The Comedies of Terence: Literally Translated into English Prose, with NotesTerence
General
The Comedies of Terence: Literally Translated into English Prose, with Notes
Terence
Latin drama (Comedy) -- Translations into English; Terence -- Translations into English
[Footnote 48: _To fetch the midwife_)--Ver. 299. Cooke has the
following remark here: “Methinks Mysis has loitered a little too
much, considering the business which she was sent about; but
perhaps Terence knew that some women were of such a temper as to
gossip on the way, though an affair of life or death requires
their haste.” Colman thus takes him to task for this observation:
“This two-edged reflection, glancing at once on Terence and the
ladies, is, I think, very ill-founded. The delay of Mysis, on
seeing the emotion of Pamphilus, is very natural; and her artful
endeavors to interest Pamphilus on behalf of her mistress, are
rather marks of her attention than neglect.”]
[Footnote 49: _Charinus and Byrrhia_). We learn from Donatus that
the characters of Charinus and Byrrhia were not introduced in the
work of Menander, but were added to the Play of Terence, lest
Philumena’s being left without a husband, on the marriage of
Pamphilus to Glycerium, should appear too tragical a circumstance.
Diderot is of opinion that Terence did not improve his Play by
this addition.]
[Footnote 50: _Tell me nothing_)--Ver. 336. It has been suggested
that this refers to Byrrhia’s dissuading his master from
addressing Pamphilus, or else to what he has told him concerning
the intended marriage. Westerhovius thinks that Byrrhia is just
then whispering some trifling nonsense in his master’s ear, which
he, occupied with more important cares, is unwilling to attend
to.]
[Footnote 51: _To a high place_)--Ver. 356. He probably alludes to
some part of the Acropolis, the citadel, or higher part of Athens,
which commanded a view of the lower town.]
[Footnote 52: _Stillness before the door_)--Ver. 362. Madame
Dacier observes that this remark is very appropriately made by
Davus, as showing that the marriage was clearly not intended by
Chremes. The house of the bride on such an occasion would be
thronged by her friends, and at the door would be the musicians
and those who were to form part of the bridal procession.]
[Footnote 53: _No matron at the house_)--Ver. 364. By the use of
the word “matrona,” he probably alludes to the “pronubæ” among the
Romans, whose duties were somewhat similar to those of our
bride’s-maids. At the completion of the bridal repast, the bride
was conducted to the bridal chamber by matrons who had not had
more than one husband.]
[Footnote 54: _An obol’s worth_)--Ver. 369. The “obelus” was the
smallest Greek silver coin, and was equal in value to about three
halfpence of our money. “Pisciculi minuti,” “little fish,” were
much used for food among the poorer classes; “mena,” a fish
resembling our pilchard, was a common article of food with the
Romans. The larger kinds of fish went under the general name of
“cetum.”]
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