[Footnote 101: _Grant us your applause_)--Ver. 982. “Plaudite.” Colman has the following remark at the conclusion of this Play: “All the old Tragedies and Comedies acted at Rome concluded in this manner. ‘Donec cantor vos “Plaudite” dicat,’ says Horace. Who the ‘cantor’ was, is a matter of dispute. Madame Dacier thinks it was the whole chorus; others suppose it to have been a single actor; some the prompter, and some the composer. Before the word ‘Plaudite’ in all the old copies is an Ω which has also given rise to several learned conjectures. It is most probable, according to the notion of Madame Dacier, that this Ω, being the last letter of the Greek alphabet, was nothing more than the mark of the transcriber to signify the end, like the Latin word ‘Finis’ in modern books; or it might, as Patrick supposes, stand for Ωδος, ‘cantor,’ denoting that the following word ‘Plaudite’ was spoken by him. After ‘Plaudite’ in all the old copies of Terence stand these two words, ‘Calliopius recensui;’ which signify, ‘I, Calliopius, have revised and corrected this piece.’ And this proceeds from the custom of the old critics, who carefully revised all Manuscripts, and when they had read and corrected any work, certified the same by placing their names at the end of it.”] * * * * * * * * * EUNUCHUS; THE EUNUCH. DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. LACHES,[1] an aged Athenian. PHÆDRIA,[2] } his sons. CHÆREA,[3] } ANTIPHO,[4] a young man, friend of Chærea. CHREMES,[5] a young man, brother of Pamphila. THRASO,[6] a boastful Captain. GNATHO,[7] a Parasite. PARMENO,[8] servant of Phædria. SANGA,[9] cook to Thraso. DONAX,[10] } SIMALIO,[11] } servants of Thraso. SYRISCUS,[12] } DORUS,[15] a Eunuch slave. THAIS,[13] a Courtesan. PYTHIAS,[14] } her attendants. DORIAS,[15] } SOPHRONA,[16] a nurse. PAMPHILA,[17] a female slave. _Scene._--Athens; before the houses of LACHES and THAIS. THE SUBJECT.