J50 Specimens of Latin Comedy FEB. 



somehow gets scent of the matter, and is greatly alarmed, and appears 

 in the next scene in the most distressing torture of mind, almost frantic 

 with the fear, or rather confident expectation, of a discovery of his 

 fraud : 



Ah ! fatal moment ! Would I were dead now, 



Rather than alive ! Hope has deserted me, 



No succour will come near me. The day is come 



When there is no chance to save my life ! 



My ruin's unavoidable, no hope, 



That can dispel my fear, no cloak to screen 



My subtle lies, false dealings, and pretences : 



No apology can excuse my perfidy, 



No subterfuge can palliate my offence : 



No room for confidence, no place for cunning. 



What hitherto was hid is brought to light, 



My tricks laid open, and the whole discovered : 



Nor have I aught to do, but meet my fate, 



And die at once for me and for my master. 



Aristophontes, who is just gone in, 



Has been my utter ruin ; for he knows me, 



He is a friend and kinsman to Philocrates. 



Salvation could not save me, if she would : 



Nor can I 'scape, except that I contrive 



Some cunning trick, some artifice. (Cogitating.) 



A plague on't ; 



What can I think of ? What devise ? My thoughts 

 Are foolish, I am at my wit's end. 



Tyndarus now sees Hegio and Aristophontes advancing, and, accord- 

 ingly, retires on one side ; he is evidently quite perplexed, and, as he 

 said, " at his wit's end." However, like many a man besides, though 

 desponding and hopeless, when brought to the test, he acquires a con- 

 fidence and dauntlessness not easy to be shaken. He resolves, as we 

 shall see in the sequel, to meet it in limine, to deny all acquaintance with 

 Aristophontes, and to braze him out with sheer impudence. But seeing 

 an interview unavoidable, he could not help half turning aside, and inly 

 muttering- 

 Can there exist a greater wretch than I am ? 



Aristophontes perceived Tyndarus turning aside as if unwilling to 

 meet hirn, and accordingly saluted him with the following interroga- 

 tion: 



Why is this, that you avoid and slight me, 

 Tyndarus, as though I were a stranger, and you ne'er 

 Had known me ? It is true I am a slave, 

 As you are : though in Elis I was free; 

 You from your youth have ever been a slave. 



Hegio saves Tyndarus the trouble of replying 



In truth I am not in the least amazed 

 That he should shun you, and avoid your sight, 

 Or hold you in despite and detestation, 

 When for Philocrates you call him Tyndarus, 



TYND. Hegio, this fellow was at Elis deemed 

 A madman : give no ear to what he says. 

 'Tis there notorious that lie sought to kill 

 His father and his mother, and has often 

 Fits of epilepsy come upon him, 

 Which makes him foam at mouth. Pray keep away from him. 



