P ROLO G U E. MERCURY, disguised like SOSIA. S ye would have me in your merchandisings, A Buyings fellings, And forward you in all your undertakings; 5 Prologue.] This prologue is so very different from that which led Hamlet to ask, "Is this a prologue, or the posy of a ring?" that I fear it will appear to the reader as dull and tedious as a “ tale told by an idiot." In the very first introductory lines there is a repetion of the same sentiment over and over again (a fault indeed too common in our author) befides a most glaring inconfistency in Mercury's declaring (v. 13.) that the audience knew his attributes as a god, though he is disguised as a flave, and thinks himself under the necessity afterwards (v. 20.) to tell bis name. There follows a strange jumble concerning the characters of Mercury and Jupiter as deities, and as actors in their own proper persons. Such a confufion of reality and fiction is, however, not uncommon in our author, who frequently makes h's charac ters, in the very middle of the play, address the audience, as he does repeatedly in this very play. Moliere, in his Amphitryon borrowed from this play, has made a pretty use of a dialogue in Lucian, which gave him the hint of a very fuitable prologue. He introduces Mercury in a cloud, calling to Night as she is passing in her carriage; and a dialogue ensues betwixt them, in which the god acquaints her with the B 2 order Of fair, and ample, and continual gain ; As ye would have me be the messenger 10 Of good to you and yours, and tidings bring Such as shall most advance your common interest ; (For well ye know, that by the other gods 'Tis giv'n me to preside o'er news and trade) As ye would have my favour in these points, 15 order of Jupiter, that she should stop her career, while he is enjoying Alemona. Dryden has in some measure followed Moliere, but with less elegance; for he has made this the business of most part of his first act, instead of entering at once upon the fubject by introducing Sofia as in the Latin and French, which in the English is postponed to the opening of the second act. Besides, he brings in not only Mercury and Night, but Phœbus also, and Jupiter, for no other purpose, as it should feem, but that of eking out. I cannot forbear mentioning a forry witticism, as it appears to me, at the end of Moliere's prologue, where Mercury at parting fays, Fon-jour, la Nuit, which Dryden nearly copies, night, Night." "Good Echard, who has tranflated this play, gives an odd reason why the prologue is spoken by Mercury. It is "because (says he) "it would not have been so probable for another person to have " been abroad at that time of night;" -as if probability was at all confulted. V.9.] Epignomus, (as is observed by the commentators) in the Stichus of our author, Act III. Scene I. returns thanks to Mercury on this very account. Mercurio, qui me in mercimoniis Juvit, lucrisque qradruplificavit rem meam. Who aided me in traffick, and encreas'd My ftock four-fold. So So shall ye all be fair and upright judges. 20 By whose command, and wherefore I am come, I'll now relate, and likewise tell my nanie. I come by Jove's command: my name is Mercury. My fire has fent me to implore your favour, Though by his pow'r he knew he could perforce Conftrain you fo to act as he should order; For he is not to learn how much ye fear 25 To use entreaty, and in gentle terms; For that fame Jove, by whose command I come, Has not lefs dread of harm than any of you: 30 Nor is it marvellous that he should fear, Born of an human fire, an human mother: V. 9.] Mercury here drops his godship, and talks of the actor, who was to play the character of Jupiter, and of himself as mere mortals, who were afraid of meeting with an ill reception from the audience, and being confequently punished. [See the next note.] Madam Dacier calls this a pleasant pafssage; but the mere modern reader, I am afraid, will scarcely be induced to look upon it in any other light than as an absurdity. V. 30. Harm.] Malum. The Latin word, as commentators agree, implies the punishment, which was inflicted upon actors, (as they were flaves) who did not perform their parts to satisfaction. Malum is often used by our author as meaning corporal punishment. If I might be pardoned, I should be led, from confidering the fervile condition of the actors of former times, to conjecture how Terence, who was originally a flave, came afterwards to be a writer of comedies, and such excellent ones too. He was perhaps employed about the stage, and even an actor on it: as we owe our own Shakespeare to his having been in a like fituation. But I throw this out merely as a conjecture. And And I too, even I, who am Jove's fon, Now lend attention to my words. Our will In tragedies how other deities, Neptune to wit, Virtue, and Victory, 40 45 Mars and Bellona, have with boasts recounted V. 35.] It must be confessed, that Plautus too often trifles in playing with words, as he does notoriously in this passage. V. 37. A fupplicant.] The Latin word is Orator. Cooke, who has translated this play, infists that Orator here means Ambassador, as in the prologue to the Step-Mother, and also the Self-Tormentor, of Terence, where Mr. Colman differs from him, and rightly translates it in both places Pleader; for which see his reasons. In this place neither one nor the other is proper, as is plain from the preceding line. Justam rem et facilem esse oratam a vobis volo, and several others, where orare and oro are mentioned. V. 43.] Mercury here resumes his character of a deity. To To twit the good with any good he did : He thinks your gratitude repays his kindness, And that ye well deserve the good he does you. 55 Now what I'm come to afk I'll first premife, Then tell the argument of this our tragedy. 60 I will convert it from a tragedy To comedy, the verses still the same. Would ye it fo, or not? But I'm a fool! V. 68.] This is the only mention made (as I believe) in any ancient author, of that mixed kind of play, which is here called Tragi-comedy, or rather Tragico-comedy; and the reason given for that appellation is, that the highest characters, even of gods, as well as the lowest, were introduced in it: (perhaps, indeed, this is the only play of the kind, that was ever produced.) But without this reason, the distresses of Amphitryon and Alcmena, with the comical humours of Sofia and Mercury, might give it a fair title to this appellation, even according to the modern acceptation of the term; as it is not necessary that a tragedy should end unhappily, or that any of the characters should come to an untimely end. Dryden, in his Amphitryon, has thought proper to diftinguish the serious from the comic parts, by giving the first in verse, and the other in prose; which, I fear, in the latter part, has too often led him into such low and farcical stuff, as neither his Latin nor his French original betrayed him into. For |