Chapter 2

And first, We may observe of his +Words+, that they are generally nicely chosen, extreamly proper and significant; and many of 'em carry so much Life and Force in 'em, that they can hardly be express'd in any other Language without great disadvantage to the Original. To instance in these following. +Qui cum ingeniis _conflictatur_ ejusmodi.+ +Ut animus in spe atque in timore usque ante hac _attentus_ fuit.+ +Nisi me lactasses amantem, & falsa spe _produceres_.+ +_Pam._ Mi Pater. _Si._ Quid mi Pater? Quasi tu _hujus indigeas_ Patris.+ +Tandem ego non illâ caream, si sit opus, vel totum triduum. _Par._ Hui? _Universum triduum._+ +Quam _elegans_ formarum spectator siem.+ +Hunc comedendum & deridendum vobis _propino_.+

We shall next take notice of one or two Instances of the Shortness and Clearness of his Narrations; as that which +Tully+ mentions. +Funus interim procedit sequimur, ad Sepulchrum venimus, in ignem posita est, Fletur.+ Another may be that in +Phormio+. +Persuasum est homini, factum est, ventum est, vincimur, duxit.+

Another remarkable Beauty of his Stile appears in his Climaxes; where every Word is Emphatical, heightens the Sense, and adds considerably to what went before. As, +Hæc verba Mehercule una falsa Lachrymula, quam oculos terendo miserè vix vi expresserit, restinguet.+ +Quod ille unciatim vix de demenso suo, suum defraudans genium, comparsit miser.+

The last thing we shall give any instance of, is the Softness and Delicacy of his Turns; of which many might be produced; but we think these few may be sufficient for our purpose. +Eheu me miseram! Cur non aut isthæc mihi ætas & forma est, aut tibi hæc sententia.+ +Nam si ego digna hac contumelia sum maxime, at tu indignus qui faceres tamen.+ +Nam dum abs te absum, omnes mihi labores fuere, quos cepi, leves, præterquam tui carendum quod erat.+ +Palam beatus, ni unum desit, animus qui modeste isthæc ferat.+ +Aliis, quia defit quod amant, ægre est, tibi, quod super est, dolet.+ And as for the Purity of his Language in general; we find it very much commended even by +Tully+ himself. And +One+ of the Moderns is not at all out of the way when he tells us: That the +Latin+ Tongue will never be lost, as long as +Terence+ may be had.

Our Author's Excellent +Latin+ is now the greatest Cause of his Esteem, and makes him so much read in the World; but for certain, he that reads him purely for his +Latin+ sake, does but a quarter read him; for 'tis his +Characters+ and +Plots+ have so far rais'd him up above the rest of the Poets, and have gain'd him so much Honour among the Criticks in all Ages. His +Stile+, tho' so very extraordinary, in a great measure may be learnt by Industry, long Custom, and continual Usage, and has been imitated to a high degree by several; and indeed this was but as rich Attire, and outward Ornaments to set off a more beautiful Body. But in his +Characters+ and +Manners+ there it is that he triumphs without a Rival; and not only +Dramatick+, but all other Poets must yield to him in that Point. For these are drawn exactly to the Life, perfectly just, truly proportionably, and fully kept up to the last; and as for their being natural, +Rapin+ says, +That no Man living had a greater insight into Nature than he.+ The more a Man looks into 'em, the more he must admire 'em; he'll find there not only such Beauty in his +Images+, but also such excellent Precepts of +Morality+, such solid Sense in each Line, such depth of Reasoning in each Period, and such close arguing between each Party, that he must needs perceive him to be a Person of strong Sense and Judgment. His +Deliberations+ are most compleat, where all the several Accidents, Events, Dangers, Casualties, good and bad Consequences are fully summed up and clearly urg'd; so are the +Answers+ of each Person as perfect, where every thing is so well fitted, so home, and so natural, that if one shou'd study upon 'em never so long, he cou'd scarce find any thing more to the purpose. He had a peculiar Happiness at pleasing and amusing an Audience, perpetually keeping 'em in a most even, pleasant, smiling Temper; and this is the most distinguishing part of his Character from the rest of the World; his Pleasantries were somewhat Manly, and such as reach'd beyond the Fancy and Imagination, even to the Heart and Soul of the Audience; and what is more remarkable yet, one single Scene shall please a whole day together; a Secret which few or no other Poet ever found out.

And as we have scarce found one Man in the World that equals him in his Characters, so we find but very few that cou'd come up to him in the Management (we mean his Art and Contrivance) of his +Plots+. We are sensible that many have been so foolish as to count his Plays a +bare Bundle of Dialogues dress'd up in a neat Stile+, and there all his Excellency to consist, or at least that they are very ordinary and mean; but such senseless Suppositions will soon vanish upon giving an Account of the Nature and Perfection of 'em. He well understood the Rules of the Stage, or rather those of +Nature+; was perfectly +Regular+, wonderful exact and careful in ordering each +Protasis+ or Entrance, +Epitasis+ or working up, +Catastasis+ or heighth, and +Catastrophe+ or unravelling the Plot; which last he was famous for making it spring necessarily from the Incidents, and neatly and dextrously untying the Knot, whilst others of a grosser make, would either tear, or cut it in pieces. In short (setting aside some few things which we shall mention by and by) +Terence+ may serve for the best and most perfect +Model+ for our +Dramatick+ Poets to imitate, provided they exactly observe the different Customs and Manners of the +Roman+ and +English+ People; and upon the same account we beg leave to be a little more particular in this Matter, which dispos'd us very much to this Translation.

The Nature of his +Plots+ was for the most part grave and solid, and sometimes passionate a little, resembling our Modern +Tragy-Comedies+; only the Comical parts were seldom so merry; the Thinness and clearness of 'em somewhat resembling our Modern +Tragedies+, only more perfect in the latter, and not crouded with too many Incidents. They were all double except the +Hecyra+, or +Mother-in-Law+, yet so contriv'd that one was always an +Under-plot+ to the other: So that he still kept perfectly to the first great Rule of the Stage, the +Unity of Action+. As for the second great Rule the +Unity of Time+ (that is, for the whole Action to be perform'd in the compass of a Day) he was as exact in that as possible, for the longest Action of any of his Plays reaches not Eleven hours. He was no less careful in the third Rule, +The Unity of Place+, for 'tis plain he never shifts his Scene in any one of his Plays, but keeps constantly to the same place from the beginning to the end. Then for the +Continuance in the Action+, he never fails in any one place, but every Instrument is perpetually at work in carrying on their several Designs, and in them the design of the whole; so that the Stage never grows cold till all is finish'd: And to do this the more handsomely and dextrously, he scarce ever brings an +Actor+ upon the Stage, but you presently know his Name and Quality, what part of the Intrigue he's to promote, why he came there, from whence he came, why just at that time, why he goes off, where he's a going, and also what he is or ought to be doing or contriving all the time he's away. His +Scenes+ are always unbroken, so that the Stage is never perfectly clear but between the Acts; but are continually joyn'd by one of the four Unions. Which according to +Mon. Hedelin+ are these; +Presence+, +Seeking+, +Noise+, or +Time+; and when the Action ceaseth (that is, upon the Stage) and the Stage is clear'd, an +Act+ is then finish'd. Then for +Incidents+, and the due Preparation of 'em, +Terence+ was admirable: And the true and exact Management of +these+ is one of the most difficult parts of +Dramatick Poetry+. He contrives every thing in such a manner so as to fall out most probably and naturally, and when they are over they seem almost necessary; yet by his excellent Skill he so cunningly conceals the Events of things from his Audience, till due time, that they can never foresee 'em; by this means they are so amus'd with the +Actors+ Designs, that the +Poets+ is unknown to 'em, till at last, being all along in the dark, they are surpriz'd most agreeably by something they never look'd for: And this is the most taking and the most delightful part of a Play. We might insist much more largely upon each of these Particulars, and upon several others, but at present we shall content our selves with saying that these +Plots+ are all so very +clear+, and +natural+, that they might very well go for a Representation of a thing that had really happen'd; and not the meer Invention of the +Poet+.

There are two or three remarkable Objections against our Author which we can't but take notice of. First, 'tis said, +That he has not kept to the Unity of Time in his Heautontimoreumenos, or Self-Tormenter; which contains the space of two days. Then, between the second and third Acts, there's an absolute failure of the Continuance of the Action.+ These are generally believ'd by several Men, and such as are famous too; and some to vindicate +Terence+ the better have added another Mistake, +That the Play was always acted two several times, the two first Acts one, and the three last another.+ But 'tis plain from all Circumstances, that the +Action+ began very late in the Evening, and ended betimes in the Morning (of which we have said something in our +Remarks+ at the end) so that the whole cou'dn't contain above Eleven hours; but as for that of the +Cessation of the Action+, 'tis answer'd two ways, either by the necessity of Sleep at that Interval, and consequently no +Cessation+, or (which is more probable) by the Persons being busie at the Treat at +Chremes+'s House, that being a necessary part of the main +Action+. The two following are Mr. +Dryden+'s Exceptions; where first he lays an Error to our Author's Charge in matter of +Time+. +In the Eunuch+ (says he) +when _Laches_ enters _Thais_'s House by mistake, between his _Exit_ and the Entrance of _Pythias_, who comes to give ample Relation of the Disorder he has rais'd within, _Parmeno_ who is left upon the Stage has not above five Lines to speak.+ In answer to this, +Pythias+ makes no such +ample Relation+, but rather tells him what +Disorders+ such a foolish Act of his was like to raise; and in truth it is not probable she shou'd stay above five or six Lines speaking, since after she saw her Cheat had taken, she cou'dn't keep her countenance within Doors, and was so eager to revenge her self by laughing at the Fool without. Besides here's an excellent Artifice of the Poets, for had she tarry'd longer, +Parmeno+ might ha' been gone, and her Mirth qualified when she saw the good Fortune +Chærea+ had met withal. His other Exception is, that our Author's +Scenes+ are several times broken. He instances in the same Play, +That _Antipho_ enters singly in the midst of the third Act, after _Chremes_ and _Pythias_ were gone off+. As for this, 'tis to be consider'd that +Scenes+ are united by +Time+ as well as +Presence+; and this is a perfect +Union of Time+, apparent to all who understand the +Art of the Stage+. A little farther he says, +That _Dorias_ begins the fourth Act alone;---- She quits the Stage, and _Phedria_ enters next.+ Here +Dorias+ does not quit the Stage till three +Scenes+ after, as appears by +Pythias+, bidding her carry in such things as she had brought with her from the Captain's Entertainment; but if she did, there wou'd be an +Union of Time+ nevertheless, as there is in all other places, where the +Scenes+ seem broken. Some make this Objection; that in the beginning of many Scenes, two +Actors+ enter upon the Stage, and talk to themselves a considerable time before they see or know one another; +Which+ (they say) +is neither probable nor natural+. Those that object this don't consider the great Difference between our little scanty Stage, and the large magnificent +Roman Theatres+. Their Stage was sixty Yards wide in the Front, their Scenes so many Streets meeting together, with all By-Lanes, Rows and Allies; so two +Actors+ coming down two different Streets or Lanes cou'dn't be seen by each other, tho' the +Spectators+ might see both, and sometimes if they did see each other they cou'dn't well distinguish Faces at sixty Yards distances. Besides upon several accounts it might well be suppos'd when an +Actor+ enters upon the Stage out of some House, he might take a turn or two under the +Portico's+, +Cloysters+, or the like (that were usual at that time) about his Door, and take no notice of an +Actor+'s being on the other side the Stage.

But since we propose our Master as the best +Model+ for +Dramatick Poets+ to follow, we ought in Justice to mention such things wherein he was any ways faulty, or at least where he ought not to be imitated. The first is, He makes his +Actors+ in some places speak directly, and immediately to the +Audience+ (of which that +Monologue+ of +Mysis+ in the first Act of the first Play is an instance) which is contrary to the Rules of +Dramatick Poetry+, or rather indeed of +Nature+; and this is the only real Fault that +Terence+ was guilty of, as his want of +Vis Comica+ was the only real Defect. His +Plots+ were not always the best for Story, tho' for Contrivance, and wanted somewhat of Length and Variety, fully and compleatly to satisfie an Audience. Take 'em all together, they were too much alike to have always their deserv'd Effect of surprizing; which also gave a mighty Limitation to the Variety of his +Characters+; a great pity for a Man that had such an admirable Knack of drawing them to the Life. It were also to be wish'd that his +Monologues+ or Discourses by single Persons, were less frequent, and sometimes shorter too; for tho' they are all of 'em full of excellent Sence, sound Reasoning, ingenious +Deliberations+, and serv'd truly to carry on the main Design; yet several parts of 'em, especially all +Narrations+, wou'd ha' been more natural as well as Artificial, if told by Persons of the +Drama+ to one another. Then his +Aparts+ or +Asides+ (that is when one +Actor+ speaks something which another that is present is suppos'd to not hear, tho' the Audience do) are sometimes too long to be perfectly natural. Whether he has not sometimes too much Elevation of Passion, or Borders too nigh upon +Tragedy+ for such inferior Persons, we leave to others. These are the main things to be taken notice of by all that make use of him for a +Model+, besides all such as belong purely to the various Customs of Countries, and to the difference of +Theatres+; but those are obvious enough to all.

But there's still one great Objection against these +Plays+ in general; that is, +If _Terence_'s Plays are so good as is pretended, why doesn't some Poet or other translate one or more of 'em for the Stage, so save himself the trouble of racking his Brain for new Matter+. We own they wouldn't take upon our Stage; but to clear all, we shall give these two Reasons: First, The Difference between the +Romans+ and our selves in +Customs+, +Humors+, +Manners+ and +Theatres+ is such, that it is impossible to adapt their Plays to our Stages. The +Roman+ Plots were often founded upon the exposing of Children, and their unexpected Delivery, on buying of Misses and Musick-Girls; they were chiefly pleas'd to see a covetous old Father neatly bubbled by his Slave of a round Sum of Money; to find the young Spark his Son (miserably in want of Cash) joyn with the Slave in the Intrigue, that he may get somewhat to stop his Mistress's Mouth, whom he keeps unknown to his Father; to see a bragging Coxcomb wheadled and abus'd by some cunning +Parasite+; to hear a Glutton talk of nothing but his Belly, and the like. Our +Plots+ go chiefly upon variety of Love-Intrigues, Ladies Cuckolding their Husbands most dextrously; Gallants danger upon the same account, with their escape either by witty Fetches, or hiding themselves in dark Holes, Closets, Beds, &c. We are all for Humour, Gallantry, Conversation, and Courtship, and shou'dn't endure the chief Lady in the Play a Mute, or to say very little, as 'twas agreeable to them: Our amorous Sparks love to hear the pretty Rogues prate, snap up their Gallants, and Repartée upon 'em on all sides. We shou'dn't like to have a Lady marry'd without knowing whether she gives her consent or no, (a Custom among the +Romans+) but wou'd be for hearing all the Courtship, all the rare and fine things that Lovers can say to each other. The second Reason of their not taking upon the Stage is this, tho' +Terence+'s Plays are far more +exact+, +natural+, +regular+, and clear than ours, and his Persons speak more like themselves than generally ours do; yet (to speak impartially) our Plays do plainly excel his in some Particulars. First, in the great Variety of the +Matter+ and +Incidents+ of our +Plots+; the Intrigues thicker and finer; the +Stories+ better, longer, and more curious for the most part than his: And tho' there's much confusion, huddle and precipitation in the generality of 'em; yet the great variety and number of +Incidents+ tho' ill manag'd, will have several Charms, and be mighty diverting, especially to a vulgar Audience, like the Sight of a large City at a distance, where there is little of Regularity or Uniformity to be discern'd just by. Next, we do much excel +Terence+ in that which we call +Humour+, that is in our +Comical Characters+, in which we have shewn and expos'd the several Humours, Dispositions, Natures, Inclinations, Fancies, Irregularities, Maggots, Passions, Whims, Follies, Extravagancies, &c. of Men under all sorts of Circumstances, of all sorts of +Ranks+ and +Qualities+, of all +Professions+ and +Trades+, and of all +Nations+ and +Countries+, so admirably, and so lively, that in this no Nation among the Ancients or Moderns were ever comparable to us. Lastly, Our +Comedies+ excel his in some Delicacies of +Conversation+; particularly in the Refinedness of our +Railery+ and +Satyr+, and above all in +Repartée+. Some of these things (especially when mix'd with +Humour+) have made many an ordinary +Plot+ take and come off well; and without a pretty quantity of some of 'em, our Plays wou'd go down very heavily.

Since we are accidentally fall'n into the Excellencies of our +Comedies+, we hope it may be pardonable if we mention also some principal Faults in 'em, which seem to need a Regulation. And first, Our +Poets+ seldom or never observe any of the three great +Unities of Action+, +Time+ and +Place+, which are great Errors; For what breeds more Confusion than to have five or six main +Plots+ in a Play, when the Audience can never attend to 'em? What more extravagant than to fancy the Actions of Weeks, Months, and Years represented in the Space of three or four Hours? Or what more unnatural than for the Spectators to suppose themselves now in a Street, then in a Garden, by and by in a Chamber, immediately in the Fields, then in a Street again, and never move out of their place? Wou'dn't one swear there was Conjuration in the Case; that the Theatres were a sort of +Fairy Land+ where all is Inchantment, Juggle and Delusion? Next, our Plays are too often over-power'd with +Incidents+ and +Under-plots+, and our Stage as much crowded with such +Actors+, as there's little or no occasion for; especially at one time. Then the +Matter+, and Discourse of our Plays is very often incoherent and impertinent as to the main Design; nothing being more common than to meet with two or three whole Scenes in a Play, which wou'd have fitted any other part of the Play ev'n as well as that; and perhaps any Play else. Thus some appear to swear out a Scene or two, others to talk bawdy a little, without any manner of dependance upon the rest of the Action. But besides this (which is another great Error) when the +Matter+ and +Discourse+ do serve to carry on the main Design, commonly Persons are brought on to the Stage without any sort of Art, Probability, Reason or Necessity for their coming there; and when they have no such Business as one that comes in to give you a Song or a Jigg. They come there to serve the Poets Design a little, then off they go with as little Reason as they came on; and that only to make way for other Actors, who (as they did) come only to tell the Audience something the Poet has a mind to have 'em know; and that's all their business: And truly that's little enough. This we see frequently in the chief Actor of the Play, who comes on and goes off, and the Spectators all the time stand staring and wondring at what they know not what. Another great Fault common to many of our Plays is, that an Actor's +Name+, +Quality+ or +Business+ is scarce ever known till a good while after his appearance; which must needs make the Audience at a great Loss, and the Play hard to be understood, forcing 'em to carry Books with 'em to the +Play-house+ to know who comes in, and who goes out.

The Ancients were guilty of none of these Absurdities, and more especially our Author; and indeed the Non-observance of +Rules+ has occasion'd the great Miscarriages of so many excellent Genius's of ours, particularly that of the immortal +Shakespear+. Since these are such apparent Faults and Absurdities, and still our Beauties are so admirable as to cover, and almost to out-weigh our Errors (else our Plays were not to be endur'd) undoubtedly our +Dramatick Poets+ by the Observance of this Author's Ways and Rules might out-do all the +Ancients+ and +Moderns+ too, both at +Tragedy+ and at +Comedy+; for no Nation ever had greater +Genius+'s than ours for Dramatick Poetry. These ha' been but little observ'd as yet, so that all our fine +Imitations of Nature+ may often be call'd +Lucky hits+, and more by Accident than by Art. We very much need a Reformation in this Case, and our Plays can never arrive to any great Perfection without it; therefore the nigher they come up to this Standard, the more they will be admir'd and lov'd by all Judicious Persons, provided they still keep to those Excellencies before-mention'd. Besides, these are as easily practicable upon ours as upon the +Greek+ and +Roman+ Theatres; and by a strict Observance of the +Unity of Place+, the Stage may be made far more handsome and magnificent with less Charge; and by that of the +Unity of Action+ (especially by the help of an Under-plot or so) the Story may be made far more fine and clear with less trouble.