ately and directly to the Spectators; a Fault
that +Terence+ was not wholly free from. This our modern Plays,
I think, are never guilty of; only in our +Monologues+ and +Asides+,
our Actors have got a custom of looking so full upon the Spectators,
that it seems but one degree better. But our Author is not guilty of
this in these three Plays, except in +Amphitryon+, and that by way
of +Prologue+, or of any other Faults but what, I believe, I have
shewn in my +Remarks+. And these that I have here chosen, are no
ways inferior to +Terence+'s in matters of +Plot+ and +Intreague+,
but in some respects superior, tho' not so elaborately wrought up,
or always with that Niceness; so that these may undoubtedly prove
excellent Models for our Poets Imitation, provided they observe
Differences of Tastes, Humours, Ages, and Persons, and keep to those
principal Beauties they already possess, some of which are
undoubtedly above the Ancients. Only +Terence+ will teach 'em one
thing that +Plautus+ does not, to wit, the great Cunning of working
in +Under-Plots+, and still preserving the +Unity of Action+; for
+Plautus+ has none of them. As for the Necessity of Rules, the
Objections against 'em, and the wonderful Perfection our Plays might
arrive to by a more close Observance of 'em, I must once more refer
my Reader to the Preface to +Terence+. It was principally upon the
Poets Account, and for all such as are desirous of understanding and
judging the Excellencies of Dramatick Poetry, that I translated
these Plays. If it be objected, that the Poets, Criticks, and
Lovers, as well as Judges of Dramatick Poetry, do most of 'em
understand the Original; I must deny the Truth of it, tho' several
of 'em do: But if they did, these will be much more proper for their
Design, especially by means of the +Notes+ and +Remarks+; and the
Reasons I urg'd for the translation of +Terence+, bear a greater
force in this Author, for here is a greater Obscurity, by reason of
corrupted Copies, wrong Points, false Divisions of whole Acts as
well as Scenes, besides a greater number of knotty and obscure
Passages, than in +Terence+.

Tho' this was my principal, it was not my only Design of translating
this Author, for I had all the way an Eye to School boys, and
Learners of the +Latin+ Tongue: Therefore, upon that account, I have
not only kept perfectly close to his Sence, but almost always to his
Words too; a thing not only extream difficult in an Author so
freque