Pessuli, heus pessuli, vos saluto lubens, Vos amo vos volo vos peto atque obsecro, Gerite amanti mihi morem amoenissumi: Fite caussa mea ludii barbari, Sussulite, obsecro, et mittite istanc foras, Quae mihi misero amanti exbibit sanguinem. Hoc vide ut dormiunt pessuli pessumi Nec mea gratia conmovent se ocius[87]. These early efforts of the Italian lyrical muse do not approach the smoothness and ease of the Glyconics and Phalaecians of Catullus, nor the dignity of the Alcaics and Asclepiadeans of Horace: but they do, in a rude kind of way, show facility and native power in finding a rhythmical vehicle for the emotion or sentiment of the moment. In the longer passages in which they occur, these metres are generally combined with some form of trochaic verse, which again is often exchanged for septenarian or octonarian iambics. Of the rapid transitions with which Plautus passes from one metre to another in the expression of strong excitement of feeling, we have a striking example in the long recitative of Ballio[88], in which trochaics, septenarian, octonarian, and dimeter, are continually varied by the introduction now of one, now of several, octonarian or septenarian iambics. He thus claims much greater freedom than Terence in the combination of his metres. He exercises also greater license, in substituting two short for one long syllable (in his cretics and trochaics), and in deviating from the laws of position and hiatus accepted by later poets. It is impossible for a modern reader to reproduce the rhythmical flow of passages which must have depended a good deal for their effect on the musical accompaniment, and on the pronunciation of the actor. Yet even though it requires some effort to recognise the legitimate beat of the rhythm 'digito et aure,' it is equally impossible not to recognise the vigour and vehemence of movement of such passages as these-- Haec, quom ego a foro revortar, facite ut offendam parata, Vorsa sparsa tersa strata lauta structaque omnia ut sint. Nam mi hodiest natalis dies: cum decet omnis vos concelebrare. Magnifice volo me viros summos accipere, ut rem mi esse reantur[89]. Terence has a more artistic mastery than Plautus of the ordinary metre of comic dialogue: but the latter has the more original poetic gift of adapting and varying his 'numeri innumeri' to the animated moods and lively fancies of his characters.