University of Virginia Library

He who undertakes to conduct two intrigues at a time, imposes on himself the necessity of unravelling them both at the same instant. If the principal concludes first, that which remains can support itself no longer: if, on the contrary the episode abandons the main part of the fable, there arises another inconvenience; some of the characters either disappear without reason, or shew themselves again to no end or purpose; so that the piece becomes maimed or uninteresting.

The first of the inconveniences above mentioned is that which occurs in the conclusion of this play. The discovery once made, and Glycerium given to Pamphilus, all that remains becomes cold. From the extreme brevity of this last scene, one would imagine that the Poet himself found this part of the fable languish under his hands. Some of the commentators, fond of that tediousness, which Terence was so studious to avoid, have added seventeen spurious lines of dialogue between Charinus and Chremes. But Donatus, tho' he approved of this underplot, which Terence added to the fable of Menander, yet commends his judgment in avoiding prolixity, by settling only one marriage on the stage, and dispatching the other behind the scenes. But surely the whole episode of Charinus is unnecessary, and the fable would be more clear, more compact, and more complete without it. See the first note to the second act.

The fifth act of Baron is an almost literal, though very elegant version, of this of our Author.

It is very remarkable, that though Terence is generally considered to be a grave author, as writer of Comedy, the Andrian has much more humour and pleasantry, than either the English or French imitation of it.

This whole sentence is transferred by our Poet to this play from the Eunuch of Menander: and to this practice alludes the objection mentioned in the Prologue.

That Fables should not be contaminated.

The passage in Shakespeare's Othello, from which I have borrowed this line, is a kind of contrast to this in our Author. Each of them are speeches of the highest joy and rapture, and each of them founded on the instability of human happiness; but in my mind the English Poet has the advantage.

There is a passage in Otway's Orphan, which is, I think, a palpable imitation of a speech of Pamphilus, at the conclusion of the first act of this play. As it happened to be omitted in that place, I have subjoined it to this note; and if the reader will take the pains to turn back to page 29, he may compare the two speeches together.