most may apprehend every
thing. Perhaps we might have omitted some of 'em, but we have better
offend this way than the other.

Thus have we said as much as we thought requisite in Vindication of
our Master's Honour, and of our own Undertaking. And if we had said
ten times as much; and ne're so much to the purpose, People will
still think, and talk what they please, and we can't help it.

PLAUTUS's

COMEDIES,

_AMPHITRYON_,
_EPIDICUS_, and
_RUDENS_,

Made English:

With

+Critical Remarks+

Upon Each PLAY.

---- _Non ego paucis_
_Offendar maculis: quas aut incuria fudit_
_Aut humana parum cavit natura:_ ----

Horat. Art. Poet.

_LONDON:_

Printed for _Abel Swalle_ and _T. Child_ at the _Unicorn_
at the West-End of _S. Paul's_ Churchyard, 1694.

THE

PREFACE.

This Nations Excellencies in +Dramatick Poetry+ have been so
extraordinary, and our Performance both in +Tragedy+ and +Comedy+
have discover'd such strange +Genius+'s, that we have some reason to
believe, that we have not only surpass'd our Neighbours the Moderns,
but likewise have excell'd our Masters the Ancients. But the want of
Knowledge of the Ancients has been one great Reason for our setting
our selves so very much above 'em; for tho' we have many Beauties
which they wanted, yet it must be own'd, that they have more which
we have not, except that it may be some very few of our Pieces. But
then their Excellencies are far less known to us than ours; for the
Common People are unacquainted with their Languages, and the more
Learned sort, for want of due Observance and Penetration, have been
ignorant enough of their essential Beauties; they, for the most
part, contenting themselves with considering the +superficial+ ones,
such as the +Stile+, +Language+, +Expression+, and the like, without
taking much notice of the Contrivance and Management, of the
+Plots+, +Characters+, &c.

But a considerable Discovery of these Excellencies has been made by
means of a late Version of +Terence+, especially by the help of the
+Preface+ and +Remarks+: And this has made me hope, that two or
three Plays of +Plautus+'s cou'd not be very unacceptable after
them; and since the principal Fault of the +Remarks+ in that Version
was their being too short, I h