LONDON:
Printed by W. Clowes, Northumberland-court.
PREFACE.
If an apology for the following translation cannot be found in the work itself, it would be to little purpose to insert it in the Preface. I have attempted to present to the public the most celebrated dramatist of ancient Rome, in such a dress as may enable the English reader, learned and unlearned equally, to relish, in his own language, the beauties of this great poet. Though the original is composed in verse, I have employed prose in this translation, because the verse of Terence approaches so very nearly to prose, that in prose only is it possible to adhere faithfully to the words, and particularly to the style of our author; as we have in our language no measure of verse at all corresponding with that used by Terence.
To the learned reader, the number of the subjoined Notes may, perhaps, seem excessive; and the minuteness of description which characterizes many of them, may appear unnecessary; but, though this work was not written professedly for the schools, yet the Notes were not composed entirely without a view to the instruction of the young student; and, as translations are supposed to be made chiefly for the use of the unlearned, who cannot be expected to be much acquainted with the manners and customs of the ancients; I thought it better, if I erred at all, to err on the safe side, and to repeat to some of my readers something that they knew before, rather than run the risk of permitting any one of them to remain unacquainted with it altogether. A French translator of Terence, the learned and indefatigable Madame Dacier, has judged a still greater number of Notes than I have subjoined in this work, necessary to elucidate various passages in her translation of the play of the Andrian, and of Suetonius’s Life of our author. One remark may be added on this subject; it must be considered that many of the explanatory Notes affixed to the play of the Andrian, tend to the general elucidation of the various passages in the remaining five plays of Terence; and I think I may venture to hope, that the Notes in general, will, in many instances, be found useful in the exposition of many passages in the Latin and Greek classics.
I am induced to publish this play singly, with a view of ascertaining whether a translation of Terence’s comedies on this plan may meet with sufficient approbation to encourage the appearance of the remaining five plays: as I propose to give a complete translation of the works of this celebrated author, if the present attempt should be honoured with a favourable reception. I may say, in the words of Terence himself,
“Favete, adeste æquo animo, et rem cognoscite,
Ut pernoscatis, ecquid spei sit reliquum,
Posthac quas faciet de integro comœdias,
Spectandæ, an exigendæ sint vobis priùs.”