THE Bard perceiving his piece cavill'd at Pleads his own cause; and you shall be the judges, The Synapothnescontes is a piece By Diphilus, a comedy which Plautus, Having translated, called COMMORIENTES. In the beginning of the Græcian play There isa youth, who rends a girl perforce From a procurer: and this incident, Untouch'd by Plautus, render'd word for word, Has our Bard interwoven with his Brothers; The new piece which we represent to-day. Say then if this be theft, or honest use Of what remain'd unoccupied.-For that Which malice tells, that certain noble persons* Assist the bard, and write in concert with him; That which they deem a heavy slander, he Esteems his greatest praise: that he can please Those, who please you, who all the people please ; Those, who in war, in peace, in counsel, ever Have render'd you the dearest services, And ever borne their faculties so meekly. Expect not now the story of the play: PERSON S. PROLOGUE. DEMEA, Father of Æschinus and Ctesipho. MICIO, Brother to Demea. ESCHINUS, A Young Man. CTESIPHO, A Young Man. HEGIO, An Old Man. SANNIO, A Pimp. SYRUS, A Servant. GETA, A Servant. DROMO, A Servant. PARMENO; other Servants, &c. SOSTRATA, A Matron. CANTHARA, A Nurse. MUSICK-GIRL; and other Mutes. SCENE-Athens. THE BROTHERS. ACT I. SCENE I. MICIO. HO, Storax! -No reply ?-Then Eschinus -'Tis commonly (and oh, how truly!) said, That should befall you, which your wife declares, While she, poor soul! is left to pine at home.3 (0 Or broke a limb!---Good heavens! that a man of my son, but my bro And yet he is not my son, but my brother's, 1 ful Whose 1 220 Whose bent of mind is wholly different. I, from youth upward even to this day, Has past his days entirely in the country With thrift, and labour; married; had two sons. I've brought him up; kept; lov'd him as my own; I give, o'erlook, nor think it requisite So that the pranks of youth, which other children Hath won upon, himself to play the false one, And practise impositions on a father, And yet my brother don't accord in this, Nor do these notions, nor this conduct please him. Oft he comes open-mouth'd---" Why how now, Micio? "Why do you ruin this young lad of ours? "Why does he wench? why drink? and why do you "Allow him money to afford all this? "You let him dress too fine. "Tis idle in you." ---'Tis hard in him, unjust, and out of reason. And he, I think, deceives himself indeed, Who Who fancies that authority more firm Founded on force, than what is built on friendship; T his own ways again: But he whom kindness, He burns to make a due return, and acts, SCENE II. Enter DEMEA. Micio. Demea, I'm glad to see you well. Demea. Oho! Well met 4: the very man I came to seek. Micio. But you appear uneasy: what's the matter? Demea. Uneasy? Well I may.---The matter, say you? What can the matter be but Æschinus ? Micio. I said it would be so.--- What has he do ne? Demea. |