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SCENE III.
Dem.With how much care, and what sollicitude,
My son affects me, with this wretched match
Having embroil'd himself and me! nor comes
Into my sight, that I might know at least
Or what he says, or thinks of this affair.
Go, you; and see if he's come home, or no.
Get.
I'm gone.
[Exit.
Dem.
You see, Sirs, how this matter stands.
What shall I do? Say, Hegio!
Heg.
Meaning me?
Cratinus, please you, shou'd speak first.
Dem.
Say then,
Cratinus!
Cra.
Me d'ye question?
Dem.
You.
Cra.
Then I,
Thus it appears to Me. Whate'er your son
Has in your absence done, is null and void
In law and equity.—And so you'll find.
That's my opinion.
Dem.
Say now, Hegio?
Heg.
He has, I think, pronounc'd most learnedly.
But so 'tis: many men, and many minds!
Each has his fancy: Now, in my opinion,
Whate'er is done by law, can't be undone.
'Tis shameful to attempt it.
Dem.
Say you, Crito!
Cri.
The case, I think, asks more deliberation.
'Tis a nice point.
Heg.
Wou'd you aught else with us?
Dem.
You've utter'd Oracles. [Exeunt Lawyers.]
I'm more uncertain
Now than I was before.
Get.
He's not return'd.
Dem.
My Brother, as I hope, will soon arrive:
Whate'er advice he gives me, that I'll follow.
I'll to the Port, and ask when they expect him.
[Exit.
Get.
And I'll go find out Antipho, and tell him
All that has past.—But here he comes in time.
I believe there is no scene of Comedy more highly seasoned with the Ridiculous than this before us. The idea is truly comick, and it is worked up with all that simplicity and chastity, so peculiar to the manner of Terence. An ordinary writer would have indulged himself in twenty little conceits on this occasion; but the dry gravity of Terence infinitely surpasses, as true humour, all the drolleries, which perhaps even those great Masters of Comedy, Plautus or Moliere, might have been tempted to throw out. It is the highest art of a Dramatick Author on some occasions to leave a good deal to the Actor: it has been remarked by Heinsius and others, that Terence was particularly attentive to this circumstance; and Donatus in his preface to this Comedy says, that it is tota diverbiis facetissimis, & gestum desiderantibus scenicum.
Sed eccum ipsum video in tempore huc se recipere. Here in all the common books ends the second act; and the scenes that make up the residue of it here, in them compose the third. Madam Dacier saw the absurdity, but follows the old division, arbitrarily omitting the above line, in order to break the palpable continuity of the scenes; and make the stage appear to be vacant. But the line in question is in all the copies: nor is it likely that in so busy a play, the Author would have devoted a whole act to the Episode of Phædria and his Musick-Girl. The division of the acts in this play is so extremely confused in all the books I have seen, that I have varied from them all. I have endeavoured to find out the natural rests or pauses in the action, and to divide the acts in such a manner, as to assign a particular business to each. See the first note to Act V.
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