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 63: _You’ve just hit it_)--Ver. 401. Colman here
remarks, quoting the following passage from Shakspeare’s “Love’s
Labor Lost,” “That that Poet was familiarly acquainted with this
Comedy is evident from the passage, ‘Holofernes says, _Novi
hominem tanquam te_. His humor is lofty, his discourse peremptory,
his tongue filed, his eye ambitious, his gait majestical, and his
general behavior vain, ridiculous, and Thrasonical.’” We may
remark that the previous words of Gnatho, though spoken with
reference to the King, contain a reproach against the Captain’s
boastfulness, though his vanity will not let him perceive it.]
[Footnote 64: _In his eye_)--Ver. 401. “In oculis” is generally
supposed to mean “as dearly in his eyes.” As, however, the Satraps
of the East were called “the king’s eyes,” those who suppose that
Darius is alluded to, might with some ground consider the passage
as meaning that the king ranked him in the number of his nobles.
See the Pænulus of Plautus, l. 693, and the Note in Bohn’s
Translation.]
[Footnote 65: _You understand_)--Ver. 405. He says this at the
very moment when he is at a loss what to say next; the Parasite
obligingly steps in to help him out with the difficulty.]
[Footnote 66: _Indeed, of none_)--Ver. 410. “Immo, nullorum
arbitror, si tecum vivit.” This expression which is used “aside,”
has two meanings, neither of which is complimentary to the
Captain. It may mean, “he has no society if he associates with
you,” making the Captain equivalent to nobody; or it may signify,
“if he associates with you he’ll be sure to drive all his other
acquaintances away.”]
[Footnote 67: _Over the Indian elephants_)--Ver. 413. Here he
shows his lofty position to perfection; he dares to take down the
pride of one who commanded even the royal elephants. The Braggart
Captain of Plautus comes into collision with the elephants
themselves: l. 26. Artotrogus says to him, “In what a fashion it
was you broke the fore-leg of even an elephant in India with your
fist!”]
[Footnote 68: _Looking out for game?_)--Ver. 426. “Pulmentum,”
more strictly speaking, “A nice bit.” Patrick has the following
Note on this passage: “‘Lepus tute es, et pulmentum quæris?’
A proverbial expression in use at that time: the proper meaning of
it, stripped of its figure, is, ‘You are little more than a woman
yourself, and do you want a mistress?’” We learn from Donatus and
Vopiscus, that Livius Andronicus had used this proverb in his
Plays before Terence. Commentators who enter into a minute
explanation of it offer many conjectures rather curious than
solid, and of a nature not fit to be mentioned here. Donatus seems
to think that allusion is made to a story prevalent among the
ancient naturalists that the hare was in the habit of changing its
sex.]
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