THE SUBJECT. PLEUSICLES, a young Athenian, is in love with Philocomasium, a Courtesan of Athens, who returns his affection. Being sent on public business to Naupactus, a certain Captain of Ephesus, Pyrgopolinices by name, comes to Athens, and insinuates himself into the good graces of her mother, in order that he may get Philocomasium into his power. Having deceived the mother, he places the daughter on board ship and carries her off to Ephesus. On this, Palæstrio, a faithful servant of Pleusicles, hastens to embark for Naupactus, with the view of telling his master what has happened. The ship being taken by pirates, he is made captive, and by chance is presented as a gift to Pyrgopolinices. He recognises the mistress of Pleusicles in the Captain's house; but he carefully conceals from the Captain who he himself is. He then privately writes to Pleusicles, requesting him to come to Ephesus. On arriving, Pleusicles is hospitably entertained by Periplecomenus, a friend of his father, an old gentleman who lives next door to the Captain. As Philocomasium has a private room of her own in the Captain's house, a hole is made through the partition wall, and by this contrivance she meets Pleusicles in the house of his entertainer, who gives his sanction to the plan. At this juncture, the play begins. A servant of the Captain, named Sceledrus, has been appointed to be the keeper of Philocomasium. Pursuing a monkey along the roof of the house, he looks down the skylight of the house next door, and there sees Pleusicles and Philocomasium conversing and toying with each other. When this has been discovered to be the case, a plan is arranged, by which Sceledrus shall not only not divulge to the Captain what he has seen, but shall even be made to believe that he has not actually seen it himself. Palæstrio, therefore, persuades him that the twin-sister of Philocomasium has arrived at Ephesus, and with her lover is staying at their neighbour's house. To forward their designs, Palæstrio then invents another plan. He persuades the Captain to believe that the wife of his neighbour, Periplecomenus, is in love with him. Through his agency, a Courtesan, named Acroteleutium, pretends that she is the wife so desperately in love with the Captain. He believes this story, and, that he may the more conveniently receive her in his house, by the advice of Palæstrio, he sends Philocomasium away, and gives her into the charge of Pleusicles, who is disguised in the dress of a master of a ship. They go to the harbour and set sail, accompanied by Palæstrio, whom the Captain has given to Philocomasium at her request. The Captain, then, at the invitation of the maid of Acroteleutium, goes to the house next door, to visit her mistress. On this, Periplecomenus, with his servants, sallies forth upon him, and, having first threatened to cut him in pieces, and then having beaten and stripped him, they let him go, after they have exacted from him a confession that he has been rightly served, and a promise that he will molest no one in return for the treatment he has received. MILES GLORIOSUS; THE BRAGGART CAPTAIN. THE ACROSTIC ARGUMENT. [Supposed to have been written by Priscian, the Grammarian.] A Captain carries off to Ephesus a Courtesan (Meretricem) from Athens. While his servant is intending to tell this (Id) to his master, her lover, who is an Ambassador (Legato) abroad, he himself is captured at sea, and (Et) is given as a present to the same Captain. The servant sends for his (Suum) master from Athens, and cleverly makes a hole in the party wall, common to the two (Geminis) houses, that it may be possible (Liceret) for the two lovers secretly to meet. Wandering about (Oberrans), her keeper sees them from the tiles, but he is played a trick (Ridiculis) upon, as though it were another person. Palæstrio, too, as well (Item) persuades the Captain to have his mistress dismissed (Omissam), since the wife of the old man (Senis), his neighbour, wishes to marry him. He begs that she will go away of her own accord (Ultro), and gives her many things. He, himself, caught in the house of the old man (Senis), receives punishment as an adulterer. 1 ACT THE FIRST. SCENE I. Enter PYRGOPOLINICES, ARTOTROGUS, and Soldiers. PYRG. Take ye care that the lustre of my shield is more Pyrgopolinices) The literal meaning of the name of the swaggering Captain is "the much-conquering tower," or something similar. "Artotrogus" means "bread-eater." The word "Parasite" properly denotes "one person who dines with another." The name was originally given to persons who were assistants to the priests and high magistrates, and, consequently, had a respectable signification. The hangers-on, who are called "Parasites" by the Comic writers of Greece and Rome, first received that name from Alexis, the Greek Comedian. It has been well remarked, that their chief characteristics were "importunity, love of sensual pleasures," and "the desire of getting a good dinner without paying for it." They may be subdivided into the jesting, the officious, and the flattering Parasite (assentator), of which latter kind Artotrogus is an admirable specimen. From ancient writers we find that it was their method to frequent the Courts of justice, market-places, baths, places for exercise, and other objects of public resort, with the view of obtaining a dinner, at the price of being the butt of their entertainer, and cheerfully submitting to the greatest humiliations. bright than the rays of the sun are wont to be at the time when the sky is clear; that when occasion comes, the battle being joined, 'mid the fierce ranks right opposite it may dazzle the eyesight of the enemy. But, I wish to console this sabre of mine, that it may not lament nor be downcast in spirits, because I have thus long been wearing it keeping holiday, which so longs right dreadfully to make havoc of the enemy. But where is Artotrogus ? ARTO. Here he is; he stands close by the hero, valiant and successful, and of princely form. Mars could not dare to style himself a warrior so great, nor compare his prowess with yours. PYRG. Him you mean whom I spared on the Gorgonidonian1 plains, where Bumbomachides Clytomestoridysarchides, the grandson of Neptune, was the chief commander? ARTO. I remember him; him, I suppose, you mean with the golden armour, whose legions you puffed away with your breath just as the wind blows away leaves or the reed-thatched roof. PYRG. That, on my troth, was really nothing at all. ARTO. Faith, that really was nothing at all in comparison with other things I could mention-(aside) which you never did. If any person ever beheld a more perjured fellow than this, or one more full of vain boasting, faith let him have me for himself, I'll resign myself for his slave; if 'tis not the fact that my one mess of olive pottages is eaten up by me right ravenously. PYRG. Where are you? ARTO. Lo! here am I. I' troth 1 Gorgonidonian)-Ver. 13. These three crackjaw names are coined by Plautus much in the style of the names of the characters in Bombastes Furioso. They are mere gibberish, though the two latter are derived from Greek or Latin words; the first of which signifies "a son of a fighter at the sound of the trumpet." 2 'Tis not the fact that)-Ver. 24. This line is read in many different ways, and is evidently in a most corrupt state. Ritschel suggests, "Unum epityrum aput illum estur insane bene," which we follow as nearly as is consistent with the English idiom. 3 Mess of olive pottage)-Ver. 24. "Epityrum" was the name of a dish much used by the people of Sicily, who ate it together with cheese. We learn from Cato (on Rural Matters), that it was made of various kinds of olives minced up, and mixed with oil, vinegar, coriander, cummin, fennel, rue, and mint, and then preserved in jars. in what a fashion it was you broke the fore-leg of even an elephant, in India, with your fist. PYRG. How?—the fore-leg? ARTO. I meant to say this -the thigh. PYRG. I struck the blow without an effort. ARTO. Troth, if, indeed, you had put forth your strength, your arm would have passed right through the hide, the entrails, and the frontispiece of the elephant. PYRG. I don't care for these things just now. ARTO. I' faith, 'tis really not worth the while for you to tell me of it, who know right well your prowess. (Aside.) 'Tis my appetite creates all these plagues. I must hear him right out with my ears, that my teeth mayn't have time3 to grow, and whatever lie he shall tell, to it I must agree. PYRG. What was it I was saying? ARTO. O, I know what you were going to say just now. I' faith 'twas bravely done; I remember its being done. PYRG. What was that? ARTO. Whatever it was you were going to say. PYRG. Have you got your tablets1? ARTO. Are tending to enlist5? I have them, and a pen as well. you in 1The fore-leg)-Ver. 26. "Brachium" is supposed by some to mean "the trunk" of the elephant; but it seems more probable that it here means "the fore-leg." 2 My appetite creates)—Ver. 33. He now addresses the Spectators, and honestly confesses why he is a Parasite. 3 Mayn't have time)-Ver.34. "Dentes dentire" is that which we call "teething." He says that he acts the flatterer that his teeth may not have time to grow through want of employment. Got your tablets)-Ver. 38. The "tabulæ," or "tabellæ," used by the ancients for the purpose of writing, were pieces of wood, mostly of an oblong shape, covered with wax, on which an impression was made with the "stylus," or iron pen. They were sometimes made of ivory, but more frequently of eitron-wood, beech, or fir. The inside only of the tablet was covered with wax, the outer consisting of wood. The leaves were fastened at the back with wires, and opened and shut like the books of the present day. There was a raised margin to each leaf of the tablet, for the purpose of preventing the wax of the one from rubbing against the other. From two to five, six, or even more of these leaves were joined together, which were accordingly called "diptycha," "triptycha," and so on. Those tablets which contained legal documents were pierced through the outer edges with holes, through which a triple thread or string was passed, on which a seal was placed, in order to prevent forgery and to show that the deed was duly executed. 5 Intending to enlist)—Ver. 36. "Rogare." Soldiers, when enlisted, were asked (rogabantur) whether they would take the oath. Hence the word "rogare" means PYRG. How cleverly you do suit your mind to my own mind. ARTO. 'Tis fit that I should know your inclinations studiously, so that whatever you wish should first occur1 to me. PYRG. What do you remember? ARTO. I do remember this. In Cilicia there were a hundred and fifty men, a hundred in Cryphiolathronia, thirty at Sardis, sixty men of Macedon, whom you slaughtered altogether in one day. PYRG. What is the sum total of those men? ARTO. Seven thousand. PYRG. It must be as much: you keep the reckoning well. ARTO. Yet I have none of them written down; still, so I remember it was. PYRG. By my troth, you have a right good memory. PYRG. So long as you shall do such as you have done hitherto, you shall always have something to eat: I will always make you a partaker at my table. ARTO. Besides, in Cappadocia, you would have killed five hundred men altogether at one blow, had not your sabre been blunt. PYRG. I let them live, because I was quite sick of fighting. ARTO. Why should I tell you what all mortals know, that you, Pyrgopolinices, live alone upon the earth, with valour, beauty, and achievements most unsurpassed? All the women are in love with you, and that not without reason, since you are so handsome. Witness those girls that pulled me by my mantle yesterday. PYRG. What was it they said to you? 66 66 Then ARTO. They questioned me about you. "Is Achilles here?" says one to me. No," says I, "his brother is." the other to me: says "By my troth, but he is a handsome something tantamount to our word "enlist," or "recruit." The Parasite asks him if he is going to enlist, as the tablets would be wanted in the "Forum," or "Court of justice," for the purpose of taking down the oaths, and entering the names as the parties were sworn. 1 Should first occur)-Ver. 41. "Prævolat mihi." Literally, "should fly to me beforehand." 2 Cryphiolathronia)-Ver. 43. This word is mere gibberish: it is compounded of Greek words, which would make it to mean "the place of hidden secrecy." The part of the flatterer seems to be a little overdone here. 'Tis the flesh-pots)-Ver. 49. "Offæ monent." "Offa" properly means 66 lump of flesh," from which it came to signify "victuals” in general. a |
