passages of this play; and I have been more than ordinarily assiduous to point them out, in order to shew, that in the most indifferent productions of a great author, there are many things worthy our attention and imitation. On the whole, however, I am sorry to be obliged to differ once more from the learned and ingenious critick above-cited: and I cannot help thinking it rather singular, that he, who every where maintains, that character is the chief object of Comedy, should yet seem to draw conclusions directly opposite to these premises, and not only prefer Terence (whose artificial fables rendered him popular) to all other comic dramatists; but also rank the Step-Mother,' merely on account of "the nice dependency and coherence of the fable," higher in merit than any other of his pieces, confessedly more rich in character. I must own that, so far from being able to acquiesce in the opinion, that " it is indisputably, to every "reader of true taste, the most masterly and exquisite of the "whole collection ;" I am, in this instance, much rather in. clined to say with Volcatius,

Sumetur Hecyra sexta ex iis fabula.

The last, and least in merit of the six.'

Mons. Diderot, so often mentioned in these notes, has given us two excellent serious comedies, Le Fils Naturel,' and 'Le Père de Famille.' In the conduct of the first, if I am not deceived, he seems to have kept his eye on the "StepMother,' and in the second on the Brothers :' though I cannot but lament his having disgraced the first of those pieces with reflections, as unjust as illiberal, on the inhumanity of the English nation towards their prisoners of war.

NOTES

NOTES

TO THE

PHORMIO.

< At For

Acted at the Roman sports.] Donatus says, the Megalesian games:" but he is certainly wrong. this comedy was played after the Eunuch' had been brought on the stage, though in the very same year; it could not consequently be at the same festival on which the Eunuch' was played, but some succeeding one. The Megalesian games happened in April, and the Roman sports in the month of September.-DACIER.

2

Acted four times.] FACTA QUARTO. The words quarto and quartum have afforded matter of much dispute. When Pompey was just about to consecrate the Temple of Victory, a difficulty arose how he should express his third consul ship; whether it ought to be Consul tertio, or Consul tertium? The learned men of Rome were divided in their opinions about it, and even Cicero left the question undeci. ded for, in order to satisfy all parties, he directed it should be thus abbreviated: Consul tert.'-Facta quarto here can mean nothing else but that the Phormio was acted four times in one year, to distinguish its merit; and not, as Donatus interprets, that it was Terence's fourth play in order of composition.-DACIER.

3 C. Fannius, and M. Valerius, Consuls.] That is, in the year of Rome 592, and 159 years before Christ.

* The old bard.] Luscius Lavinius, the same poet men. tioned in former prologues.

5 The characters are low, and mean the style.] Tenui esse oratione, & scripturâ levi. The poet here shews the want of judgment in the censures of the critick, who objects to him as a fault, what ought to be the chief excellence of comic style. It is true indeed that Terence was in this in. stance held inferior to Menander; and condemned for using less sublime language than his original: from which censure he here endeavours to vindicate himself by saying, that such a raised style rather belonged to the province of tragedy. -DONATUS.

The opinion of Donatus on this passage is pretty clear from the above note: yet this line has created much dispute among commentators. The learned author of the Notes on the Art of Poetry' almost directly contradicts Donatus, and The sense of this passage is not, as commentators have "idly thought, that his style was low and trifling, for this "could never be pretended; but that his dialogue was

says:

insipid, and his characters, and in general his whole "composition, WITHOUT THAT COMIC HEIGHTENING, which "their vitiated tastes required." Whoever consults the whole context, I think, must accede to the interpretation of Donatus, rather than that of the annotator upon Horace. The objection of Lavinius to the plays of Terence was not, that they were without that comic heightening, &c.; but, that the poet did not aspire to the tragic sublime. The next line puts it beyond doubt; Because he ne'er descri bed, &c. All which circumstances, says Donatus, are tra gical, and would be vicious in comedy.

In a note to the prologue to the Andrian', on the lines→→→ Non ita dissimili sunt argumento, sed tamen

· Dissimili oratione sunt factæ, ac stilo.—

Donatus gives this explanation: "Orationem in sententiis "dicunt esse, stilum in verbis, argumentum in rebus.”— 'Oratio refers to the sentiments, stilus to the diction, and < argumentum to the plot.' Agreeably to this interpreta. tion, I rendered that passage

In argument

Less different, than in sentiment, and stile.

But here the instance immediately subjoined, seeming to point out the word oratione as referring to character, as scriptura relates to the language, I have translated the verse according to that idea.

"A mad-brain'd youth.] This verse illustrates the foregoing; for here the poet gives us a specimen of his rival's genius and taste. He was fond of introducing characters ex

travagant,

travagant, unnatural, and overstrained: hence the language must be of a piece, impetuous, turbulent, full of rant and af. fectation. No wonder, therefore, if he could not relish the compositions of our poet, whose characters are drawn from nature, and the language suitably artless and simple.—PA

TRICK.

7 Epidicazomenos.] A Greek word (Emidixa (quevos) signifying a person who demands justice of another; meaning Phormio, who is the plaintiff in the lawsuit, which is the ground of the intrigue in this pleasant comedy.

The same ill fortune now, &c.] Alluding, as is in general supposed, to the disturbances on the first attempts to represent the Step-Mother.'

9 Davus alone.] Terence here follows the same method, that he pursues in some other of his comedies, of introducing a protatic personage, that is, a character foreign to the fable; that, while the story is opened to him, the audience informed of as much as is necessary for them to know. may be although this scene is introduced merely for the instruction of But the spectator, yet the poet has contrived to season it with a great deal of wit and humour; and indeed that is the highest pitch of dramatic art, to seem to intend nothing but the amusement of the spectator, and to follow the natural course of the plot, while you are actually endeavouring to prepare them for the incidents that are to follow.-DONATUS.

I have already more than once delivered my opinion concerning the protatic personage. The scene before us is indeed most exquisitely beautiful, and so admirable a model of narration, that it gives one pain to make the slightest objection to it. But I cannot help thinking that the Trinummus' of Plautus, a comedy which has some similarity to this of our author, is opened with more art and vivacity. Davus is rather idly introduced, brings money to no end, and hears the story to no purpose. In the Andrian,' Simo has some sort of excuse for opening the mystery of his conduct to Sosia, as he belongs to the family, and it was proposed to make use of his assistance. But Davus has so very little relation to the parties concerned, that we do not know whose servant he is; nor does he take any part in the suc ceeding events. In the Trinummus,' on the contrary, an old gentleman, who thinks the conduct of his friend reprehensible, comes to chide him for his behaviour; and the person accused, in his own vindication, explains himself at once to his angry monitor and to the spectators. This character

also

also is not merely introduced as a protatic personage, but acts afterwards in concert with his friend.

10 Geta, my worthy friend, and countryman.] Amicus summus meus & popularis Geta.-Popularis properly signifies one of the same town; and though not born in it, a person who has been registered with the inhabitants. The very names Davus and Geta plainly prove they could not be countrymen in the strict sense and meaning of that word.DACIER.

"What he scarce, ounce by ounce, &c.] Quod ille unciatìm, &c. These verses are extremely fine and elaborate, and make an exact climax, almost every word, as Donatus has observed, having a considerable emphasis and energy; the touches are strong, forcible, and natural.- -The images of poverty and distress are greatly heightened by the contrast which immediately follows.---DACIER.

12 From short allowance.] E demenso suo.—) -Demensum was a measure of corn, containing, as is commonly supposed, four bushels, which was delivered out to the slaves monthly, as their allowance.-DONATUS.

13 Shall be STRUCK for more.] FERIETUR alio munere. Here the familiar Latin phrase exactly answers to the English one.

14 And they initiate him.] Alluding to the custom of initiation among the antients, of which there were several kinds. Madam Dacier supposes it to signify their being initiated in the grand mysteries of Ceres, which was commonly done, while they were yet very young.--PATRICK.

15 My angry genius for my sins ordain'd it.] The antients had a persuasion, that each man had a genius or guardian deity; and that when he fell into any misfortune, or was guilty of any crime, it was because his genius had abandoned him.-PATRICK,

16 To kick against the pricks.] Adversùm stimulum calces. To kick against the pricks.-Originally an old Greek proverb, Προς τα κεντρα λακτίζειν προς κεντρα κωλον εκτενειν. So our SAVIOUR, (Acts, chap. ix. ver. 5,) It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.-Wester

HOVIUS.

17 Made your market.] Scisti uti foro. An allusion to merchants, who fix the price of commodities in proportion to the demand there is for them.-DONATUS.