permitted to come to them, but relations, and the slaves that waited upon them.-DACIER. 58 Viewing a picture, where the tale, &c.] A very proper piece of furniture for the house of a courtesan, giving an example of loose and mercenary love; calculated to excite wanton thoughts, and at the same time hinting to the young lover that he must make his way to the bosom of his mistress, like Jupiter to Danae, in a shower of gold. Oh the avarice of harlots!-DONATUS. 59 Who shakes the highest heavens with his thunder. r.] Qui templa cæli summa sonitu concutit. A parody on a passage in Ennius.-DONATUS. An opportunity so short.] Short indeed, considering the number of incidents, which, according to Chærea's relation, are crouded into it. All the time, allowed for this adventure, is the short space between the departure of Thais and Thraso and the entrance of Charea; so that all this variety of business of sleeping, bathing, ravishing, &c. is dispatched during the two soliloquies of Antipho and Chremes, and the short scene between Chremes and Pythias. The truth is, that a very strict and religious adherence to the unities often drives the poet into as great absurdities as the profest violation of them. 61 My father too perhaps is come to town.] Prepara. tion for the arrival of the father.-DONATUS. 62 Instead |