[NOTE 167.]
Char. (to Pamphilus.) But you are constant and courageous.
P. Quis videor?
C. Miser æque atque ego.
D. Consilium quæro.
C. Fortis.
Critics have differed considerably respecting this passage. Some think the word fortis should be understood as addressed to Davus.
I have adopted the interpretation which M. le Fevre, Madame Dacier’s father, has given of this passage. Pamphilus, after expressing his resolution to remain faithful to Glycera, turns to Charinus, expecting a compliment on his behaviour. After a jest on his friend’s having reduced himself to such a forlorn situation, by following the advice of Davus, Charinus, by the word fortis, pays him the compliment his handsome conduct deserved.
[NOTE 168.]
Pam. (to Davus.) I know what you would attempt.
Pamphilus, in this speech, alludes to his jest upon Davus in the previous scene, where he says, “I have no doubt, that if that wise head of yours goes to work,” &c., vide [p. 67, l. 8.] Pamphilus means, I imagine, when he says, “I know what you would attempt,” I suppose you are going to provide the two wives I was speaking of. He could not mean that he really knew Davus’s plan: because he asks him afterwards, [page 70, line 10,] what he intended to do.
[NOTE 169.]
Pam.—What are you going to do? tell me.
The Davus of M. Baron, instead of laying the child at Simo’s door, makes a false report to Mysis, that Pamphilus intends to desert Glycera, and to espouse Philumena: Mysis communicates this to her mistress, who, in her distress, throws herself at Chremes’ feet, and shews him the contract of her marriage with Pamphilus. This induces Chremes to favour Glycera, and to break off the intended marriage.
[NOTE 170.]
Hitherto, he has been to her a source of more evil than good.
“As I never was able to make any sense of facile hic plus est quam illic boni, I choose to give the passage a turn, though contrary to all the readings which I have seen, which makes that proper, with the omission of one word, which was not before intelligible. The usual construction of the words, as they stand in all editions, is this,—there is more ill in his sorrow, or trouble, (some read dolorem, some laborem,) than there is good in his love: see, particularly, Camus’s edition for the use of the Dauphin, which is not only a poor meaning, and unworthy Terence, but inconsistent with what Mysis had said before in the preceding scenes: I therefore choose to be singular and intelligible, rather than to go with all the editors and translators of our poet, and be obscure.”—Cooke.