er this ought to be esteemed to
his praise or to his discredit. The Synapothnescontes[17] is a Comedy
of Diphilus;[18] Plautus made it into a Play {called} the
"Commorientes." In the Greek, there is a young man, who, at the early
part of the Play, carries off a Courtesan from a Procurer; that part
Plautus has entirely left out. This portion he has adopted in the
Adelphi, {and} has transferred it, translated word for word. This new
{Play} we are about to perform; determine {then} whether you think a
theft has been committed, or a passage has been restored to notice
which has been passed over in neglect. For as to what these malevolent
persons say, that men of noble rank assist him, and are always writing
in conjunction with him-- that which they deem to be a heavy
crimination, he takes to be the highest praise; since he pleases those
who please you all and the public; the aid of whom in war, in peace,
in private business,[19] each one has availed himself of, on his own
occasion, without {any} haughtiness {on their part}. Now then, do not
expect the plot of the Play; the old men[20] who come first will
disclose it in part; a part in the representation they will make
known. Do you cause your impartial attention to increase the industry
of the Poet in writing.

ACT THE FIRST.

SCENE I.

_Enter MICIO, calling to a servant within._

MIC. Storax! AEschinus has not returned {home} from the entertainment
last night, nor any of the servants who went to fetch him.[21] (_To
himself._) Really, they say it with reason, if you are absent any
where, or if you stay abroad at any time, 'twere better for that to
happen which {your} wife says against you, and which in her passion
she imagines in her mind, than the things which fond parents {fancy}.
A wife, if you stay long abroad, either imagines that you are in love
or are beloved, or that you are drinking and indulging your
inclination, and that you only are taking your pleasure, while she
herself is miserable. As for myself, in consequence of my son not
having returned home, what do I imagine? In what ways am I not
disturbed? For fear lest he may either have taken cold,[22] or have
fallen down somewhere, or have broken some {limb}. Oh dear! that any
man should take it into his head, or find out what is dearer {to him}
than he is to himself! And yet he is not my son, but my brother's. He
is quite different in disposition. I, from my very youth upward, have
lived a comfort