University of Virginia Library

The poet very judiciously reserves part of the argument to be told here, which Thais did not relate to Phædria, because Parmeno was present: whom the poet keeps in ignorance, that he may with probability dare to assist Chærea in his attempt on the virgin. Donatus.

Here Terence shews it to be his peculiar excellence to introduce common characters in a new manner, without departing from custom or nature: Since he draws a good courtezan, and yet engages and delights the spectator.

Donatus.

Under the name of Thais, Menander is supposed to have drawn the character of his own mistress, Glycere; and, it seems, he introduced a courtezan of the same name into several of his comedies. One comedy was entitled Thais, from which St. Paul took the sentence in his Epistle to the Corinthians. “Evil communications corrupt good manners.” Plutarch has also preserved four lines of the prologue to that comedy, in which the poet, in a kind of mock heroick manner invokes the muse, to teach him to draw the character of his heroine.

Εμοι μεν ουν αειδε τοιαυτην, θεα,
Θρασειαν, ωραιαν δε και πιθανην αμα,
Αδικουσαν, αποκλειουσαν, αιτουσαν πυκνα,
Μηδενος ορωσαν, προσποιουμενην δ' αει.
Plut. de Audiend. Poet. Such therefore sing, O Goddess! Bold, but fair,
And blest with all the arts of fond persuasion;
Injurious, quarrellous, for ever craving,
Caring for none, but feigning love to all.

The word αποκλειουσαν alludes particularly to the shutting out her lovers, the very injury offered to Phædria in this play.

Fontaine, probably for the same reasons that induced Baron to vary from his original, represents Thais as a young widow, instead of a courtezan.