e it still more agreeable to
our Age; but all the while have kept so nigh our Author's +Sence+
and +Design+, that we hope it can never be justly call'd a Fault. We
can't certainly tell whither +William+ the Conqueror, the +Grand
Seignior+ (and the like) may pass with some: They may possibly
take 'em for Blunders in time: which are now become Proverbial
Expressions; the first signifying only a great while ago, and
t'other a great Man.

As for the Division of the +Acts+ and +Scenes+, all the common
+Terences+ are most notoriously false: The +Acts+ are often wrong,
but the +Scenes+ oftener; and these have bred some obscurity in our
Author's +Rules+. Madam +Dacier+ has been more exact in this than
all others before her; yet, still she's once mistaken in her +Acts+,
and very often in her +Scenes+. We have follow'd her as to her
+Acts+, except one in the +Phormio+; but we have not divided the
+Scenes+ at all by Figures, because they are of no such use; only
the Reader may take notice that whenever any particular +Actor+
enters upon the Stage, or goes off, that makes a different +Scene+;
for the +Ancients+ never had any other that we know of. The
+Prologues+, by the Advice of several Judicious Persons, are left
out, as being the Meanest, the fullest of Quibbles, and the least
Intelligible of any thing he wrote: They relating chiefly to private
Squabbles between our +Author+ and the +Poets+ of his time: The
Particulars of which 'tis impossible for us to understand now, and
we need not be much concern'd that we don't. Besides, in the main,
they are so much beneath the +Author+, that 'tis much question'd
whether they are his or no, especially the Third. The +Arguments+
are certainly none of his, and so far from being useful, that they
only serve to forestall the +Plots+, and take away the Pleasure of
surprizing.

Lastly, That there might be nothing wanting that might make this
Translation as intire and clear as possible; we've all the way
intermix'd +Notes of Explanation+, such as, +Enter+, +Exit+,
+Asides+, and all other things of +Action+, necessary to be known,
and constantly practis'd among our Modern +Dramatick Poets+. These
serve extreamly to the clearing of the +Plots+ which wou'd be
obscure without 'em; especially since their Theatres were so
different from ours. And as this sort of +Notes+ are the +shortest+,
that are generally us'd, so they are most +compleat+, +useful+ and
+clear+, by the help of which any Child al