GIFT OF 
 Anita Cowles Rearden M 
 
 J 
 
 r>> 
 
 6 
 
 Vn 
 
/sn. 
 
REMARKS, 
 
 EXPLANATORY AND ILLUSTRATIVE, 
 
 ON 
 
 THE TERENTIAN METRES, 
 
 WITH 
 
 A SKETCH OF THE HISTORY, ETC. 
 
 OF 
 
 ANCIENT COMEDY. 
 
 By JOHN M C CAUL, A. B., 
 
 SCHOL. TRIN. COLL. DUDLIN. 
 
 DUBLIN : 
 RICHARD MILLIKEN AND SON, 
 
 BOOKSELLERS TO THE UNIVERSITY ; 
 AND 
 
 LONGMAN, REES, AND CO., 
 
 LONDON. 
 
 1828. 
 
jfaj*^ fewA*- /UtsUl^ 
 
 Printed by R. Graisberry. 
 
 'V' 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In the range of classical literature, perhaps 
 there is not a subject, which has more divided 
 the opinions of the learned, or presented more 
 difficulties to the student, than. the metres of 
 Terence. It is not merely about the arrange- 
 ment of lines, or the adopting of readings, that 
 there is a diversity of opinion ; but some have 
 denied the existence of any regular laws in 
 them, whilst others have considered as chime- 
 rical, the attempt to explain or develop them. 
 They have not, however, been unexamined; 
 and we see the successful result in the explana- 
 tions given by some of the most distinguished 
 scholars. It is scarcely necessary to say, that 
 I allude to Faernus, Erasmus, Bentley, Hare, 
 and Hermann. Their observations contain so 
 
 M16I740 
 
IV 
 
 much useful and important matter on the sub- 
 ject, that they embrace almost every thing con- 
 nected with it. Thus the following pages are 
 offered to the attention of the classical student, 
 with no specious pretensions to originality ; — 
 that is an honor which perhaps is more fre- 
 quently arrogated, than obtained. It has been 
 my task chiefly to simplify and arrange ; — a 
 task, which is neither as honorable nor as 
 agreeable, as it is laborious and useful. 
 
 I have illustrated the laws of the various 
 species of metre, by copious examples ; and, to 
 render the illustrations as useful as possible, I 
 have scanned the lines that are quoted. A Me- 
 trical Key, giving the name of the metre in the 
 first line of each scene, has been added, that 
 every facility might be afforded, which was com- 
 patible with the limits of a short treatise. 
 
 Some observations on Greek and Roman 
 comedy are subjoined, as it appeared to me, 
 that they would not be unacceptable to the 
 student, who desires to read Terence with 
 attention. These might easily have been ex- 
 tended to a much greater length, but my object 
 
was to condense information on the subject, 
 as a preparation for the critical reading of Te- 
 rence. In the notes, however, in which 1 have 
 given references to the authors from whom the 
 observations have been derived, the reader is 
 directed to places where he may find more ex- 
 tensive information. 
 
 P. S. In the Metrical Key, I have scanned 
 the lines according to the readings in Zeu- 
 nius' Terence, Lond. 1820, except in a very 
 few instances ; and then the reader is inform- 
 ed, in the notes, what reading I adopted, and 
 on what authority. I have selected this edi- 
 tion, because I consider it to be more useful to 
 the student than any other. The Delphin edi- 
 tion is, I believe, in more general use, but I 
 confess that I am ignorant of its recommenda- 
 tions to the notice of the literary public, as it has 
 neither selected the best readings in its text, nor 
 given any important assistance to the student 
 in its notes. 
 
 Trin. Coll. Dublin. 
 April, 1828. 
 
ANALYSIS OF CONTENTS. 
 
 I. TERENTIAN METRES. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY CHAP- 
 TER. 
 
 Table of Feet. 
 
 Art. 1. Metres, their significa- 
 tion. 
 
 2. Meaning of Dimeter, Tri- 
 meter, &c. 
 
 3. Catalect. and Hypercat. 
 verses. 
 
 4. Brachycat. and Acat. 
 
 5. Acephalous. 
 
 6. Two meanings of Caesura. 
 
 7. Four species of second. 
 Cause of the license of comic 
 
 verse, the genius of comedy. 
 Origin of the difficulties in 
 
 scansion. 
 Reasons of the changes of 
 
 metre. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 3. Three kinds of Terentian 
 metres. 
 
 1. Iambic, 2. Trochaic, 3. Pae- 
 onic. 
 
 1. Iambics. 
 
 4. Trimeter, its laws. 
 
 5. Its Caesuras. 
 
 6. Examples. 
 
 7. Illustrations of the Caesu- 
 ras. 
 
 8. Tetram. Brachycat. 
 
 9. Tetram. Acat., its laws. 
 
 10. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 11. Tetram. Hyper. 
 
 12. Dim. Acat. and Cat., and 
 Monom. 
 
 2. Trochaics. 
 
 13. The change from Trocha- 
 ics to Iambics, or v. v., easy. 
 
 14. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 15. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 16. Tetram. Brachycat 
 
 17. Dim. Cat. 
 
 18. Monom. Cat. 
 
 3. PHONICS. 
 
 19. Two species, Bacchiacs 
 and Cretics. 
 
 20. Bacchiacs. 
 
 21. Cretics. 
 
 22. Difference of Hare and 
 Bentley on And. iv. 1, 2. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 23. Difference of a language 
 when written and spoken. 
 
Vlll 
 
 24. Two remarks of Bentley 
 about the comic licentia. 
 
 25. Division of the licentia 
 into five parts. 
 
 1. Shortening Syllables gene- 
 rally long. 
 
 26. What liberty in monosyl- 
 lables. 
 
 27. Dissyllables, as to first 
 and second syllables. 
 
 28. Compound words, that are 
 polysyllables. 
 
 29. Final vowels or diph- 
 thongs. 
 
 2. Contraction. 
 
 30. Produced by, l.Synaeresis, 
 
 and 2. Elision. — Instances 
 of former, — division of lat- 
 ter, and examples. 
 
 3. Lengthening Syllables gene- 
 rally short. 
 
 31. Final short syllables. 
 
 32. Re in composition. 
 
 33. The vowels i and u. 
 
 34. Ectasis. 
 
 4. Resolution. 
 
 35. Instances of Diaeresis. 
 5. Neglecting Elisions. 
 
 36. Instances of neglect of 
 Synalaephe, and Ecthlipsis. 
 
 Metrical Key. 
 Addenda. 
 
 II. ANCIENT COMEDY. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 Greek Comedy. 
 Art. 1. Origin of Comedy. 
 
 2. Derivation of the word. 
 
 3. Inventor. 
 
 4. The opinions reconciled. 
 
 5. The rewards for the sing- 
 ers in the Phallic verses. 
 
 6. Time of representation. 
 
 7. Division of comedy. 
 
 J. Old Comedy. 
 
 8. Its peculiarities. 
 
 9. Design of it. 
 
 10. Peculiarity of its chorus. 
 
 1 1. Number of persons in cho- 
 rus. 
 
 12. Real characters and names 
 not alivays used. 
 
 13. Its age. 
 
 2. Middle Comedy. 
 
 14. Description of it. 
 
 15. Its characteristics. 
 
 16. The Satyric drama. 
 
 17. Its age. 
 
 3. New Comedy. 
 
 18. Description of it. 
 
 19. Its prologue. 
 
 20. Its authors. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 Roman Comedy. 
 
 21. Roman drama not origi- 
 nal. 
 
 22. Seats in their theatres. 
 
 23. Theatre built by Scaurus. 
 
 24. Pompey's theatre. 
 
 25. The scena either versatilis 
 or ductilis. 
 
 26. Aulcea and Siparium. 
 
IX 
 
 27. The Pulpitum. 
 
 28. Two altars on the stage. 
 
 29. Theatres open at the top 
 originally. 
 
 30. The vasa tsnea. 
 
 31. The persona. 
 
 32. The soccus and cothurnus. 
 
 33. The stage was strewed 
 with flowers. 
 
 34. Four kinds of games du- 
 ring which plays were per- 
 formed. 
 
 35. Division of Roman plays. 
 
 36. Species of comedy besides 
 Togata and Palliatce. 
 
 37. Acts and scenes. 
 
 38. Meaning of " egit Ambl 
 vius." 
 
 39. Explanation of the Tibia. 
 
 40. Motor ice ■, Statarice, and 
 Mixtce. , 
 
 41. Prologus, Protasis, Epita- 
 sis, and Catastrophe. 
 
 42. Reason of the introduction 
 of courtesans. 
 
 43. Unities of the drama. 
 
 44. The Fabulce Atellana. 
 
 45. The Roman Mimi. 
 
 46. Livius Andronicus. 
 
 47. Nasvius. 
 
 48. Plautus. 
 
 49. Caecilius. 
 
 50. Afranius. 
 
 51. Terence. 
 
 Order of the comedies in their 
 representation. 
 
I. 
 
 TERENTTAN METRES. 
 
TABLE OF THE SPECIES OF METRE USED 
 BY TERENCE. 
 
 1. Iambics. 
 
 Monometer Catalectic* 
 Monometer Acatalectic, 
 Monometer Hypercatalectic, 
 Dimeter Brachycatalectic, 
 Dimeter Catalectic, 
 Dimeter Acatalectic, 
 Trimeter Acatalectic, 
 Tetrameter Brachycatalectic, 
 Tetrameter Catalectic, 
 Tetrameter Acatalectic, 
 Tetrameter Hypercatalectic, 
 
 i 
 
 Page. 
 
 20 
 
 19 
 9 
 13 
 16 
 13 
 18 
 
 2. Trochaics. 
 
 Monometer Catalectic, 
 Dimeter Catalectic, 
 Tetrameter Brachycatalectic, 
 Tetrameter Catalectic, > 
 
 Tetrameter Acatalectic, 
 Tetrameter Hypercatalectic, 
 
 25 
 24 
 24 
 21 
 23 
 Addenda. 
 
 3. PiEONICS. 
 
 Bacchiacs, 
 Cretics, 
 
 26 
 
 28 
 
 * Hare de Metris Comicis adduces Eunnch II. 3, 27, as an instance of 
 this form, separating the words " Flos" ipse," from " hanc tu inihi, &c." 
 which line, as it is generally read, is an Iambic Tetrameter Brachycatalec- 
 tic. Bentley, as he rejects this form of Iambics, (p. 13,) does not receive 
 the common reading. He says " Verba flos ipse cum nee versus admittat, 
 nee sensus probet, delenda puto." 
 
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 1. Feet. 
 
 Pyrricb, -. © © 
 
 Spondee, 
 
 Trochee, - © 
 
 Iambus, u - 
 
 Tribrach, o « u 
 
 Dactyl, © © 
 
 Anapaest, « © - 
 
 Amphibrach, © - © 
 
 Cretic, * - 
 
 Bacchee, © - - 
 
 Antibacchee, © 
 
 Molossus, 
 
 Proceleusmaticus, o © v © 
 
 Choriambus, © © - 
 
 Ionic a majore, - - u © 
 
 Ionic a minore, u « - - 
 
 1st Paeon, -www 
 
 2nd do ■* u-uu 
 
 3rd do o o - ^ 
 
 4th do owu- 
 
 lst Epitrite, © 
 
 2nd do © - - 
 
 3rd do ©- 
 
 4th do © 
 
 Dispondee, 
 
 Dichoree, ©-© 
 
 Diiambus, u - « - 
 
 B 
 
 . lyra. 
 
 . somni. 
 
 . multa. 
 
 . malos. 
 
 . maria. 
 
 . sanguine. 
 
 . oculis. 
 
 . fugare. 
 
 . vexerint. 
 , . amantes. 
 , . fundente. 
 , . incumbunt. 
 
 . ariete. 
 
 . dissimilem. 
 
 . pendentibus. 
 
 . scopulorum. 
 
 . corporibus. 
 
 . amantibus. 
 
 . trepidate. 
 
 . facilitas. 
 , . fugaverunt. 
 
 . dicebantur. 
 
 . cognominum. 
 
 . percurrente. 
 ,. regnatores. 
 . . imperabat. 
 . . t amantium. 
 
2. Metres. 
 
 1. A metre 3 signifies sometimes one foot, some- 
 times two. Thus in Iambics and Trochaics we scan 
 by dipodia?, (or consider two feet as composing one 
 metre,) whereas in Dactylics one foot is a metre ; so 
 that the verse which would be called Dimeter or 
 Trimeter in Trochaics, would be termed in Dactylics 
 Tetrameter or Hexameter. 
 
 2. According to the number of metres, a verse is 
 called Monometer, Dimeter, Trimeter or Senarius, 
 Tetrameter or Octonarins, Pentameter, Hexameter. 
 
 3. Verses, 
 
 3. A verse, deficient by one syllable at the end, is 
 called Catalectic ; or redundant by one syllable or 
 more, is called Hypercatalectic. 
 
 4. A verse deficient by a whole foot is called Bra- 
 chycatalectic, but that which is neither deficient nor 
 redundant is called Acatalectic. 
 
 5. A verse having a deficiency at the beginning 
 is called Acephalous. 
 
 a A Metre is likewise called a Syzygy or Dipodia. These are generally 
 used in the same sense, but there is a difference between them. 
 
 " Plerumque Dipodiam de duobus dissyllabis, Syzygiam de duobus tri- 
 syllabis, vel dissyllabo et trisyllabo conjunctis dici videmus." — Herm. 
 Cap. IV. De Mensiira. 
 
9 
 
 4. Caesura. 
 
 6. This may be understood in two senses, 1st, to 
 signify a division, which occurs between words ; or 
 2nd, a division in a line. 
 
 Thus in the line : 
 
 . " Qui nu|per fejcit || ser|vo curjrenti in | via." 
 
 the former occurs in the first four feet, the latter at 
 the double line, dividing the verse into two parts. 
 
 7. Of the latter there are four species. 
 
 1. Trihemimeral occurring at the third half foot. 
 
 2. Penthemimeral, .... fifth .... 
 
 3. Hepthemimeral, .... seventh . . . 
 
 4. Ennemimeral, ninth . 
 
 In the Sapphic verses of Horace we find the Pen- 
 themimeral Caesura ; as, 
 
 1 2 3 4 5 
 
 Jam sa|tis ter|ris || nivis | atque | dine. 
 
 »b 
 
 In the Hexameters of Virgil and others, sometimes 
 the Hepthemimeral, often er the Penthemimeral. 
 
 b The neglect of the Penthemimeral Caesura appears to me to be the cause 
 that so many of our modern Sapphics are dvafiovffoi. Let any one compare 
 lines where it is observed, and where it is neglected, and he must at once 
 discover how conducive it is to the harmony of the verses. 
 
REMARKS 
 
 &C. &C. 
 
 1 ragedy and comedy were so different in their 
 genius, that it is not surprising that the laws which 
 restricted the one, were disregarded Ijy the other. 
 The regularity and order which the dignity of the 
 former required, are not to be expected in the latter, 
 which approaches so closely both in its dialogue and 
 its subject to common life ; and although it is not 
 unnatural for the Medea of the tragic poet to give 
 utterance to her rage, in regular and legitimate verses,' 
 we should not require in the Syrus of the comedian 
 the same systematic exactness. Terence, like the 
 other comic poets, availed himself of the liberty 
 which the nature of his composition admitted; and 
 to such a degree too, that " apud priscos quoque 
 fuerint qui judicarent in hujus fabulis nullam esse 
 
carminum legem." Although it might not be irre- 
 levant to notice here the opinion of Quinctilian, 
 that the comedies of Terence " plus adhuc habitura 
 gratiae, si intra versus trimetros stetissent," d our limits 
 and object in this tract do not allow us to bring the 
 consideration of it before the reader. We refer him 
 to the satisfactory manner in which Dr. Bentley e 
 meets the objection of the Latin critic. 
 
 2. The principal difficulties in the scansion of the 
 plays of Terence, arise from two causes, the liberty of 
 the poet, (as to elisions, synseresis, diaeresis, &c.) and 
 the mixture of different metres. To explain the lat- 
 ter more fully — we often meet with Tetrameters blend- 
 ed with Trimeters, or Trimeters with Tetrameters ; 
 nay, we even find one species of metre succeeded by 
 another, so that what commenced with Iambics, ter- 
 minates with Trochaics. Nor yet in these apparent 
 irregularities is there want of system. 1 The change 
 is often made to keep alive the interest of the au- 
 dience — often to give force to the expression of sen- 
 
 e Vid. Erasm. de metris. 
 
 " Fuisse quosdam, qui abnegarcnt ulla esse in Terentii comoediis metra, 
 vel ea, quasi arcana quaedam, et ab omnibus doctis semota, sibi solis esse 
 cognita confirmarent." — PiUSCiAN. 
 
 d Vid. Institut. Orat. X. 1. 
 
 e Vid. 2xetfia<Tfta de metris Terentianis. 
 
 f Vid. Herm. de continuatione numeri Trochaic! apud Romanos. 
 
timent — often to turn the attention to the departure 
 of one of the characters from the stage. Thus, on the 
 departure of Chremes, Heautontira. Act v. Sc. 2. 25, 
 we find Tetrameter Iambics following Trochaic Te- 
 trameters Catalectic, and the same too in Hecyra, 
 iv. 1, 51, or Trochaics following the Iambics, in 
 Adelphi, n. 1, 43. For instances of changes for other 
 causes, compare Andrian, I. 5, 25. Adelph. in. 2, 4. 
 Adelph. in. 1, 1. Hecyra, iv. 3, 1. It must be re- 
 membered, however, (as Bentley remarks,) g that the 
 Trochaic Tetrameter Acatalectic is always followed 
 by Trochaics, but that Iambics succeed to the latter. 
 
 CHAPTER L 
 
 3. The general division of the Metres of Terence 
 is into Iambics and Trochaics, 11 not that other species 
 of metre do not occur, but that by far the greatest 
 number of verses are to be referred to these two 
 classes. We have a few instances of Paeonics, (Cre- 
 
 6 Vid. Bent, on Andr. II. 1, 7. Eun. II. 1, 12. Adelph. II. 1, 11. 
 
 h " Comici Plautus et Terentins metro fere utuntur vel Iambico vel 
 Trochaico vel utroque simul confuso." — Rivil Castigatio. 
 
 " Terentiani versus aut Iambici sunt aut Trochaici." — ANTONIUS Gove- 
 anus de versibus Terentianis. 
 
tics and Bacchiacs;) but Anapaestics, 1 though com- 
 monly found in Plautus, no where occur in our 
 author. 
 
 1. IAMBICS. 
 
 In accordance with the general practice of begin- 
 ning with this metre, we shall consider it first ; not 
 that it was the most ancient species of Metre, k or that 
 there appear to be any particular advantages derived 
 from such an arrangement. It, like the other species, 
 originally consisted of the foot from which the name 
 is derived. Such verses composed of Iambi alone, 
 
 * " Terentius quidera nnsquam usus est Auapaestis." — Herm. lib. 11. 
 cap. 32. 
 
 Hare, in his edition of Terence, refers And. IV. 1. 1, to Anapaestic metre, 
 but assuredly he is mistaken ; indeed he recalls that opinion in the omis- 
 sion in addend is. 
 
 *' Dixi hunc versum esse dim. Anap. sed mutata sententia, malim, prima 
 syllaba product^, pro Cretico habeatur, cujus duo medii pedes sunt dactyli, 
 vel prima correpta, pro Trochaico dim. hyper, qui trium pedum Cretico 
 par est." 
 
 " Ut versus totus constet e Dactylis, legi debet hoccine credibile aut 
 memorabile, quag lectio reperitur Cod. Academico Prisciani 900 annorum. — 
 Bentley. 
 
 k To, rt fikrpov Ik rtrpan'sTpa (rpoxatfcou) iapGeiov eykvero' to piv 
 yap vpdTOv TtTpanhrpy ixp&vTO. k. r. a. — ARISTOT. de Poet, c. 4. 
 
9 
 
 are called pure. They occur so very seldom in Te- 
 rence, that Jo. Lengius de ratione metri Terentiani, 
 says, that he does not recollect to have found any 
 other, than the line from the Andrian, 
 
 " Amantium irae amoris integratio est" 
 
 Verses occur in this metre of all lengths, from Tetra- 
 meter to Monometer, but the forms which we meet 
 with most frequently in the plays, are Tetrameters or 
 Trimeters, which are constantly used. As the laws of 
 the other forms may be clearly understood, and easily 
 deduced from those of the Trimeter and Tetrameter, 
 they deserve particular attention. 
 
 Trimeter, or Senarian* 
 
 4, This is the Metre in which the prologues are 
 composed, and which is constantly to be found in 
 the opening scenes. It, in its pure form, consisted 
 of six Iambi, but the Spondee and its equivalents 
 were soon introduced, in tragedy under severe re- 
 strictions, but in comedy with almost perfect freedom. 
 Thus the liberty of the comic writers admitted five 
 different feet into verses of this form, the Iambus, the 
 Tribrach, the Spondee, the Dactyl, and the Anapaest ; l 
 
 1 The Proceleusmaticus is likewise admitted ; ** modo pronunciationera 
 
 iiabeat facilem et a naturali verborum sono non nimis abhorrentem," 
 
 C 
 
10 
 
 nor was there any other limitation in the six feet of the 
 Senarian, than that the last should be an Iambus." 1 
 And so far has Terence degenerated from the regula- 
 rity of the Greek metre, that verses which have the 
 Iambi in the even places, (2nd, 4th, and 6th,) occur 
 much less frequently than those which admit into 
 the same places the Spondee, or its equivalents. 
 
 Caesura. 
 
 5. The Caesura of more frequent occurrence is the 
 Penthemimeral, (at the middle of the 3rd foot,) but the 
 Hepthemimeral, (at the middle of the 4th,) is like- 
 wise found. 
 
 6. Some examples are subjoined to illustrate the 
 laws. 
 
 " Poe|ta cum || primum ani|mum ad scri||bendum ap|pulit." n 
 
 And. Prol. 1. 
 
 "' If the last be a Spondee, the line is called Scazon, or Choliambus , 
 such occur in the prologue of Persius. 
 
 n As many scan Iambics and Trochaics by single feet, and not by Dipo- 
 diae, 1 have divided the lines so ; not that I by any means approve of it : 
 indeed were it not that I supposed that the explanations which I offer to 
 the reader, would be easier understood, bj my hot introducing to him a 
 mode of scansion to which he had not been accustomed, I should never 
 have mutilated in such a way Iambics or Trochaics. I however strongly 
 recommend to the student, who wishes to obtain a sound knowledge of the 
 
11 
 
 " Scis : fe|ci e ser||vo ut es|ses li||bertus | mihi." 
 
 And. Act i. I, 10. 
 ** Hae nup|tiae || non ap|para||bantur | mihi." 
 
 And. iv. l, 32. 
 " Non pos|se jam ad || salu|tem con||verti hoc | malum." 
 
 And. iv. 1, 48. 
 " Tamen hanc | habe||re studejat cum || summo | probro." 
 
 And. v. 3, 10. 
 u Exis|tima||vit es|se : sic || exis|timet." 
 
 Eun. Prol. 5. 
 " Quid nar|ras ? pau||lum si | cessas||sem, Py|thias." 
 
 Eun. iv. 4, 5. 
 " Ne cui | sit vos||trum mi|rum, cur || partes | seni." 
 
 Heauton. Prol. 1. 
 " Hac il|lac cir||cumcur|sa inveni||endum *st | tamen." 
 
 Heaut. hi. 2, 1. 
 " Etsi | scio, hos||ce aliquot | dies || non sen|tiet." 
 
 Heaut. iv. 5, 4. 
 u Postquam | poe||ta sen|sit scrip||turam | suam." 
 
 Adelphi, Prol, 1. 
 
 metres of the comic writers, never to scan in any other way than by 
 Dipodiae. 
 
 " Qui enhn metrorum subsidio destitutus, de versus mensura judicare 
 nequit, nisi ex pedum simplicium numero, nee ipse veterum comicorum 
 scripta apte et numerose leget, neque si ab aliis recitcntur, numerum in 
 iis aliquem deprehendet." — Haul de Metris Cumicis. 
 
 N. B. I have marked with a double line the Dipodiae. 
 
12 
 
 " Do, prae|termit['to : non | neces||se habeo om|nia." 
 
 A DELPHI, Act I. I, 26. 
 u Ibo, il|Iis difjcam nul|lam esse in |[ nobis | moram." 
 
 Adelphi, Act iv. 7, I. 
 u Id mise|roresjjtatmihi | mali || si ilium | potest." 
 
 Adelph. hi. 3, 3. 
 " Ora|tor ad || vos veni|o orna||tu pro|logi." 
 
 Hecyra, Prol.h 
 " Quod noljlem et sce||pe quod | vellem, || meritam | scio." 
 
 Hecyra, hi. 5, 37. 
 " Postquam | poe||ta vetus | poe||tam non | potest." 
 
 Phormio, Prol, I. 
 ** Gnatus | qui me et || se hisce im|pedi||vit nup|tiis." 
 
 Phormio, Act h, 4, 2. 
 " Gaude|batr me || lauda|bat : qu8e||rebat | senem." 
 
 Phorm. iv. 2, 5. 
 " Tantam | fortu||nam de im|provi||so esse hi& | datam." 
 
 Phorm. v» 6, 44. 
 
 7. I have said that the principal Caesuras are the 
 Penthemimeral and Hepthemimeral. The following 
 lines will sufficiently explain them. 
 
 " Quam dixi ad flammam ac|cessit imprudentius 
 Amicum ingenio | fretum, haud natura sua. 
 Qui nuper fecit [ servo currenti in via, 
 Novarum qui spectandi | faciunt copiam, 
 Alias novas, nisi nnem I maledictis Tacit." 
 
la 
 
 Septenarian? 
 
 8. This form contains one foot more than the Tri- 
 meter Acatalectic. It occurs very seldom in Terence. 
 The following line is an example.* 5 
 
 " Puer Her|cle 'st. Muli||er, tun' | apposu||isti hunc ? | Ubi 
 iljjlic est ? 
 
 Andrian, iv. 4, 3. 
 
 Tetrameter Acatalectic. 
 
 9. This may be formed by prefixing a metre to the 
 Trimeter, for the laws as to admissible feet are almost 
 the same. Its peculiarities arise from the Caesura, 
 which .occurs either at the end of the 4th foot, or in 
 
 This name is more generally applied to the Tetrameter Catalectic. 
 
 " Varro!' says Herman de Iamb. Tetram. Cat. " hunc versuin ab 
 numero pedum, quos integros habet, Septenarium vocavit, testibus Dio- 
 mede, p. 514, and Rufino, p. 2706."' — lib. II. cap. 16. 
 
 p Bentley appears not to bave recognized this form, for he proposes 
 alterations of the text, where it should occur. On And. IV. 4, 3, be says, 
 " Ne versus sit justo longior, aut dele hunc, aut scribe tu, Tit edd. vett. 
 habeiit. Likewise, And. IV. 4. 6. " Ne versus ultra mensuram excurrat, 
 placet Guyeti ratio, quid turbo; apud forum 'st. Again, And. IV. 4, 16, 
 " Ne versus sit longior, meretiix praepone sequenti." And then, " Dele 
 aniilla, quae poterat c vestitu coguosci." — Vid. likewise Herm. lib. II. cap. 
 18, 9. 
 
14 
 
 the middle of the 5th. (When it occurs at the end 
 of the 4th, the fourth foot cannot be a Spondee, q 
 Anapaest, or Dactyl.) 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 
 " Sed quid|nam Pam||philum ex|anima||tum vide|o ? Vere||or 
 quid | siet." 
 
 And. i. 4, 7. 
 
 " Dum tem|pus ad e||am rem J tulit, {| sivi ani|mum, ut 
 ex||pleret | suum." 
 
 And. i. 2, 17. 
 
 " Itane obs|tina||te operam | dat, ut || me a Gly|cerio || mi- 
 serum ab|strahat." 
 
 And. i. 5, 8. 
 
 " Patri | die veljjle : ut cum | velit, || tibi ju|re iras||ci non 
 
 queat." 
 
 And. ii. 3, 20. 
 
 " Audi ob|secro. || Quid vis ? J Subli||mem hunc in|tro rape, || 
 
 quantum | potes." 
 
 And. v. 2, 20. 
 
 " Nimi|rum con||silium il|lud recj|tum *st de oc|cluden||dis 
 
 ae|dibus." 
 
 Eun. iv. 7, 14. 
 
 « Nemo her|cle quisj|quam : nam in | me plaj|ne di | potes|| 
 
 tatem | suam." 
 
 Eun. v. 8. 2. 
 
 q Vid. Herm. lib. II. cap. 17, 2, and 4. 
 
15 
 
 Quam ini|qui sunt || patres | in om||nes ado|lescen||tes 
 
 ju|dices '." 
 Qui aequum es|se cen|jsent nos | jam a pue||ris il|lico || 
 
 nasci | senes ;" 
 
 Heaut. h. 1, 1, 2. 
 
 Postquam est | inven||ta ve)ra, inven||ta est cau|sa, qua j| 
 
 te expel|lerent." 
 
 Heaut. v. 2, 36. 
 
 Nil tarn | difficij|le est, quin | quoeren||do inves|tiga||ri pos| 
 
 siet." 
 
 Heaut. iv. 2, 8. 
 
 Nae ista herjcle mag||no jam | cona||tu mag|nas nu||gas 
 
 dix|erit." 
 
 Heaut. iv. 1, 8. 
 
 Et quan|tum ego in||tellige|re pos||sum. Quid ? | Non 
 
 abe||rit lon|gius." 
 
 Heaut. v. 2, 31. 
 
 Ne mora | sit, si in||nuerim, | quin pug||nus conjtinuo in || 
 
 mala hae|reat." 
 
 Adelph. ii. 1, 17. 
 
 Et.recjte et ve||rum di|cis. Seque||re me er|go hac in||tro. 
 
 Max|ime." 
 
 ADELrH. iv. 3, 18. 
 
 Novus | mari||tus anjno de||mum quin|to et sex||age|simo. ,, 
 
 Adelph. v. 8, 15. 
 
 Sinam | sine mu||nere a | me abi||re ? ah, nimijum me 
 in||gratum | putas !" 
 
 Hecyra, v. 4, 13. 
 
10 
 
 Jam illi | datum est || argen|tum P Cu||ravi il|lico. || Nol- 
 lem | datum. 
 
 Phorm. v. 3, 13. 
 
 Illustrations of the CcesuraJ 
 
 " Sed quidnam Pamphilum exanimatum | video ? Vereor 
 quid siet." 
 
 u Nam et cognoscendi et ignoscendi | dabitur peccati locus." 
 
 Tetrameter Catalectic, or Septenarian. 
 
 10. This, as its name implies, wants one syllable of 
 the Tetrameter Acatalectic. The same Caesuras are 
 found in it as in the former. Its peculiarities are 
 in the fourth and seventh feet. s When the Caesura 
 occurs at the end of the fourth foot, that foot cannot 
 be an Anapaest or Spondee. The Anapaest is found 
 but seldom in the seventh foot, and when it is, 
 is generally contained in one word. The Spondee, 
 Dactyl, &c. it admits without restriction. 
 
 r " Colligi potest tragicos magis in medio quinto pede quani in quarti 
 pedis fine, incidere solitos fuisse. Ad eumque morem Terentius quoqne 
 se composuit." — Herm. lib. II. cap. 17. 
 
 *Vid. Herm. de Doctrina Metric^, lib. II. cap. XVI., and Bentley on 
 Hec. II. 2, 10. 
 
17 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 
 u Atque ec|cum : vide||o ipsura | foras || exi|re. Ad te 
 
 i||bam. Quid | nam est." 
 
 And. m. 4, 1. 
 
 " Siccine | me atque il||lam opera | tua || nunc mise|ros 
 sol||licita|ri ?" 
 
 And. iv. 2, 6. 
 
 " Homo ipjse nus||quam 'st : neque | scio || quid di|cam 
 aut quid || conjec|tem." 
 
 Eun. hi. 4, 5. 
 
 " Nulla mi|hi res || posthac | potest || jam inter|veni||re 
 tan|ta." 
 
 He aut. iv. 3, 1. 
 
 " Verum ali|quo pac||to veijba me his || datu|ram esse, et |( 
 
 ventu|ram." 
 
 He aut. iv. 4, 13. 
 
 " Ne for|te impruj|dens faci|am, quod || nolit: | sciens || 
 
 cave|bo." 
 
 Adelph. iv. 5, 77. 
 
 " Celajre te i||ras si | quid est || pecca|tum a no||bis pro|fer. ,> 
 
 Hec. h. 2, 11. 
 
 «. Nam si | remit||tent quip|piam || Philu|menam || dolo|res." 
 
 Hec. hi. 2, 14. 
 
18 
 
 " Nobis | in re ip||sa inve|nimus : || porro hinc | nunc exj| 
 
 peria|mur." 
 
 Hec. v. 2, 12. 
 
 " Quot com|modas || res atjtuli, j| quod aujtem ade|lmi 
 
 cu|ras. n 
 
 Hecyra, y. 3, 19. 
 
 " Dum nimi|um di||ci nos | bonos || stude|mus et || be- 
 
 nig|nos." 
 
 Phormio, v. 2, 2. 
 
 " Quas, quum j res ad||versse | sient, j| paulo | mede||ri 
 
 pos|sis." 
 
 Phormio, v. 4, 3. 
 
 Tetrameter Hypercatalectic* 
 
 11. Such lines are seldom found in our author. 
 The two following are examples. 
 
 " Quin mihi | moles||tum est. Per|gis her||cle. Ve|rum 
 d||ico quod | vide||tur." 
 
 Heaut. hi. 3, 21. 
 
 " Cui quan|to fue||rit prses|tabili||us ubi|vis gen||tium age|re 
 seta||tem." 
 
 Hec in. 1, 4. 
 
 * " Panels attingendi sunt Tetrametri Hypermetri, quales Bentleius ad 
 Enn. IV. 1, 11, in Trochaicis, ad Heaut. in. 3, 13. autem, et tacite ad 
 Phorm. 1, 4, 10, in Tambicis numeris, inveniri negat." — HERM. de Contin. 
 Num. Troch. apud Romanos, lib. II. cap. 18, 9. 
 
10 
 
 Dimeters and Manometers? 
 
 12. Dimeters, both Acatalectic and Catalectic, are 
 used by Terence. The laws of their feet are most 
 easily deduced from those of the species mentioned 
 above. 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 
 Dim. Acat. v 
 Vere|bar quor|jsum eva|deret." 
 Ut cere|bro disjjpergat | viam." 
 
 Amo|re abun]jdas An|tipho.' 
 
 And. i. 2, 5. 
 Adelph. hi. 2, 19. 
 Phormio, i. 3, 11. 
 
 u These shorter lines are termed Clausulae, if they agree in metre with 
 the verses preceding or following. Bentley remarks, " si initium ab its 
 fiat, liberas esse et nullius metri legibus adstrictas ; si claudant sententiam, 
 a praecedentibus legem accipere." 
 
 Compare Bent, ^^taafia, and Herm. de Contin. Nam. Troch. apud 
 Rom. sect. 9, 13, 14, and page 431, Glasg. edit. 
 
 v Hare, in his treatise de Metris Comicis, adduces Eun. II. 1, 6, as an 
 instance of Iamb. Dim. Hyper. ; but read with Faernus thus : 
 " Ne istuc tarn iniouo patiare animo. Minime : quia effectum dabo. 
 
 .Scd numquid aliud imperas ?" 
 
20 
 
 Dim. Catalec. 
 Date : mox | ego hue || rever|tor." 
 Aggredi|ar ; Bac||chis sal|ve." 
 
 And. hi. 2, 5. 
 Hec. v. 1, 5. 
 
 Dim. Brachycat. 
 Hominem. | Sta il||lico, hem. | w 
 
 Monom. Acat. 
 
 Quid iljlud est 
 
 ft* 
 
 Monom, Hyper cat. 
 Discruci|or ani||mi." 
 
 Phormio, i. 4, 18. 
 
 And. i. 6, 2. 
 
 Adelph. iv. 4, 1. 
 
 2. TROCHAICS. 
 
 13. If it be considered how easily* an Iambic line 
 may be transformed into a Trochaic, we shall have 
 little cause for being suprised at the mixture of them, 
 so common in Terence. The species of Trochaics 
 
 w Although 1 have given this as an Iamb. Dim. Brachycat. according 
 to the reading of Erasmus and Faernus, I prefer joining hominem to the 
 preceding line, and thus an Iamb. Monom. remains. 
 
 x By either prefixing or removing a sjllable. 
 
21 
 
 most generally used, is the Tetrameter Catalectic; 
 we shall therefore consider it first. 
 
 Tetrameter Catalectic. 
 
 14. This contains, as its name indicates, seven feet 
 and a syllable. The admissible feet are the Trochee, 
 Spondee, Dactyl, Tribrach, and Anapaest ; the seventh 
 place requires a Trochee or a Tribrach. Even the 
 comic writers generally avoid having a Dactyl (when 
 it occurs in the fourth foot) contained in one word. 
 The Caesura is at the end of the second Dipodia, i. e. 
 at the termination of the fourth foot. 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 
 " Paulu|lum obso||ni : ipsus | tristis : || de impro|viso [| 
 
 nupti|ae." 
 
 And. ii. 2, 23. 
 
 " Sed si | tu ne||garis | ducere, i||bi cul|pam in te || trans- 
 
 fe|ret." 
 
 And. ii. 3, 5. 
 
 " Cum faci|em vide||as vi|detur || esse | quanti||vis pre|ti." 
 
 And. v. 2, 15. 
 
 " Pro pecjcato |j magno | paulum || supplici|i satis || est 
 
 pa|tri." 
 
 And. v. 3, 32. 
 
 " Mitte o|rare, u||na harum | qurevis || causa | me ut faci||am 
 
 mo|net." 
 
 And. v. 4, 1. 
 
22 
 
 " Quidquid | dicunt, || laudo : id | rursum || si ne|gant, lau|| 
 do id quo|que." 
 
 Eun. H. 2, 20. 
 
 " Conce|de istuc || paulu|lum. Audin' ? |J etiam | nunc pau|| 
 lum, sat | est." 
 
 Eun. iv. 4, 38. 
 
 •* Quippe | forma im||pulsi | nostra j| nos a|mato||res co| 
 
 lunt." 
 
 Heaut. ii. 4, 9. 
 
 * Tot pec|cata in || hac re os|tendis, || nam, jam | primum, || 
 
 si me|um." 
 
 Heaut. iv. 1, 21. 
 
 " Obse|cro, mi || gnate, | ne istuc || in ani|mum indu||cas 
 
 tu|um." 
 
 Heaut. v. 4, 5. 
 
 " Perii ! hor|resco || semper, u|bi pul||tare has|ce occipi||o 
 
 mi|ser." 
 
 Adelph. iv. 4, 24. 
 
 " Quin res, j aetas, || usus | semper || aliquid | appor||tet 
 
 no|vi." 
 
 Adelph. v. 4, 2. 
 
 * Propter | paucas : || quae omnes | faciunt, || dignae ut | 
 
 videa||mur ma]lo." 
 
 Hecyra, ii. 3, 2. 
 
 " Quam fi|deli anijjmo et be|nigno in || illam et | clemen||ti 
 
 fu|i. 
 
 Hecyr. hi. 5, 22. 
 
 u Hie ha|bes ? om||nes ne|gabant || neque eum | quemquam 
 
 esjjse arbi|tror. 
 
 Hecyr. v. 3, 7. 
 
23 
 
 « Obse|cro te. || Si roga|bit ? || In te | spes est. || Ecce|re." 
 
 Phorm. ii. 2, 5. 
 " Atque homi|nem prope||ro inve|nire, ut || haec quae | con- 
 tige||rint, sci|at ?" 
 
 Phormio, v. 6, 5. 
 
 Illustrations of the Caesura. 
 
 " Certa res est etiam puerum in|de abiens conveni Chremis." 
 " Olera et pisciculos minutos | ferre obolo in coenam seni." 
 
 And. ii. 2, 28, and 29. 
 " Et quae tibi putaris prima in | experiundo, ut repudies." 
 
 Adelph. v. 4, 4. 
 " Vere possum ni te ex ipsa haec | magis velim resciscere." 
 
 Hecyr. 0L v. 24. 
 
 Tetrameter Acatalectic. 
 
 15. This is not much used by Terence, nor does it 
 ever occur in the Greek dramatic compositions. Its ad- 
 missible feet are the same as those of the preceding. 
 The Dactyl never occurs in the eighth foot. 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 
 u Hominem a|micum || recipe|re ad te, at||que ejus a|micam|| 
 1 subagi|tare." 
 
 Heaut. hi. 3, 6. 
 
 " Obse]cro popu[|lares | ferte || misero at|que inno||centi 
 aux|ilium." 
 
 Adelph. ii. 1, 1. 
 
24 
 
 * Adeon' | rem re||disse, ut | qui mihi j| consul|tum opti||me 
 velit | esse. 
 
 Phorm. i. 3, 1. 
 
 " Nam ut ut e|rant alij|a, illi, | certe || quae nunc | tibi do||mi 
 est, con|suleres." 
 
 Phorm. hi. 1, 4. 
 
 Tetrameter Brachycatalectic. 
 
 16. There is a solitary instance of this in the 
 Andrian, IV. 1, 14. y 
 
 " Non ve|rentur || illic u|bi nihil' |j opus est, | ibi ve||rentur." 
 
 Dimeter Catalectic. 
 
 17. Such lines occur interspersed through Tetrame- 
 ters. 
 
 y Bentley, however, wishes to alter this line, 
 
 " Illud non verentur, quod in perantiquo nostro, in regio apud Linden- 
 brogium, et apud Eugraphium abest, dele, adeo ut versus efllciatur hie : 
 nil opus' t, ibi verentur." — Vid. Bent inloc. and compare note on Cretics* 
 
 Herman arranges these lines differently : 
 
 " Proximus sum egoniet mihi. 
 
 Attamen ubi fides, si roges, non pudent hie, 
 Ubi opus't : illic ubi nil opus't, ibi verentur," 
 
 making the last two Bacchiacs. — Vid. lib. II. cap. 19, Be Versibus Creticis. 
 
25 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 
 " Proh De|um atque homi||num fi|dem." 
 
 " Quod si a|besset J| longi|us." 
 
 18. Monometers likewise occur. 
 
 Monom. Catalec. 
 " Occi|di." 
 
 " Dori|o." 
 
 3. PHONICS. 
 
 Andr. i. v. 12. 
 Adelph. iv. 1, 8. 
 
 Eun. ii. 3, 1. 
 Phorm. hi. 2, 1. 
 
 19. Under the Pseonic metre, we class Bacchiacs 
 and Cretics. 2 Neither of these species occurs often in 
 Terence : indeed we have but two passages in which we 
 meet with Bacchiacs. Bentley was the first who ex- 
 plicitly stated, (in his annotations on the Tusculan 
 Questions,)* that the first four lines in Andrian, in. 
 2, were Bacchiacs. 
 
 z In Greek Pseonics, (he rule for admissible feet is, that they must con- 
 sist of five times, the same as those of the Paeons, resolving the long sel- 
 lable into two short. 
 
 * Vid. Bentley's emendations in Davis's edition of the Tusculan Ques- 
 tions, 1709, and Hare's note on And. ill. 2, 1. 
 
 E 
 
26 
 BACCHIACS. 
 
 20. These admit the Paeons or Molossus into any 
 place of the Tetrameter, but the Molossus is seldom 
 found in any other than the first. Hare, however, 
 asserts, 5 that the Molossus is constantly found in 
 every place of the Bacchiac, and that its equivalents, 
 Choriambi and Ionics, are promiscuously used. 
 
 EXAMPLES. 
 " Adhuc Arjchilis, quae ad|solent, qu33|que oportet 
 Signa esse ad | salutem, om|nia huic es|se video. 
 Nunc primum | facistgecut | lavet; post | deinde, c 
 Quod jussi ei ) dare bibe|re, et quantum im|peravi." d 
 
 And. hi. 2, 1. 
 " Discmcior animi ; c 
 Hocine de in|proviso | mali mihi obfjici tantum 
 
 b " Quod enini vir doctissimus dicit, " hunc versum apud Latinos rariu* 
 accipere Molossum nisi in prima sede," in eo certe fallitur. PJautus in 
 omnibus locis admittit Molossum, pedesque Molosso temporibus pares, 
 qualcs sunt Ionici et Choriambici." — Hare, in And. III. 2, I. 
 
 c * Deleo ut, trt pes Creticus servetur, aut si quis ut retinere malit ; 
 legat cum veterimo cod. jacista ut. — Bentley. 
 
 " Bentleius, ut versui consulat, delet ut sed aliud agens, opinor, cum 
 vir summus non potuerit nescire primam in isthcec apud Teretitium omni- 
 bus paginis corripi. Fac isthcec ut est Ionicus a minore, quem versus 
 Bacchiacus omnibus locis lubens admittit." — Hare. 
 
 d Lectio dart bibere, quam in Vaticano et Decurtato reperit Faernus, 
 et ego in septem e nostris, baud dubie, ut Baccbiacorum modi et leges 
 berventur, est priefercnda." — BENTLEY. 
 
 K These lines from the Adelphi most certainly merit the phrase " sane 
 
27 
 
 Ut neque quid | me faciam, | neque quid agam | cerium siet. 
 Membra metu | debilia sunt : | animus timo|rc obstipuit, 
 Pectore con|sistere nihil | consilii [ quit. Vah ! quo 
 Modo me | ex hac ex|pediam lur|ba tanta ? 
 
 difliciles," applied to them by Faernus. I have given them from Hare's 
 edition. I subjoin, however, Bentley's readings and remarks, which I 
 consider to be more deserving of attention. I shall not intrude upon the 
 judgment of my reader the reasons which lead me to prefer Bentley's 
 arrangement, but shall merely furnish him with the materials for forming 
 his own opinion. 
 
 " Hoccine de improviso mali mihi objici." Repone 
 *' Hocine ex improviso mali mi objici." 
 Creticus versus est, ex Creticis pedibus cum uno Molosso constans. 
 Hocine primam producit : vide nos ad And. IV. 1, 1. .Ex improviso, 
 mutarunt, quia alias Terentius de improviso utitur. 
 
 " Tantum ; ut neque quid me faciam, neque quid agam, certum siet." 
 Sic Faernus dedit. Tu repone Trochaicum Tetrametrum, 
 
 " Tantum ; ut neque quid de me faciam, nee quid agam, certum siet." 
 " Membra metu debilia sunt : animus timore ohstipuit. 
 Pectore consistere nihil consilii quit. Vah." 
 Ita Faernus : sed in hunc modum versus redigo, qui Choriambici sunt : 
 " Membra metu debilia sunt ; animus prcc timore 
 Obstipuit : pectore consistere nil consili quit." 
 " Quomodo me ex hac expediam turba 
 Tanta! nunc suspicio de me incidit : neque ea immerito." 
 Sic versus ordinavit Faernus : sed aliter veterrimus noster ; ut scias 
 magistros veteres nihil hie scivisse. Vah, ex priore versu hue retraho ; 
 et nescio hue adsumo, ciun propter versum, turn et sententiam« 
 
28 
 
 Nunc suspi|cio de me injcidit : neque e|a immerito : 
 Sostrata cre|dit, mihi me | psaltriam banc | emisse." 
 
 A DELPHI, iv. 4, l. f 
 
 CRETICS. 
 
 21. These admit other feet under the same re- 
 strictions as the Bacchiacs. g Bentley, in his emen- 
 
 " Vab, quomodo me ex hac expediam turba, nescio : tanta nunc 
 Suspicio de me incidit." 
 " Neque ea immerito : Sostrata credit mihi me psaltriam hanc emisse : id 
 
 Anus mi indicium fecit." 
 " Noti generis hi versus sunt, Tetrameter Catalecticus, et plenus cum 
 suis clausulis. Vah vel intra versum vel extra esse potest ut apud 
 Graecos fey. Caeterum qui (nempe Haritts) ad And. in. 2, 1. pollicitus 
 crat se septem hie latentes Bacchiacos, a nemine ad hunc usque diem 
 intellectos expediturum, ubi ad rem ventum. est, quid promissis dignum 
 efficit?" — Bentley. 
 
 f " Primus discrucior animi est Iambicus Monometer Hvpercat. vel quod 
 eodem redit, Paeonicus Dim. Cat. ; secundus constat Choriambo, Molosso et 
 duobus Bacchiis, ultima in tantum ad sequentem versum rejecta ; tertius 
 constat tribus Choriambis, et Molosso, neque enim est solutio primae 
 syllabse Choriambi, siet autem monosjll. j quartus constat quatuor Chori- 
 ambis, ultima in secundo, et prima in tertio in duas breves resolutis, sunt 
 enim brevis est, ut saepe alias ; quintus constat tribus Choriambis et Mo- 
 losso ; sextus Bacchio, Molosso, Ionico a minore, et Molosso ; septimus 
 Molosso, Ionico a minore, Paeone secundo, et Choriambo ; octavus duobus 
 Choriambis, Cretico, et Molosso : ultima enim versus syllaba communis 
 est." — Hare. 
 
 E " Apud Latinos, qui comica ilia, quae sunt apud Plautum passim : 
 apud Terentium autem in Andria, IT. 1. Cretica esse volunt, ultra Paones 
 
29 
 
 dations on the Tusculan Questions, divides the lines 
 
 in the Andrian, where they occur, into their feet. I 
 
 subjoin them here. 
 
 " Tanta ve|cordia in|nata cuijquam ut siet, 
 
 Ut malis | gaudeant | atque ex in|commodis 
 
 Alteri|us sua ut | comparent | commoda ? ah 
 
 Idne est ve|rum ? Immo id est | genus h omnium | pessi- 
 
 mum 
 
 Denegan|do modo | quis pudor | paullum adest : 
 
 Post ubi | tempu' pro|missa jam | perfici 
 
 Turn coac|ti neces|sario | se aperiunt 
 
 Et timent : | et tamen | res premit | denega|re. 
 
 Ibi turn eo|rum impuden|tissima o|ratio est. 
 
 Quis tu homo es ? | quis mihi es ? | cur ego me|am tibi 
 
 heus 
 
 Proximus | sum egomet | mi, attamen u|bi fides 
 
 Si roges | nil pudent | hie, ubi opus't : | illic ubi 
 
 Nil opus't | ibi verentur. ,,h 
 
 And. iv. 1, 2. 
 
 etiam Molossiun, et Choriambum, et similes pedes recipiant, necesse est." 
 — MlOYLLUS, de re Metrica, Francoforti edit. p. 90. 
 
 « Choriambum pro Cretico non aliter inveneris, quam ut per pronuncia- 
 tionem magis quartus paeon esse videatur." — Herm. lib. II. cap. 19, 14. 
 
 h " Ibi verentur clausula esse solet tam Creticoram quam Bacchiaco- 
 rnm." — Bentley. 
 
 " Quam Bentleius ad Andr. iv. 1, 12, clausulam et Creticorum, et Bac- 
 chiacorum esse vult, ut pedi Cretico Tambicus Monometer Hjpercalectus 
 adjiciatur, earn ego nunquam usurpatam esse credo." — Herm. lib. II. 
 cap. 19. 
 
30 
 
 22. The only difference between Hare's edition and 
 Bentley's, is in the last four lines. They are given 
 thus in the former : 
 
 " Quis tu es P | quis mihi es ? | cur me|am tibi ? heus 
 Proximus | sum egomet | mihi, attamen | ubi fides, 
 Si roges, | nihil pudet | hie ubi opus est 
 Non vejrentur, || illic u|bi nihil || opus est, | ibi ve||rentui\" 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 of the comic " licentia." 
 
 23. I have already mentioned, that one of the great 
 difficulties, which present themselves, in the scansion 
 of the plays of Terence, is the quantity of the words 
 being so very different from what the young student 
 meets with in the epic poets. But this is not to be 
 ascribed to the comic writers, as an unwarrantable 
 liberty ; for it was absolutely necessary, if they 
 intended to assimilate their dialogue to the spoken 
 language ; for surely no one can be ignorant how 
 great a difference exists between a language when 
 spoken and written. The remarks of Hare are so 
 pertinent, that it may not be unuseful to present 
 them to the reader. 
 
31 
 
 " Si quis adeo harum rerum incuviosus est, ut nihil 
 unquam de pronunciatione linguae sibi vernacula3 
 cogitarit, quid velim facile intelliget, si in animum 
 revocet, quid ipse senserit, si unquam homines ex- 
 teros audierit sermone peregrino, et sibi prorsus 
 ignoto colloquentes. Nonne ipsi visi sunt miris 
 modis verba praecipitare, incidere, devorare, et dimi- 
 diata plurima proferre, ut nihil plane, et distincte 
 exaudiri potuerit ? Immo, qui externus linguam 
 exoticam tenent, ut scripta oculis subjecta probe in- 
 telligant, illis ipsis homines lingua ista confabulantes 
 tanta celeritate verba fundere videntur, ut non modo 
 literae, aut syllabae, sed integra etiam verba saepe eos 
 liigiant." 
 
 When we consider this, we should certainly feel 
 less surprised at what appears to be the licentious- 
 ness of Comedy, and agree with an editor of our 
 author, " Terentio numeros, non Terentium numeris 
 astringcndum." 
 
 24. There are two observations of the ingenious 
 Bentley, which it will be better to premise. The first 
 is, " nullas comicos syllabas quae natura,' et vocalis 
 sono longae sunt, corripuisse ; sed eas tantum, quae per 
 
 ' This opinion of the learned Bentley is to be received with limitation, 
 for we are not without instances of syllables being made short, which are 
 naturally long, as the reader will find afterwards. 
 
32 
 
 vocalem quidem breves erant, positione tamen, et 
 consonantium concursu facta? sunt longae." The 
 second, " in primo fere versuum pede, et parcius alias, 
 licentiam hanc exercuisse nostrum (Terentium.") 
 
 25. The principal changes, affecting the scansion of 
 Terence's lines, are produced in live ways : 1, by 
 shortening syllables, which are generally long ; 2, by 
 contraction ; 3, by lengthening syllables, which are 
 generally short ; 4, by resolution ; 5, by neglecting 
 elisions. 
 
 1. Shortening Syllables which are generally long. 
 
 26. In addition to such syllables, as are short by 
 the common rules of prosody, there are others which 
 derive that quantity from the similitude of the dia- 
 logue of comedy to the language of common life. 
 Thus monosyllables are constantly shortened, even 
 though two consonants, a long vowel, or a diph- 
 thong, should occur in them : such as quod, hunc, 
 hanc, hinc, abs, hoc, &c. 
 
 27. But even the rule, that those syllables in which 
 a short vowel occurs may be shortened at all times, 
 is extended in its application ; for in dissyllables the 
 second syllable is often shortened, if the first be ; 
 so that we often find not merely such words, shortened 
 in their penultimate, as ambo, cujus, estis, forte, inter, 
 
33 
 
 inde, posse, &c. but even the latter syllable of words, 
 like cave, dedit, habent, fidem, patrem, potest, volunt, 
 &c. &c. also shortened. 
 
 28. In compound words too, if the first syllable have 
 been short, previous to the composition, it is retained 
 so : such as cognatus, incertus, integer, occultus, &c. 
 
 29. At the ending of a word, a long vowel or diph- 
 thong may be made short, if a vowel follow it. 
 
 2. Contraction. 
 
 30. This is produced in two ways : 1st by Synseresis, 
 or 2nd by Elisions ; both of very common occurrence. 
 By Synoeresis two syllables are contracted into one ; 
 as in abeo, redeem, redmt, alienus, scias, audiat, 
 deum, cujus, fortunatior, illms, autehac, liberies, ne- 
 cessary, perierim, certwrem, &c. 
 
 Elision occurs in the beginning, the middle, or 
 the end : if in the beginning, it is called Aphaeresis ; 
 if in the middle, Syncope ; if in the end, Apocope. 
 
 Aphaeresis. 
 V'erum, v'oluntate, v'os, &c. 
 
 Syncope. 
 
 Thus postlo for postulo, seclum, for seculum, pra- 
 re for parare, inidia for invidia, enimero for enimvero, 
 
 F 
 
34 
 
 dixti for dixisti, praescripsti for prsescripsisti, erpite 
 for eripite, altrum for alterum, miltis for militis, &c. 
 
 Apocope, 
 
 Magi' for magis, sati' for satis, in' for isne, viden' 
 for videsne, simil' for similis, servu' for servus, &c. 
 
 3. Lengthening Syllables which are generally 
 short, 
 
 31. Short syllables at the end of words are fre- 
 quently long before a diphthong. 
 
 32. Re, in composition, is for the most part long. 
 
 33. The vowels i and w, at the beginning or middle 
 of words, are made long even before a vowel. 
 
 34. The first syllable in dissyllables, such as ei, 
 rei, and spei, is frequently made long by Ectasis. 
 
 4. Resolution. 
 
 35. This is produced by Diaeresis ; such as "iani for 
 jam, cui for cui, deinde for deinde. 
 
 5. Neglecting Elisions. 
 
 36. This is not unfrequently met with. The fol- 
 lowing instances will sufficiently explain it. 
 
 " Qui amant," " me et," instead of met, " una ire cum arnica," 
 " dum id efficias," &c. " laudas qui heros fallunt," &c. 
 
35 
 
 METRICAL KEY; 
 
 
 AND 
 
 RIAN. 
 
 EUNUCH. 
 
 SCENE. 1ST. LINE. NAME OF METRE. 
 
 1ST. LINE. 
 
 NAME OF METRE. 
 
 
 I . Vos isthaec intro 
 
 lamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 Quid igitur faciam? 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 *1 
 
 2. Non dubium est 
 
 f amh. Trim. Acat. 
 
 Miseram me, vereor 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 o 
 
 3. Erilmvero Dave 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 
 
 < 
 
 4. Audivi Archyllis 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 
 
 J 
 
 k 
 
 5.Hocin'esthumanum 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 
 
 I. Quid ais Bjrrhia ? 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 Fac ita ut jussi 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 
 2. Di boni, boni 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Di immortales 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 >-4 
 
 3. Quid igitur sibi 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Neque virgo est 
 
 [amb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 «• 
 
 4. Reviso quid agant 
 
 lamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 
 
 < 
 
 5. Herus me relictis 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 
 
 M 
 
 6. Hie nunc mo credit 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 
 
 1. Ita pol quidem 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 Magnas vero 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 t— i 
 
 2. Adhuc Archyllis 
 
 Bacch. 
 
 Audire vocem 
 
 [amb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 < 
 
 3. Jubeo Chremetem 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 Profecto quunto 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 1 
 
 4. Cur uxor non 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Hyper. 
 
 Heri aliquot 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 fU 
 
 5. Ubi lllio est 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Numquis hie est 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 1. Hoccin' est 
 
 Cretic. 
 
 Ita me Di anient 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. p 
 
 £ 
 
 2. Jam ubi ubi 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Dura rus eo, ccepi 
 
 Iamb. Trim, Acat. 
 
 < 
 
 i 
 
 3. Nihil ne esse 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 Ubi ego ilium 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 4. Revertor postquam 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 Exi foras sceleste 
 
 lamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 
 5. In hac habitasse 
 
 lamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 Atat data hercle 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 
 6. 
 
 
 Credo equidera ilium 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 
 7. 
 
 
 Hancine ego ut 
 
 lamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 1. Satis jam, safis 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Pergin' scelesta 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 
 2. Animo nunc jam oti- 
 oso 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Apud Antiphonem 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 
 3. Quis me volt? perii 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 Quid ? quid venire 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 K* 
 
 4. Mitte orare, una 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Reviso, quidnam 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 e 
 
 < 
 
 5. Proviso quid agat 
 
 Iamb. Telram. Acat. 
 
 Ex meo propinquo 
 
 lamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 
 6. Pampbilus ubinam 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Nuraquam aedepol 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 
 7. 
 
 
 Quid nunc ? qua 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 
 8. 
 
 
 populares, ecquis 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 J " Vetustiora vero exemplaria et hie et ubique hocine per unura c habent : ita nulla dubitatio 
 est, quin hocine in casu recto et accusativo primam corripiat. — Faern. Emend." 
 
 k The Delphin edition gives the reading which Erasmus preferred ; according to it, the 
 first line of Act II. 1, is the concluding part of a Senarian, which begins at the last line of the 
 preceding act. 
 
 I The first line in this scene is the concluding part of the Iamb. Tetram. Cat. which com- 
 menced in the last line of the preceding scene. The second line has been matter of much 
 dispute to editors. Erasmus and others omit uxor, in order that the line may be an Iamb. 
 Tetram. Cat., whilst Bentley wishes to remove tu ilium. 
 
 m " Est scelus vel Dactvlus est vel Anapaestus ; idem dicendum de perdidit." — Hare. 
 " Est autem versus Trochaicus Cat. contracto per Synasresin confileor in Dactylum." — FaERN. 
 Emend. 
 
 II The second syllable in opus is shortened. 
 
 The second syllable in the first matjis is shortened. 
 p I have omitted bene, as Bentley prefers. 
 
30 
 
 METRICAL KEY. 
 
 HEAUTONTIMORUMENOS. 
 
 ADELPHI. 
 
 SCENE. 1ST. LINE. 
 
 NAME OF METRE. 
 
 1st. line. 
 
 name of metre. 
 
 H 
 
 1. Quanquam haec 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 Storax non rediit 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 < 
 
 2. Nihil adhuc est 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 Ehem, opportune* 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 1. Quain iniqui 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 Obsecro populares 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 ^ 
 
 2. Si mihi secundae 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 Tace egoinet 1 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 o 
 
 3. Ain tu ? sic est 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Abs quivis homine 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 <! 
 
 4. iEdepol te mea 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Ubi est ille 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 l. Luciscit hoc 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 Obsecro mea nutrix 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 - 
 
 2. Hac iliac circum 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 Nunc illud est 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 *. 
 
 3. .Quid istuc quaeso 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 Disperii 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 < 
 
 4. 
 
 
 Pro di immortales 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 
 o. 
 
 
 Bono animo 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 1. Nisi mc animus 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 Ain patrem hinc 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 
 2. Nisi me animus 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 Ne ego homo sum 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Hjper. 
 
 
 3. Nulla mihi rea 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Ego in hac re 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 ► 
 
 4 . Satis pol proterve 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Discrucior animi 
 
 Vid. Cretics, p. 28. 
 
 *— ' 
 
 5. Ita me di amabunt 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 Ita ut dixi u 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 < 
 
 6. Nulla est tarn 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 Defessus sum 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 
 7. Ubi Clitipho 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 Ibo illis dicam 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 
 8. Multo omnium 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat* 
 
 
 
 1. Ego me lion tarn 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 iEdepol Syrisce 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 'j 
 
 2. Itane tandem 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Heus Syre rogat 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 
 3. Profecto nisi 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 Parata a nobis 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 
 4. Si unquam 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 N unquam ita 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 r 
 
 5. Enimvero Chreraes 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Heus Demea 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 > 
 
 6. 
 
 
 Hera, ego hue 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 
 7. 
 
 
 Occidunt me 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 < 
 
 8. 
 
 
 Jubet frater ? 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 
 9. 
 
 
 Factum est, quod v 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 11 The begiuning of this Tetrameter is the last line of the preceding scene. 
 
 r The second syllable in nimis is shortened. 
 
 5 The beginning of this Trimeter is the last line of the preceding scene. 
 
 1 " Cum nulla hie sit animi commotio et lambicus subsequatur : pro Trochaico Acataiect. 
 subslitue cum noslris codd. et edd. vett. Iambicum Tetrametrum : Tace, egomet conveniam 
 ipswn ; cwpule accipiat jam faxo ; atque etiam." — BENTLEY. 
 
 ■ This Tetrameter begins at the last line of the preceding scene. 
 
 v The Tetrameter here is similarly divided. 
 
37 
 
 METRICAL KEY. 
 
 
 HECYRA. 
 
 PHORMIO. 
 
 SCENE. 1ST. LINE. 
 
 NAME OF METRE. 
 
 1st. line. 
 
 NAME OF METRE. 
 
 e 
 < 
 
 < 
 
 N 
 
 o 
 < 
 
 > 
 < 
 
 > 
 
 1 
 
 1. Per pol quam 
 2". Senex si quaeret 
 3. 
 4. 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 'Amicus summus 
 Si quis me quaeret 
 Adeoo' rem redisse 
 Nullus es, Geta ; 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 1. Pro Deiim atque 
 
 2. Etsi scio ego 
 
 3. iEdepol nas nos w 
 4. 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 Iamb. Tetram. Cat. 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Itane tandem 
 Itane patris ais b 
 En, uuquam cuiquara 
 Quanta me cur&, 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 1. Nemini ego plura* 
 
 2. Nescio quid jamdu- 
 dum y 
 
 3. Nequeo mearum* 
 1. Ain' tu tibi 
 
 5. Dixtin' dudum 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Eulmvero Antipho 
 Audi obsecro c 
 Quid faciam ? 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 1. Perii quid agam ? 
 
 2. Non clam me est 
 
 3. Quem cum istoc 
 
 4. Tibi quoque 
 5. 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 Iamb. Tetram. Cat. 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 Quid ? quh profectus 
 Ego hominem 
 Exspecto, quam mox 
 Geta, hem, quid 
 Quietus esto inquam 
 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 1. Non hoc de nihilo 
 
 2. Defieri patiar 
 
 3. iEdepol nae ineam 
 
 4. Vide mi Parmeno* 
 5. 
 
 6. 
 7. 
 8. 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Cat. 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 Quid agam ? quem 
 Nostrapte culpa faci- 
 
 mus 
 Agedum ut soles 
 Lsetus sum ut meae d 
 Argentum acoepi 
 Fortuna, o fors 
 Dis magnas merito 
 Quis nominat, me 
 
 Troch. Tetram. Acat. 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. C-t. 
 
 Iamb. Tetram. Cat. 
 Iamb. Tetram. Cat. 
 Iamb. Tetram. Acat. 
 Troch. Tetram. Cat. 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 Iamb. Trim. Acat. 
 
 w I have scanned this line according to the reading of Faeruus, who expunges mttlieres, 
 which moreover is approved of by Bentley. 
 
 x Nemini is to be pronounced as a dissyllable. 
 
 y And thus nescio in this line. 
 
 z Also mearam here. 
 
 a The second syllable in vide is shortened. 
 
 14 Versus sunt Trochaici Tetrametri ; sed hie et Septimus Acatalect. cseteri Catalect."— . 
 Faern. Emend. 
 
 b ./lis is pronounced as a monosyllable. 
 
 c The first line is Troch. Monom. Cat. 
 
 * Mete is pronounced as a monosyllable. 
 
ADDENDA. 
 
 Page 7. " It must be remembered, &c." 
 
 I should have said, that Iambics succeed (not to the latter, viz. Trocha- 
 ics generally, but) to the Trochaic Septenarian. 
 
 Page 16. I have given illustrations of the Caesura in the middle of the 
 fifth foot, because it is generally used by Terence ; but we are not without 
 instances of the Caesura at the end of the fourth ; indeed often (as Herman 
 remarks) " omnis Caesura negligitur." 
 
 Page 17. The first example which I have adduced, is composed of the 
 last line of the third Scene, and the first of the fourth. 
 
 Page 20. I have omitted both Iambic and Trochaic Dimeters Hypercat., 
 as I doubt if they ever occur in Terence. 
 
 Page 23. Herman says, lib. II. cap. 7, 
 
 " Ac sane alias quoque Caesuras, atque interdum aptissitne adhibitas 
 videmus, ut a Terentio, Eun. V. 2, 24." 
 
 " Quae futura exempla dicunt in eum indigna. | O Jupiter." 
 
 Page 24. Trochaic Tetrameter Hypercatalectic .likewise occurs, but 
 seldom; vid. And. III. 2, 29; Eun. IV. 1, 11; Heaut. ill. 3, 35; and 
 Adelph. IV. 2, 1. 
 
 Page 27. " Modo me." The elision of the e is neglected here. 
 
 Page 33. In this division of Elision, perhaps I have used the word in 
 a more extended sense than that in which it is generally used. It oc- 
 curs in its usual signification in Art. 36. 
 
 Page 34. " Neglecting Elisions." The instances which I have given 
 of neglected elisions, are either of Synalcephe, or Ecthlipsis. 
 
 Page 35. Eun. v. 7. I have adopted cosptas instead of incept as. 
 
 Page 36. Heaut. v. 1. Read, with Bentley, id for certo. 
 
 Page 37. Hecjr. v. 2. The first line is the continuation of the Troch. 
 Tetram. Cat. commenced in the last line of the preceding scene. 
 
 Page 37. Phorm. I. 4, Read reperis instead of repereris. 
 
II. 
 ANCIENT COMEDY. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 GREEK COMEDY. 
 
 1. Human inventions, when traced to their early- 
 years, generally possess but little of that honor which 
 marks their maturer growth. As the progress of time 
 increases knowledge and refinement, additions and 
 improvements are made : the first effort of illiterate 
 genius is polished by the hand of more experienced 
 taste, and the wild effusions of untutored talent are 
 restrained by the strict laws of a regular system 
 
 Thus Comedy (like her sister Tragedy) claims an 
 humble original — its commencement may be traced 
 to the rude songs e of rustics engaged in the celebra- 
 
 e They were extempore verses. 
 
 f* Ttvopkvri hv air' dpxVS auroffxedtatfri/o; icai avrri Kai rj KvfMft- 
 #ta." — Arist. Poet. 
 
 •' 'Afffiara fSovrtQ awro<rx^ta."— Maximus Tyrius, Diss. XXL or 
 XXXVll. Markland's Edit. 
 
42 
 
 tion of a religious festival, after the sowing season, 
 or after the harvest had been gathered. Nor is this 
 feature in its original character unobservable in the 
 days of the elder drama. The choral ode was blended 
 with it, and the altars, that adorned the ancient stage, 
 reminded the audience, that its origin was to be as- 
 cribed to a religious rite. 
 
 2. This species of dramatic entertainment has 
 received its name, either from Ko>jua£av kcu adeiv, the 
 song of the revellers ; or from icu/mat kcu y&?, g the 
 song of the villages. As Bentley thinks, it was 
 originally applied to both tragic and comic exhi- 
 bitions ; but Casaubon, on the contrary, supposes 
 that TpayM$ia (quasi Tpvyqdia) was at first the com- 
 mon name of both. h 
 
 3. Some refer the invention of comedy to Susarion, 
 
 1 " 'ABrrjvaioig Se r) fitv Trakdia fxscra x°P 01 irdiduv y\<sav K(ii dvdpun/. 
 yi\Q tpydrai Kara drjfxag ioTdfxivoi dpri dfi,r}rs Kai dpors KSKOvifi'evoi." 
 — Maximus Tyrius, Diss, as above. 
 
 E Victor, in his treatise on comedy, objects to this derivation, because 
 the Athenian districts were called dtjfiot and not KWfiat ; but if we agree 
 with Theocritus in assigning the invention of comedy to the Doric Epichar- 
 mus, there can be no difficulty in this ; for we are told by Aristotle, (in the 
 Poetics,) that KiOfiai was the Doric term equivalent to the Attic drjfiot. 
 
 h Vid. Bentley on the age of tragedy, where, in meeting the passages 
 adduced bj* Casaubon in support of his opinion, he displays his usual 
 ingenuity. 
 
43 
 
 (560, B. c.,) who lived before the time of Pisistratus : 
 others ascribe it to Epicharmus, a Sicilian, (440, b. c.) 
 Theocritus favors the claims of the latter, (Epig. 17.) 
 
 u *Ate (jtwva Aiopiog \wvr\p 6 rav Kw fx^iav 
 
 Likewise Themistius, Orat. xix., quoted by Bentley, 
 on the Age of Comedy : 
 And Suidas, (in Epicharm. :) 
 
 " 6g Ivpe rriv KwfxqSiav Iv ^vpaKOvaaig ana <Pop[iq" 1 
 
 4. Perhaps the true way of reconciling these, is 
 to consider that Epicharmus first wrote comedies. k 
 
 5. The rewards which were given to the success- 
 ful singer in the Phallic verses, (whence comedy was 
 derived, as tragedy from the Dithyrambics) were a 
 vessel of wine, and a box of figs. 1 
 
 1 Dioraedes, who in one passage (p. 480) takes notice of the opinion of 
 those who referred the original of comedy to Epicharmus; in another, 
 however, says : 
 
 " Up&Tov fitv hv Sovoapiojv Tig rrjg 6/tjtitrpa K^^diag dpxiybQ 
 hykviTo" 
 
 k Thus likewise concerning Thespis the inventor of tragedy ; 
 " Thespi-3 autem primus haec scripta in omnium notitiam protulit." — 
 DONAT. de Comcedia. 
 
 1 The original reward for the Dithyrambists was not the goat, but the 
 bull, as the scholiast on Pindar, Olyrap. Xlir., informs us. 
 
44 
 
 6. There were four occasions on which both tra- 
 gedies and comedies were performed. 
 
 1. Aiovvcrta to. iv At/j.vaig, m about the time of our 
 March. 
 
 2. AioviHjta ra kcit aarv, in April. 
 
 3. Aiovvaia ra kcit aypovg, in January. 
 
 4. IlavaOrivaia, in August. 
 
 It is to be remarked however, that it was at the April 
 festival that the prizes were conferred for the compo- 
 sition of new Dramas. 
 
 7. Comedy has been divided into three ages : — 
 1. The old ; 2. the middle; and 8. the new. n 
 
 Old Comedy. 
 
 8. The distinguishing marks oi this species, were, 
 
 " Tdt Atwvvoa rroBrtv I'&tpavtv 
 Svv (3ot]\aT$ xapire c 
 AiSvpafifiip." 
 m So called from being celebrated at Aifivai, a part of Athens, near the 
 Acropolis, where there was an enclosure (or 7T£pt/3oXof) s.acred to Bacchus. 
 n Aristotle appears not to have recognised this division : 
 " "ltioi av tiq «k rw KWfitpdiov tuv ■xaka.i&v kgci toiv Kaivutv." — Eth. 
 Nicomach. IV. 8. 
 
 Indeed middle comedy scarcely deserves to be considered a separate 
 Kind ; for it was (as Schlegel remarks) but a gradation from the old co- 
 
45 
 
 1. the chorus; and 2. the representation of living 
 characters under real names. 
 
 9. Schlegel attributes the introduction of the cho- 
 rus in the old comedy to its original design, which 
 he supposes to have been a parody on the tragic 
 drama. From this too he derives the cause of the 
 similarity of its chorus to the tragic model, in the 
 sublimity of its poetry ; so that (as he remarks) " the 
 passages may be transplanted into tragedy without 
 any change or modification." 
 
 10. The peculiarity of the comic chorus was the 
 7rapa(5a<ng, which was an address from the poet to 
 the people through the chorus; so called from the 
 passing of the chorus from the place where they were, 
 to a position fronting the audience. The irapafiamg 
 was generally composed in Trochaics (Tetram.) or 
 Anapsestics. For an example vid. Aristoph. Con- 
 cionat. 1145. 
 
 11. The comic chorus consisted of twenty-four 
 persons ; the tragic, in its reformed state, of fifteen. 
 
 12. It is not always the case, that real persons are 
 introduced in old comedy under their true names ; 
 
 inedy to the new, in an interval of vacillation, when endeavours were made 
 to supply the place of the old, before the new could be developed and fully 
 established. 
 
46 
 
 at least there are many characters in Aristophanes 
 wholly fictitious ; hut then we must remember, that 
 Aristophanes was one of the latest writers of the old 
 comedy, and indeed in the TlXovrog, (which was one 
 of the last of his plays) we can trace the decline of 
 the bold satire and personal raillery, which charac- 
 terised even his own earlier writings. 
 
 13. The age of old comedy extends from 01. 70, 
 to 01. 100. Its principal authors were Epicharmus, 
 Chionides, Magnes, Cratinus, p Crates, Eupolis, Aris- 
 tophanes, Strattis and Theopompus. 
 
 2. Middle Comedy. 
 
 14. q When Sparta had reduced the power of 
 Athens, in the Peloponnesian war, and had established 
 
 ° The Plutus, as we have it, appears to have been retouched by the poet. 
 The characters in it have fictitious names, and throughout the whole play, 
 the asperity of the satire is softened down, as might be expected in a 
 piece produced near the time, when the government denounced the violence 
 of old comedy. 
 
 p " Primum ferunt Cratinum et partes distinxisse, et actus disposuisse, 
 et ad tres tantum personas numerum astrinxisse, neque tamen ab eo tarn 
 exacte hanc operam positam, quam studiose susceperat." — Jul. Scal. Poet. 
 lib. I. cap. 7. 
 
 q " Alterum" (says Victor speaking of the age of middle comedy) " quod 
 
47 
 
 an aristocratic despotism, instead of the republican con- 
 stitution, the liberty of the comic poet was restrained ; 
 personal satire was laid aside ; or if the characters 
 were real, the names were fictitious. Middle comedy 
 likewise directed its raillery to serious compositions, 
 and exhibited ludicrous parodies of the subjects of 
 epic and tragic poetry. Such was the AloXocfgikwv 
 of Aristophanes, ridiculing the common stories about 
 JEolus, which of course had furnished materials for 
 many tragedies. 
 
 15. " The ancient critics" (says Schlegel. Lect. 
 viii.) " mention the existence of a middle comedy 
 between the new and the old. Its distinctive pecu- 
 liarities are variously stated : at one time in the ab- 
 stinence from personal satire/ and the introduction 
 of real characters, and at another time in the dismis- 
 sal of the chorus," 
 
 The former may be derived from the law nepl tov pri 
 bvofxaarl icwfxqSuv* — the latter is alluded to by Horace. 
 
 ab imposilis, per Lacedaemonios Atheniensium cervicibus, triginta quasi 
 jugo tyrannis ad aetatem usque Philippi Macedonis est propagatum." 
 
 r " Haec ejusmodi fuit" (says the author of the treatise De Tragoedia 
 et Comoedia) " ut in ea quamvis duro et veluti agresti joco, de vitiis c.ivium 
 tamen sine ullo proprii nominis titulo carmen esset." 
 
 s f* The date of this law is not sufficiently deiinite. The scholiast 
 
4S 
 
 11 Successit vetus his comoedia, non sine multa 
 Laude : sed in vitium libertas excidit, et vim 
 Dignam lege regi : lex est accepta ; chorusque 
 Turpiter obticuit, sublato jure nocendi." 
 
 A. P. 281. 
 
 16. In the treatise de Tragcedia et Comcedha, (at- 
 tributed to Evanthius, the Grammarian,) the origin 
 of the middle drama is thus described : 
 
 " Sed cum poetae abuti licentius stilo, et passim laedere 
 ex libidine coepissent plures bonos, ne quisquam in alterum 
 carmen infame proponeret, lege lata siluere. Et hinc deinde 
 aliud genus fabulae, (id est) 1 Satyra sumsit exordium, quae 
 a Satyris, quos illotos semper, acpetulantes deos scimus esse, 
 Tocitata est." 
 
 This alludes to the origin of the comic satyre, for 
 
 on Acharn. 1149, refers it to Antimachus, and then its date is before 
 the xcvn. Olymp. Another scholiast on Av. 1297, sajs, that it was 
 instituted by Syracusius. Fetitus, after inquiring into the proofs of 
 its age, concludes : " Ergo non ante, neque post Ol. 97, sed intra ipsam 
 rogata et lata est haec lex." — Vid. Pref. Fast. Helhn. 
 
 1 Thus too Franciscus Floridus, in his Succisivis Lectionibus, " A co- 
 moedia fluxit satjra," a remark which did not escape the notice of the 
 learned Robortellus. He censures Floridus, because (says he) " a satyrA 
 paullatim deventum est ad comoediam." 
 
49 
 
 it certainly has no reference to the species of tragic 
 composition called the satyric drama, and of which 
 the only example extant is the Cyclops of Euripides ; 
 as its origin was prior to that of old comedy ; — and as 
 to the satyric chorus, from which it was ultimately 
 derived," it preceded even tragedy. 
 
 " Carmine qui tragico vilem certavit ob hircum 
 Mox etiam agrestes Satyros nudavit, et asper, 
 Incolumi gravitate, jucum tentavit:" — - 
 
 With whatever object the author of the Art of Poe- 
 try brings forward the remarks; which follow the lines 
 above quoted, on the regulation of the composition, 
 and the propriety of the characters ; whether alluding 
 to the practice in the Greek satyrs, or in the Latin 
 Atellane fables, these lines assuredly prove, that he 
 thought that the regular satyric drama followed tra- 
 
 u The plays of Thespis are generally supposed to have been of the satyric 
 species, but (as Oasaubon de Satyric. remarks) ** Inter fabulas tameii 
 quas ilii vetustas attribuit, nulla ponitur, quam jure contendas fuisse saty- 
 ricarn. YltvOevg non alienum a fabula. satyrica argumentum promittere 
 videri poterat, nisi illud obstaret, quod in superioribus observabauius, 
 antiquos poetas Groecos in Penthei historia nullum locum satyris dedisse." 
 
 Bentley (in the Age of Tragedy) accounts for this, by supposing, " that 
 there was nothing published by Thespis himself, but that these plays were 
 the work of Heraelides, ' the counterfeit Thespis.'" 
 
 Concerning the satyric chorus, vid. Schneider de Chor. Dithyramb, et 
 Satyr. 
 
 II 
 
50 
 
 gedy. v Indeed Ovid Trist. n. 409, shows that it was 
 considered a species of the tragic drama. 
 
 " Est et in obscoenos deflexa tragoedia risus, 
 Multaque praeteriti verba pudoris habet." 
 
 There is another passage in the Art of Poetry con- 
 nected with this subject : 
 
 " Successit vetus his comoedia," &c. &c. 
 
 u Successit his," (Thespis and- iEschylus, says 
 Schlegel,) — but I confess, that I do not think that the 
 " his" alludes to the two tragic poets, but, as the 
 scholiast (quoted by Bentley on the origin of co- 
 medy) explains it, " Satyris et Tragoediae." It is 
 needless however, to enlarge on this subject : — yet it 
 may not be unuseful to caution the reader against con- 
 
 v Hurd, in his notes on the passage quoted here, says, " It hath been 
 shown, that the poet could not intend in these lines to fix the origin of the 
 satiric drama." This, at first sight, might appear to be inconsistent with 
 the use that I have made of the passage, but a reference to his preceding 
 note will show that it is not. The ingenious author merely says, that (he 
 poet does not assert that the same " Carmine qui tragico, &c." soon 
 afterwards, " agrestes satyros nudavit," — for it is evident, that the regular 
 satyric drama could not have existed before the time of iEschylus ; but 
 although he does not intend to assign the definite time of its origin, the 
 words certainly show, (what is confirmed otherwise most fully,) that at 
 whatever time it commenced, it was later than the origin of tragedy, and 
 before that of comedy. 
 
51 
 
 fusing the Greek and Roman satire : they were ut- 
 terly distinct species of composition : indeed Casau- 
 bon, in his elaborate treatise de Satyr icd et Satird, 
 has shown, that the satire of the Romans was not 
 borrowed from the Greeks, but their own invention. 
 
 17. The age of middle comedy is from 01. 101, to 
 01. 111. Its principal writers were Eubulus, Araros, 
 Anaxandrides, and Alexis, (said to have been the 
 uncle of Menander.) 
 
 3. New Comedy. 
 
 18. New comedy w may be said to have com- 
 menced at the time of the elevation of the power 
 of Macedon by Philip and Alexander. Instead of 
 severe sarcasm or pointed satire, its characteristics 
 are the portraiture of life, and the development of 
 character ; — the audience is no longer amused by coarse 
 jests or rude obscenities ; — their place is better sup- 
 plied by refined humor, drawn sometimes from the 
 words, x but generally from the characters. Public 
 
 w The Cocahts of Aristophanes is said to have been the original source 
 of this species of comedy. 
 
 x Thus in the Hecyra, we have : 
 
 •« Turn tu igitur nihil adtulisti hue plus una sententia." 
 And in the Andrian : 
 
 " Pater, non recte vinctus 'st. Haud ita jnssi." 
 Also in the Adelphi, III. 3, 74. 
 
 (Vid. Hurd on the Proi:inces of the Drama.) 
 
52 
 
 characters are not introduced upon the stage to be 
 scoffed at for the entertainment of the mob ; — nor is 
 the mask of fictitious names any longer used, in the 
 assassination of private character ; — but new comedy 
 gives a representation of man, and man's vices. 
 
 19. The chorus takes no part in this species of 
 the drama, and instead of the 7rapa(5a(ng which was 
 its peculiarity in old comedy, we have the prologue 
 in the new. 
 
 20. Its principal writers were Diphilus, Philip - 
 pides, Philemon, Apollodorus, and Menander. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 ROMAN COMEDY. 
 
 21. Perhaps there cannot in any thing be a stron- 
 ger confirmation of the words of Sallust regarding 
 the Romans, " Neque superbia obstabat, quo minus 
 aliena instituta, si modo proba, imitarentur," than in 
 the drama. In this species of literary composition, the 
 Romans displayed almost no power of invention ; in its 
 origin, its progress, and its most improved state, they 
 borrowed from other nations. In the Histriones, who 
 came to Rome from Etruria, y we find the commence* 
 
 y Vid. Livy, lib. VII. cap. 2. 
 
53 
 
 ment of their taste for pantomime : the Fabulae Atel- 
 lanse (which were probably their most ancient spoken 
 plays) were derived from the Osci, whilst in their 
 tragedy and comedy we have nothing but an imita- 
 tion of the Greek drama. However the origin of 
 their taste for dramatic poetry was very similar to 
 that of the Grecian. The Fescennine verses (vid. 
 Hor. Epist. II. 1, 139.) spoken by the rustics at their 
 festivals, gave rise to the satyrae, which were after- 
 wards laid aside, when the genius of Livius first 
 introduced the regular drama. 
 
 22. The theatres were built in a semicircular 
 form : the part allotted to the audience was called 
 cavea ; — Hhe part nearest to the stage was for the 
 senators, and other principal men in the city,* and 
 behind it were the fourteen benches assigned to the 
 equites by the Roscian law. 
 
 x The theatre was peculiarly appropriated to dramatic entertainments. la 
 the amphitheatre, the fights of gladiators, wild heasts, &c. &c. were ex- 
 hibited. The amphitheatre was sometimes divided into two parts, so that 
 on one side, there might be shows of gladiators, &c, and on the other, 
 plays might be performed. From the prologue of the Hecyra it is proba- 
 ble, that it was first presented to the people in an amphitheatre. 
 
 * This is sometimes called the orchestra, which derived its name from 
 opx^o/uat to dance, to which purpose it was applied in the Greek thea- 
 tres. 
 
 " jEqoales habitus illic, similemque videbis 
 
 Orrhestram et populum." 
 
 Juvfn. Sat. III. 177. 
 
54 
 
 23. The most magnificent temporary theatre was 
 that erected by M. ^milius Scaurus, its size was pro- 
 digious, capable of containing 80,000 spectators, and its 
 ornaments were most splendid. (Vid. Plin. xxxvi. 15.) 
 
 24. The first solid theatre built of stone was erect- 
 ed by Pompey. 
 
 25. The scena was either rersatilis or ductilis ; 
 the former was turned by machines, presenting, as 
 it was turned, different views to the spectators; the 
 latter was drawn aside. 
 
 26. Before the performance commenced, the stage 
 was concealed by Aulsea? (afterwards called Siparium,) 
 which; unlike the curtain of modern theatres, was 
 let down instead of being drawn up. 
 
 27. The pulpitum was the place where the actors 
 came forward to deliver their parts, and was the 
 nearest part of the stage to the seats of the spec- 
 tators. c 
 
 b " Quatuor aut plures aulaea premuntur in horas." 
 
 Hon. Epist. It. 1. 
 
 " Consumptis opibus vocem, Daraasippe, locasti 
 
 Sipario." 
 
 JUVEN. Sat. VIII. 185. 
 
 c " The stage consisted of a strip," (says Schlegel describing the Greek 
 
 theatre,) " which stretched from one end of the building to the other, and 
 
 of which the depth bore little proportion to the breadth. This was called 
 
 the Xuyiov, in Latin pulpitum. Behind the middle part, the scene went 
 
 inwards in a quadrangular form -with less depth however than breadth. The 
 
 space here comprehended was called the proscenium."" 
 
55 
 
 28. On the stage (as Donatus informs us) there 
 were two altars : that on the right hand sacred to 
 Bacchus ; the other to that God, in honor of whom 
 the games were celebrating, at which the comedies 
 were performed. Hence the expression in the An- 
 drian, " Ex ara hac sume verbenas." 
 
 29. The theatres were at first open at the top, (as 
 in the Greek,) but there were sometimes coverings 
 drawn over them. Lentulus Spinther is said to have 
 been the first who introduced them. These screened 
 the spectators from rain or the rays of the sun ; — or 
 they might shelter themselves in the porticos, which 
 were formed in the wall, surrounding the caveat 
 
 30. Vitruvius tells us, that through various parts 
 of the theatre brazen vessels (vasa senea) were dis- 
 posed, so as to give power to the voice of the actor. 
 
 31. The persona or mask (from personare) like- 
 wise increased the power of the voice. Although 
 it may be doubted, whether any players among the 
 Greeks ever appeared without it, it is certain that 
 Roscius frequently laid it aside. The opinion that 
 the masks represented a different emotion on each 
 side, appears to be utterly destitute of authority. 
 (Vid. Schlegel. vol. I. p. 64.) 
 
 d " Earn tlieatri partem pr t Tcinctio$k$t videtur appellare Vitruvius : PJi- 
 nius parietem circuwjectum." 
 
56 
 
 32. The soccus was peculiar to comedy, as the 
 cothurnus to tragedy/ 
 
 33. The stage was generally strewed with flowers, 
 as appears from several passages. Thus : 
 
 " Recte necne crocum floresque perambulet Attce 
 Fabula." 
 
 Hor. Epist II. 1, 79. 
 
 * Pulpita solennes non oluere crocos." 
 
 Propert. lib. 4. Eleg. 1. 
 
 34. There were four kinds of games, under the 
 direction of the Curule iEdiles, at which the people 
 were entertained with dramatic exhibitions. 
 
 1. Megalenses, in honor of Cybele. At these the 
 Andrian, Eunuch, Heautontimorumenos, and Hecyra 
 were acted. 
 
 2. Funebres, at the funeral of some distinguished 
 man. The Adelphi was acted during such. 
 
 3. Plebeii, for the prosperity of the Roman peo- 
 ple, — at which the Phormio was represented. 
 
 4. Apollinares, in honor of Apollo. 
 
 35. The general division of Roman plays is into 
 
 • The cothurnus was used likewise in the satyric drama. 
 Thus Horace. Sat. I. 5, 63, — 
 
 " Pastorem saltaret uti Cyclopa, rogabat : 
 Nil illi larva, aut tragicis opus esse colhurnis." 
 
57 
 
 Togatae and Palliatae — a division by no means similar 
 to that of the modern drama into tragedies and come- 
 dies, as the species of either were not necessarily 
 only comedies or only tragedies. The division is 
 derived from the difference of the characters and the 
 dress ; in the former they were Roman, in the latter 
 Grecian. Diomedes has subdivided each into four 
 classes : — I. Of the Togatae the species are, 1. Prsetex- 
 tatse, called from the prmtexta, as the characters were 
 persons of high rank — generally either kings or gene- 
 rals ; 2. Tabernarise, where the scene was laid in low 
 life ; 3. Atellanse^ called from the town where they 
 are said to have been invented; 4. Planipedes, from 
 the actors wearing neither the cothurnus nor the 
 soccus : — II. Of the Palliatse the species are, 1. Tra- 
 gedy ; 2. Comedy; 3. Satyri ; 4. Mimi.* 
 
 1 Togatae fabulae dicuntur, quae scripts sunt secundum ritus, et habitus 
 hominuin togatorum, id est, Roinanorum, (toga namque Romanaest,) sicut 
 Graccas fabulas ab habitu aeque paHiatas Varro ait noininari. Togatas, 
 autem, cum fit generale nomen, specialiter tamen pro tabernariis, non modo 
 communis error usurpat, sed et poetae. Togatarum fabularum species tot 
 fere sunt, quod et palliatarum. Nam prima species est togatarum, quae 
 praetextatae dicuntur, in quibus imperatorum negotia agebantur, et publica, 
 et reges Romani vel duces inducuntur, personarum et argumcntorum. 
 sublimitate tragcediis similes. Praetextatae autem dicuntur, quia fere re- 
 gum vel magistratuum, qui pretexta utuntur, in hujusmodi fabulis acta 
 comprehenduntur. Secunda species togatarum, quae tabernariae dicuntur, 
 
 I 
 
58 
 
 Thus those tragedies in which the characters were 
 Roman, were called prsetextatae, as those which had 
 Grecian, were called tragedies simply ; and likewise 
 as to comedies, the name comedy was peculiarly 
 applied to those which had Grecian characters ; but 
 tdbernarise or togatse (used in a limited sense) was 
 the name of those which had Roman dresses and 
 characters. It is easy to infer, that Terence's plays 
 are palliatse comcediee. 
 
 36. There are likewise other species of comedies 
 (besides those already mentioned :) 1. Trabeata, called 
 from the trabea ; 2. fiiKrbg, 5 supposed to have been a 
 tragicomcedia ; 3. Rhintonica, called from the name 
 of the inventor. 
 
 37. The arrangement of the plays into acts is 
 certainly ancient ; h but it is most probable that the 
 division into scenes is modern. 
 
 hnmilitate personarum, et argamentorum similitudine, conioediis pares. 
 Tertia species est fabularum Latinarum, quae Atellanae diet* sunt, similes 
 satyricis fabulis, Graeois. Quarta species est planipedis ; Grace dicitur 
 fiifioQ. — DlOMEDES de Com. and Trag. Diff. — quoted bj Hurd on 288, 
 Art of Poetry. 
 
 g This is most probabty a corruption for fufiog. 
 
 h «• Neve minor, neu sit quinto productior actu 
 
 Fabula." 
 
 Hon. A. P. 189. 
 
59 
 
 In the interval between the acts, 1 the people were 
 entertained by the tibicines, as we learn from Plautus, 
 Pseudol. : 
 
 " Tibicen vos interea delectaverit." 
 
 38. It appears most probable, that the principal 
 performer accompanied with gesticulations the music 
 between the acts, and generally left the dialogue to 
 the other actors to recite. k On this supposition too 
 we may explain the meaning of the words " egit 
 Ambivius," occurring in the ancient titles of some of 
 the comedies of Terence. 1 
 
 39. The explanation of the tibiae has caused a 
 great diversity of opinion between commentators. It 
 
 1 " Est igitur attente animadvertejiduni, ubi et quando scena vacua sit 
 ab omnibus personis, ut in ea Chorus vel Tibicen audiri possit : quod quum 
 videriraus, ibi Actum esse finitum debeuius agnoscere." — Donat. Argum. 
 Andr. 
 
 k Vid. de Acluum et Scenarum Ratione in Zeun. Ter., Edit. Priestley, 
 Lond. 1820. 
 
 " Solet idem Roscius dicere, se, quo plus setatis accederet, eo tardiores 
 tibicinis modos, et cantus remissiores esse facturum." — ClCER. de Orat. 
 lib. I. cap. 50. 
 
 " Ule (Roscius) corporis motu tantum amorem sibi conciliarat a nobis 
 omnibus." — Orat. pro Arch. 
 
 1 In some of the titles of the comedies, we have the names of two 
 players to whom the word " egerunt" is applied. This too agrees with 
 the words of Nannias, Miscellan. lib. 5, 9 ; who, in dividing ancient co- 
 medy into three parts, Canticum, Chorus, and Diverbium, says : " Can. 
 ticum, quod duabus tibiis, una persona, et ad summum alterA consiabat." 
 
60 
 
 is a most perplexed question, and it may be justly 
 doubted, whether they are sufficiently correctly un- 
 derstood. It appears, however, to be agreed on, that 
 the tibicen played on two tibiae at once ; m — it is likewise 
 generally believed, that that stopped by the right 
 hand was called dextra, the other, sinistra ; n — that the 
 dextra had a grave and deep sound, but that the si- 
 nistra was sharp-toned. Madame Dacier supposes that 
 the selection of the species of tibiae was not regulated 
 by the character of the composition which they ac- 
 companied, but by the occasion on which the plays 
 were represented. Having explained what is meant 
 by tibiae dextrae et sinistrae, it remains to consider 
 pares et impares. . The following notice is taken of 
 them in the titles of the plays : 1. Andrian, " Tibiis 
 paribus, dextris et sinistris." 2. Eunuch, " Tibiis dua- 
 bus dextris." 3. Heautontimorumenos, " Actaprimum, 
 tibiis iinparibus, deinde duabus dextris." 4. Adel- 
 phi, " Tibiis Sarranis." 5. Hecyra, " Tibiis paribus." 
 
 m " Primus duas tibias uno spiritu animavit : primus Uevil et dextris 
 foraminibus, fico." — APUL. Floridor. J. 
 
 " Si unus flatus inflat duas tibias, &c." — AUGUSTIN. Tract XIX. in 
 Joan. 
 
 n This is the opinion of P. Victorius, (vid. Var. Lect. lib. 38, cap. 22,) 
 but Manutius accouuts for the names dextra et sinistra very differently. 
 (Vid. lib. 3, de Quaest. per Epist. 4.) 
 
 ° |M Qua; autem pares aut impares tibiae fuerint, inter eruditos non 
 
61 
 
 6. Phormio, " Tibiis imparibus." From these titles, at 
 first sight it appears, that duae dextraa were not impa- 
 res. Let us then consider them as pares ; and here a 
 difficulty presents itself, arising from the difference 
 of the titles of the Andrian and the Hecyra, for in 
 the former we have the addition, dextris et sinistris. 
 We must therefore conclude, either that dextris et 
 sinistris is an unnecessary addition in the one case ; 
 or in the other, that the title is imperfect, and that 
 the words dextris et sinistris are wanted to make it 
 complete. The meaning of the expression tibiis pari- 
 bus, dextris et sinistris, is then either that some parts 
 of the play were accompanied by tibiae dextras, and 
 others by tibiae sinistrae ; p or that the play was at one 
 representation accompanied by the former, at another 
 by the latter. Thus tibiae pares are either two si- 
 nistrae or two dextrae, and tibiae impares, a right 
 and a left-handed flute. But we likewise meet with 
 
 convenit. Alii existiinant ab aequidistantibus, aut insequalibus forainini- 
 bus vel invervallis dictas esse. Alii, inter quos Scaliger, pares tibias 
 dictas volunt, cum dux ejusdem magnitudiuis et toni inflarentur : impares, 
 cum uoica tantum caneret." — Bartholin. -de Tib. Veterum, p. 88. 
 
 p " Nod solum autem moduli variati sunt, cum comoedia in scenam 
 reduceretur, sed aliquando per singulas scenas, pro ejus loci conditions, 
 tibiae mutatae sunt."— Bartholin, de Tib. Veterum, p. 219. 
 
62 
 
 " tibiis Sarranis," (perhaps so called from Sarra the 
 old name of Tyre,) and this too is uncertain in its 
 signification. If these tibiae are to be distinguished, 
 by the manner in which they were played, from the 
 duae dextrae, and the impares, it is plain that they must 
 mean duae sinistra?. Thus the tibiae pares were of two 
 kinds, either Lydiae or Sarranae ; the former other- 
 wise called dextrae, the latter sinistra?, whilst the 
 impares were called Phrygiae.* 
 
 40. There is a division of comedies from the cha- 
 racter of their plot, into 1. Motoriae, which required 
 violent action and passionate declamation ; 2. Stata- 
 rise, when there was not much exertion required from 
 the actor; and 3. Mixta?, which partook of the na- 
 ture of both the preceding. 
 
 41. The ancients divided a comedy into four parts, 
 Prologus, Protasis, Epitasis, and Catastrophe. The 
 Protasis contains the opening of the plot at the com- 
 mencement of the play. Thus in the Protasis of the 
 Andrian, we have the account of the love of Pamphi- 
 
 * This account does not agree with the opinion of Servias. His words 
 are, (on Virg. iEneid. IX. 618,) " Tibiae aut Sarranae dicuntur, quae sunt 
 pares, et aequales habent cavernas, aut Phrygiae, qua; impares sunt, et 
 inaequales habent cavernas. Non sunt pari modulatione composite, ut cum 
 ait V'arro : tibia Phrygia dextra unum foramen habet, sinistra duo : quo- 
 rum unum acutum sonum habet, alteram gravem." 
 
63 
 
 lus for Glycerium — the plans of Simo in consequence 
 of having discovered this, and the scheme of Davus 
 advising Pamphilus to tell his father that he would 
 marry. 
 
 In the Epitasis, we have the difficulties which 
 arise as the plot proceeds. Thus, in the Andrian, 
 we have the perplexity of the attendants of Glyce- 
 rium, when they hear that Pamphilus has promised 
 his father that he would marry — the confusion of 
 Charinus at the prospect of losing Philumena — the 
 despair of Pamphilus, when he finds that his father 
 has in reality gained over Chremes, — and the plans 
 of Davus to prevent the marriage. The Catastrophe 
 contains the termination of the plot by extricating 
 the characters from the difficulties with which they 
 had been surrounded. 
 
 42. It at first appears surprising, that the comic 
 writers so constantly introduced courtesans into the 
 plots of their dramas, but this is well accounted 
 for, from the Grecian manners, and the place which 
 the stage was supposed to represent, viz. the street 
 in which the characters were said to reside. 
 
 " The chief disadvantage" (as Schlegel justly re- 
 marks) " with which this construction of the stage 
 was attended, was the circumscription of the female 
 parts. The retired manner of living of the female 
 sex in Greece, rendered the exclusion of unmarried 
 
64 
 
 women, and young women in general unavoidable. 
 No other females could appear but aged mothers, ser- 
 vant-maids, or courtesans"* 
 
 43. In the drama there are three unities ;— of time, 
 place, and action. s The unity of time requires (ac- 
 cording to some) the plot to occupy no more time 
 than the performance of it in the theatre. Others 
 extend this to twelve hours, and others again to a 
 whole day. The unity of place does not allow the 
 plot to be carried on in a different place, from that 
 in which it commenced. The unity of action is the 
 combining throughout the plot of all the parts of the 
 drama, in subserviency to one common object. This 
 unity (of action) is not observed by Terence — indeed 
 of the six plays, there is but one, the Hecyra, which 
 appears to have been formed with attention to the 
 Grecian models. Menage and the Abbe D'Aubignac 
 have disputed the question, whether the unity of time 
 be observed in the Heautontimorumenos. The Abbe 
 endeavours to prove, that the plot does not extend 
 
 r The appearance of Antiphila in the Heautont. is considered by some 
 to be an exception to this rule. 
 
 s For farther information on this subject, I refer the reader to Schlegel's 
 9th Lecture on Dramatic Art, and Literature, where he will find the sub- 
 ject most ably and correctly considered. Johnson's remarks too in his 
 preface to Shakespeare are not undeserving of attention. 
 
65 
 
 beyond twelve hours. Menage (perhaps more justly) 
 considers, that it must have occupied at least fifteen. 
 It is evident, from a comparison of Act n. 3, 7, " Et 
 vesperascit," and Act in. 1, 1, " Luciscit hoc jam," 
 that a night elapses ; and in order to determine the 
 length of this night, we must know at what season 
 of the year the action of the plot is supposed to have 
 occurred. This may be conjectured from Act I. 1, 
 110. " Dionysia hie sunt," 1 and then the difficulty 
 remains, — at what hour in the evening Chremes had 
 the conversation with Menedemus, with which the 
 play opens. In fact the question depends on these 
 two things — the hour at which the action commences, 
 and the interval between the 2nd and 3rd acts, during 
 which Chremes entertained his friends, and Bacchis 
 and Antiphila at supper. The poet himself appears 
 to have been conscious, that it might be supposed, 
 that he had violated the unity ; for he takes care to 
 inform the audience, that the characters reappear 
 very early in the morning — at one time, by the words 
 " Luciscit hoc jam," at another, by the expression 
 of Syrus, " tam mane." u 
 
 * Vid. Art. 6. cap. 1. on Grecian Comedy. 
 
 * Scaliger, and after him Madame Dacier, supposes, that part of this 
 comedy was represented in the evening, and the other part on the follow- 
 ing morning : but this appears to be very improbable. Patrick, on Act III. 
 
 K 
 
66 
 
 44. The Fabulee Atellanw, which I have mentioned 
 as being derived from the Osci, were originally com- 
 posed in the Oscan language ; but in the time of 
 Sylla this was disused. (Vid. Hurd's Note on v. 221, 
 
 1,1. translates the note of that learned and ingenious lady. '« The house" 
 (says she) " opens at eight o'clock. The two first acts take up about two 
 hours, and (he interval between the parts may, perhaps, be six or seven. 
 The third act begins as soon as it is daybreak. — Thus the three last 
 acts, which could not take up above three hours in the representation, were 
 ended before seven o'clock." From the words " the house (le theatre) 
 opens," it would appear, that Madame Dacier wished to prove, that the time 
 of the representation did not occupy more than twelve hours. But what is the 
 object of either proving or disproving this ? Is she of the opinion of those who 
 limit the time of the plot to the time occupied in the performance, and are 
 we to suppose, that it is on this account she wishes to show, that the re- 
 presentation did not occupy more than twelve hours? or does she use 
 these words, to prove, that the division of the time of representation 
 was suited to the accommodation of the audience ? Assuredly she would 
 more effectually have supported her opinion concerning the representation 
 of the play, if she had proved, that there was any probability or presump- 
 tion for supposing, either that an audience would have remained in the 
 theatre for the space of six or seven hours in the night, waiting for the 
 second part of a comedy ; or that, if they had gone home after the second 
 act, (about 10 o'clock according to her,) they would have returned at 
 daybreak, (about 4 o'clock,) that they might witness the representation 
 of the three following acts. But (says Madame Dacier) " as these come- 
 dies were also exhibited among the Romans, on occasion of these solemn 
 
67 
 
 Art of Poetry.) In the scenes of these plays, there 
 was no systematic connexion, as in the regular drama, 
 but they appear to have been originally but extem- 
 pore effusions. Two of the principal characters were 
 
 festivals, Terence seems to have had an equal pretence (with Menander, 
 from whom the play is copied) for following this division." Is she serious 
 in bringing this forward as an extenuation of the division in the perfor- 
 mance of the play ? Could she have supposed, that the audience would 
 be reconciled to remaining in the theatre for six hours, in expectation of 
 the conclusion of a play ; or, if they had gone home to sleep at 10 o'clock, 
 (which is, if possible, so far a less ridiculous supposition than the other,) 
 that they would have been pleased to get up at four, for this reason — be- 
 cause it was a time of festivity, whilst the Dionysia were being celebrated at 
 Athens, and the Megalensia at Rome ? If this be the meaning of her words, 
 she must have had a most singular idea of Roman and Grecian festivities ; 
 and I doubt if she could persuade any one in modern times to believe, 
 that either the remaining for such a time, or the getting up at such an 
 hour, constituted any part of the diversion of a festival. 
 
 But still, it may be said, that during that interval the audience amused 
 themselves with various entertainments. These must have been either 
 private, (at their own houses, or those of their friends,) or public. If 
 it be said that they were private, the question then is, — is it probable that 
 the audience, which left their places that they might look at pugilists and 
 rope-dancsrs (Prol. Hecyr.) whilst a comedy was performing, and the 
 actors on the stage, reciting their parts — is it probable, — that such 
 an audience would inconvenience themselves with such hours, as 10 for 
 the commencement, and 4 for the conclusion, of their domestic entertain- 
 ments, for the sole purpose of seeing the remainder of a comedy performed 
 at so unusual an hour, for the sake of a useless conformity with the time 
 
M 
 
 called Maccus and Pappus, (probably of Oscan de- 
 rivation,) who amused the audience with jesting and 
 buffoonery. Whilst regular pieces were acted by pro- 
 fessed players, the Roman youth performed in these, 
 and another species of farce called Exodium. They 
 were not subject to the same laws as the public ac- 
 tors, but had the rights of citizens, and were likewise 
 allowed to serve in the army. v 
 
 Scaliger is of opinion, that the exodia were per- 
 formed after the tragedies, in which he agrees with 
 the scholiast on Juvenal, Sat. ill. 175. 
 
 " Exodiarius apud veteres in fine ludorum intra- 
 bat, quod ridiculus foret, ut quicquid lacrymarum 
 atque tristitiae coegissent ex tragicis affectibus, hujus 
 spectaculi risus detergeret " 
 
 The principal writers in the Fabulae Atellanee 
 were Quintus Novius, Lucius Pomponius, Mummius, 
 and Sylla. 
 
 45. The Romans had likewise an entertainment 
 called Mimus ; of this there were two species — one, 
 in which there was both speaking and acting — the 
 other, resembling our pantomines. The latter is said 
 
 of the plot ? Or if it be said that they were public entertainments, to which 
 the audience retired from the theatre, I ask, what were they, and on what 
 classical authority it is asserted, that there were such entertainments » 
 v Vid. Livy, lib. VII. cap. 2. 
 
60 
 
 to have been the invention of Augustus. The most 
 distinguished composers of the former were Labe- 
 rius, w (a Roman knight,) and Syrus. In the latter, 
 Pylades and Bathyllus were celebrated for their ges- 
 ticulations. 
 
 46. The earliest writer in the Roman legitimate 
 drama, was Livius Andronicus, who produced his 
 first play after the conclusion of the first Punic war— 
 about fifty-two years after the death of Menander, 
 and about 240. B. c. He (as was the custom) x first 
 performed in his own pieces, but afterwards he intro- 
 duced a boy to relieve him in the recitation, whilst 
 he confined himself principally to the gesticulations. 
 It has not been ascertained whether his first drama 
 was a tragedy or a comedy, but the names of his 
 pieces render it probable that he wrote both. 
 
 47. To Livius succeeded, after a few years, Cneus 
 Naevius. He wrote both tragedies and comedies, but 
 was considered a better comic than tragic poet. The 
 style of his compositions resembles that of old co- 
 medy. y 
 
 w *' Et Laberi mimos, ut pulcbra poeraata mirer." 
 
 Hor. Sat. I. 10, 6. 
 
 x " Idem scilicet, id quod omnes turn erant, suorum carminum actor." 
 — Liv. lib. VII. cap. 2. 
 
 y He attacked with great severity the elder Scipio and the Metelli. 
 
70 
 
 48. Plautus was the son of a freedman — he was 
 born at Sarsina, a town of Umbria, about 525. A. U. c. 
 His comedies were long admired by the Romans, 
 and the purity of his language was considered such, 
 that it has been said, " Musas, si Latine loqui vellent, 
 Plautino sermone locuturas." The judgment of Ho- 
 race regarding Plautus, as expressed in the lines from 
 the Art of Poetry, 
 
 " At vestri proavi Plautinos et numeros et 
 Laudavere sales, nimium patienter utrumque 
 Ne dicam stulte, mirati," 2 
 
 has caused many literary disputes ; in which some 
 have taken up the pen to defend the character of 
 Plautus, — others to confirm the judgment of the poet. a 
 
 Through the influence of the latter he was thrown into prison for his in- 
 temperate raillery, hut he was afterwards released. He died at Utica. — 
 Cicero, Brutus, cap. 15. 
 
 z There is another passage too, alluding to Plautus : 
 
 " Aspice, Plautus 
 
 Quo pacto partes tutetur amantis ephebi ; 
 
 Ut patris attenti, lenonis ut iusidiosi." 
 
 EPIST. August. 170. 
 
 Some have considered this to be a commendation of Plautus, but the 
 context hardly warrants such an opinion. (Vid. Heins. ad Horat. de Plau- 
 to et Terentio judicium.) 
 
 * Camerar. Dissert, de Comced. Plauti ; Flor. Sabinus adversus Calum- 
 
71 
 
 There can be little doubt however of this, that Plau- 
 tus far excelled Terence in low humour and wit ; and 
 perhaps he was as much superior to him in this res- 
 pect, as he was inferior in the just delineation of 
 his characters, and the delicacy of his sentiments. 
 
 There is a coarseness of expression in Plautus, 
 that is no where to be found in Terence. In the wit- 
 ticisms of the one, we see the man whom the neglect 
 of his countrymen forced to labor for his support at 
 the mill ; (Aul. Gell. Noct. Att. lib. in. cap. 3.) whilst 
 in the delicate humour of the other, we recognise the 
 companion of Scipio and Laelius. In Plautus a refined 
 taste may find much to erase — the humorous would 
 desire some additions to Terence ; in the former, we 
 find more originality— in the latter, better taste. b 
 
 49. Caecilius (Statius) was a native of Milan. He 
 composed several comedies, of which we have but 
 some of the names. He has been praised for the 
 
 niatores Plauti ; and Fioretti's Answer to Heinsius, in the Apologia pro 
 Plauto opposita seevo judicio Horatiano, et Heinsiano. See Also Erasmus, 
 lib. 28. Epist. 20. 
 
 b I refer the reader who wishes to obtain more information on the cha- 
 racter of the plays of Plautus, than it was compatible with my design to 
 lay before him, to Dunlop's Roman Literature — a book replete with useful 
 matter, and just criticism. 
 
72 
 
 management of his plots, as we find in the well 
 known words, " In argumentis Caecilius palmam pos- 
 cit, in Ethesi Terentius," hut he has been censured 
 for the impurity of his diction. c He was the contem- 
 porary of Ennius and Terence. 
 
 50. Ahout the same time too, Afranius produced 
 his comedies. He is said to have written principally 
 in the species called Togatw. Like Terence, he was 
 an imitator of Menander, but his plots have been 
 blamed for their obscenity. d 
 
 51. Terence c was a native of Carthage. When a 
 youth, he was sold as a slave to a senator, Terentius 
 LucanuSj but was afterwards manumitted when his 
 master discovered his talents. It is said that it was 
 from him the poet derived his name. A confusion 
 of names has led some to say, that he followed the 
 chariot of Scipio, in his triumph after the destruc- 
 tion of Carthage. {Pub, Terent. Vit. de dictis D. F. 
 Petrarchse.) It is evident however, both from the 
 name (given by Livy, lib. xxx.) of the person, 
 
 c " Caecilium et Pacuvium male locutos videmus." Cicer. Brut. 74. 
 
 d Qaintil. lib. x. cap. 1. 
 
 e Contemporary with Terence was Luscius Lavinius, to whom we find 
 so many allusions in the prologues. Turpilius Trabea and Attilius were 
 two comic poets about the same time, of whom we know little more than 
 their names. 
 
73 
 
 who followed Scipio's chariot, and from the age of Te^ 
 rence, that it could not have been the poet ; for the 
 name of the person mentioned by Livy is Quint us Te- 
 rentius Culeo — (moreover he was of praetorian rank, and 
 a senator) — and Fenestella asserts, that the poet died 
 " inter finem secundi belli Punici, et initium tertii." 
 His familiarity with Scipio and Lselius has caused the 
 opinion, that he was assisted by them in the compo- 
 sition of his comedies — an opinion which he notices in 
 the prologue to the Adelphi, without any bold contra- 
 diction of its truth. This, however, may be ascribed 
 to his thinking, that it would not be unacceptable to 
 his patrons, that they should have a share in the 
 merit of having composed the comedies. 
 
 We have a confirmation of the opinion before-men- 
 tioned, in a story concerning Laelius. It is said, that 
 when solicited by his wife to leave some business 
 with which he was engaged, he begged that she 
 would not interrupt him. — At length coming to her, 
 he said, that he had never written anything which 
 could surpass that with which he had been occupied ; 
 and on being asked what it was, he quoted the lines 
 from the Heautontimor. beginning, 
 
 " Satis pol proterve me Syri promissa hue induxerunt." 
 But if we believe Laelius, and suppose that this was 
 
74 
 
 the happiest of his compositions, his additions to the 
 comedies cannot detract much from the character of 
 their author ; for undoubtedly the passage, which he 
 cited, is far from being one of the finest in them. The 
 manner in which Terence died is uncertain. It is 
 supposed that he perished at sea, when returning 
 from Greece, (159 B. c.) Porcius (quoted by Sueto- 
 nius, de Vita Pub. Terentii) and others think, that he 
 died at Stymphalus, a town in Arcadia. The common 
 account that he translated 108 of Menander's come- 
 dies has been doubted, and with justice, as his age 
 renders it very improbable ; for the last time that 
 he was at Rome, he was at but his 34th year. But 
 when it is said that 108 of his translations of Menan- 
 der perished with himself, the account is rendered 
 more improbable ; for if we add to that number, the 
 four which we have extant, we must attribute to 
 him 112 translations — more than the greatest number 
 of comedies ascribed to Menander. f The peculiar 
 excellence of Terence is his admirable delineation of 
 characters, and faithful copying of nature. There is 
 moreover a chastity of expression, and delicacy of 
 sentiment in his plays, which we cannot find in the 
 dramas of Aristophanes or Plautus. His introduction 
 
 f Vid. Suidas in Menand. 
 
75 
 
 of moral sentiments is just and appropriate, for they 
 appear to have been drawn forth by the natural feel- 
 ings of the person who utters them, and not by the 
 ostentatious morality of the poet. g Unlike the pur- 
 piireus pannus mentioned by Horace, they are inter- 
 woven in the very texture of the play, and the poet 
 seems to introduce them more because they are ap- 
 propriate to his characters, than because they are 
 calculated to excite the applause of his audience. In 
 the conception and expression of narrations, Terence 
 yields to none. He not merely selects the most for- 
 cible and striking circumstances, 11 but he expresses 
 them with unaffected grace, and dignified simplicity ; 
 —indeed in the range of the ancient classical authors, 
 perhaps there could not be found any description sur- 
 passing the beautiful narration with which the An- 
 drian opens. 1 The catastrophes of his plots are 
 more pleasing than surprising — his characters more 
 
 8 Such an introduction of moral reflections is most abundantly exempli- 
 fied in RolUn's Ancient History. 
 
 h " 'E£ dvdyKTjc; ykvoir civ rjfxlv vipovg aiTiov, to twv tfupepofieviov 
 
 ticXtyeiv du rd Katpiwrara." — Longin. de Sublim. p. 80. Weiske's Edit. 
 ■ 
 1 The reader who wishes to compare examples of highly finished narra- 
 tions, is referred to Demosth. de Corona, p. 108. (Stock's edit.) iEschyl. 
 Agamem. 290. (Schutz edit.) Livy, lib. I. cap. 29. Tacitus, Annal. lib. 
 iv. cap. G2. and Cicero, pro Mil. cap. X. 
 
76 
 
 natural' than highly coloured — and his humour more 
 refined than abundant. Caesar, in his well known 
 verses, has censured the poet for his deficiency in 
 comic humour. 
 
 " Lenibus at que utinam scriptis adjuncta foret vis 
 Comica, ut aequato virtus polleret honore 
 Cum Graecis, neque in hac despectus parte jaceres t 
 Unum hoc maceror, et doleo tibi deesse, TerentL" 
 But if by the comica vis, we are to understand the 
 humour of such witticisms and puns as we have in 
 Plautus, and Cicero de Oratore lib. 2., we have but 
 little reason to regret the want of it. 
 
 i The compliance of Micio, however, at the end of the Adelphi, when- 
 Demea and iEschinus are asking him to marry, is certainly not natural. 
 It appears to me to be a most unfortunate blemish in a comedy otherwise 
 happily executed, and in which the characters are admirably supported. 
 The sudden change in Demea's character has been objected to, as a viola,- 
 tion of the precept of Horace : 
 
 " servetur ad imum 
 Qualis ab incepto processerit, et sibi constet," 
 
 but without just reason. It is not a change of his own character, but ths 
 assumption of another character, and through the masterly skill of the poet, 
 the mask which he wears to represent Micio, is too easily seen through 
 to conceal the features of Demea. Schmieder. Terenz. Halle, 1794, con- 
 sidered the conclusion of this play so absurd, and inconsistent, that he sup- 
 poses, that the last scenes were represented as a kind of exodium, and 
 were not a continuation of the legitimats comedy. 
 
77 
 
 " Vincere Caecilius gravitate, Terentius arte/' is 
 the judgment pronounced on the poet by Horace. It 
 is difficult to understand the exact meaning of the 
 word " arte." — Hurd's interpretation of it appears to 
 be the most correct. He refers it to the artificial 
 contexture of the plot ; " which" (says he) " Terence 
 appears to have practised most assiduously of all the 
 Latin comedians : at least, as may be concluded from 
 what remains of them. Plautus has very frequently 
 single plots, which he was enabled to support by 
 what was natural to him, a force of buffoon pleasan- 
 try, Terence, whose genius lay another way, or 
 whose taste was abhorrent from such ribaldry, had 
 recourse to the other expedient of double plots." 
 
 Of the six comedies of Terence, now extant, four 
 were copied from Menander, — two from Apollodorus. 
 The Andrian has been considered as the first in me- 
 rit." Hurd, however, prefers the Hecyra ; which (it 
 must be acknowledged) appears to have been formed 
 
 k There is a story told concerning the poet, when he first read this 
 play to Caecilius. At his introduction, Caecilius was reclining at supper, 
 and as the poet was meanly dressed, a seat was placed for him near the 
 couch ; but when Caecilius heard the opening of the play, he was so pleas- 
 ed, that he invited the author to a couch to partake of the entertainment, 
 and listened with delight to the continuation of the comedy. — Suston. de 
 Vit. TerenU 
 
78 
 
 with more strict observance of the Greek drama, than 
 the others. (Vid. Note on Hor. Epist. 2, 1, 62.) 
 
 There have been some modern imitations of Te- 
 rence, by both English and French dramatists. The 
 Andrian has been imitated in Steele's Conscious Lo- 
 vers, and the Andrienne by Baron ; the Eunuch has 
 given rise to the Eunuque by Fontaine ; La Talanta 
 by Aretine ; and Bellamira by Sir Charles Sedley. We 
 can trace the origin of the Ecole des Peres by Baron, 
 and the Squire of Alsatia by Shadwell, to the Adel- 
 phf; and the plot of Les Fourberies de Scapin is de- 
 rived from the Phormio. 
 
 ORDER OF THE COMEDIES IN THEIR REPRESEN- 
 TATION. 
 
 1. Andrian, in the consulship of M. Marcellus, 
 and Cn. Sulpicius, 588, A. u. c. 
 
 2. Hecyra, in the consulship of Cn. Octavius, and 
 T. Manlius, 589, A. u. c. 
 
 3. Heautontimorumenos, in the consulship of M. 
 Juvencius, and M. Sempronius, 591, A. u. c. 
 
 4. Phormio, in the consulship of M. Valerius, and 
 C. Fannius, 593, a. u. c. 
 
 5. Eunuch, in the same consulship, and year. 
 
 6. Adelphi, in the consulship of Lucius Anicius 
 and M. Cornelius, 594, A. u. c. 
 
 F. S. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
' 
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 Page 14. For non read non j 
 
 1 7. For siccine read sicine. 
 
 18. For d\\ico read di||co. 
 
 18. For pr<es\tabilius read jpralstafo'/itt*. 
 
 3 1 . For externus read eatenus. 
 
 43. For "Are read "Arf, also for &y.a, ajia. 
 
 LJ53^ ftfW ^(lAhW 
 
/ ^ 
 
 / 
 
RETURN 
 
 14 DAY USE 
 
 OWED 
 
 'M 
 
 This book is due on the last date stamped below, or 
 
 on the date to which renewed. 
 
 Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. 
 
 27Har'57DW 
 
 REC'D LD 
 
 tni 1957 
 
 ~l 
 
 12Mar'64DC 
 
 REC'D LD 
 
 MAY 3 '64 -9 PM 
 
 ■ REC'D LD 
 
 FEB 2 / , "65 11 AM 
 
 J0L25M 
 
 JBN20W-8PH 
 
 AUGil 1969 31 
 
 SEP S '6Q» 2PM 
 
76 fry 
 
 M ( itf 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF CAUFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
 .-' 
 
\w/tmx 
 
 mmm 
 
 t 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ' 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 
 ■ 1 
 
 ■ 
 
 ■ 
 
 ■ 
 
 Rflll 
 
 
 
 
 1 .