_Plot._—Demea, a country gentleman and a strict disciplinarian, has two sons, Æschinus and Ctesipho. Æschinus, the elder, is adopted by his uncle Micio, a bachelor of indulgent temper and somewhat loose principles, who lives a town life at Athens. Whilst Ctesipho is brought up strictly in the country, Æschinus is educated with too great indulgence, and pursues a course of riot and extravagance. One night, in a moment of drunken passion, he offers violence to Pamphila, a young maiden, well born but poor; for which outrage he makes amends by a promise of marriage. Ctesipho soon after falls in love with a minstrel girl whom he accidentally meets; and Æschinus, to save his brother from his father’s anger, conceals his amour and takes the discredit of it upon himself. At last he assaults the pander to whom the girl belongs, takes her away by force, and gives her to his brother. The affair comes to Demea’s ears, who severely reproves Micio for ruining his son by injudicious indulgence. Matters are at length explained, and the marriage between Æschinus and Pamphila takes place, the minstrel girl is assigned to Ctesipho, and the price for her paid. The old bachelor, Micio, marries Sostrata, the mother of Pamphila, and, according to the usual rule of comedy, all the inferior persons of the drama are made happy. Lax as the morals are which Micio refrains from correcting, his conduct illustrates a valuable principle in education; that—— There is a way of winning more by love And urging of the modesty than fear. Force works on servile humours, not the free. _Ben Jonson._ Nor are the evils likely to arise from indifference to moral principle left entirely without an antidote. A wise and not indiscriminate indulgence is upheld by Demea; and, at the conclusion of the play, he announces his deliberate change of character, but, at the same time, points out the pernicious errors of that kindness and indulgence which proceeds from impulse and not from principle. Dicam tibi: Ut id ostenderem, quod te isti facilem et festivum putant, Id non fieri ex vera vita, neque adeo ex æquo et bono; Sed assentando atque indulgendo et largiendo, Micio. Nunc adeo, si ob eam rem vobis mea vita invisa, Æschine, est, Quia non justa, injusta, prorsus omnia omnino obsequor; Missa facio; effundite, emite, facite, quod vobis lubet. Sed si id voltis potius, quæ vos propter adulescentiam Minus videtis, magis impense cupitis, consulitis parum, Hæc reprehendere et corrigere quam, obsecundare in loco; Ecce me qui id faciam vobis.