rhia left the stage, he could not say 'nunc
{hunc} venientem sequor.' If we suppose the line genuine, we must
at the same time suppose Terence guilty of a monstrous absurdity."
On these words Colman makes the following just observations:
"Other Commentators have also stumbled at this passage; but if in
the words 'followed {him} hither,' we suppose {'him'} (hunc) to
refer to Simo, the difficulty is removed; and that the pronoun
really does signify Simo, is evident from the circumstance of
Pamphilus never having left the stage since the disappearance of
Byrrhia. Simo is also represented as coming on the stage homeward,
so that Byrrhia might easily have followed him along the street;
and it is evident that Byrrhia does not allude to Pamphilus from
the agreeable surprise which he expresses on seeing him there so
opportunely for the purpose."]

[Footnote 56: _Inflict evil upon me_)--Ver. 431. "Malum;" the
usual name by which slaves spoke of the beatings they were in the
habit of receiving at the hands or by the order of their irascible
masters. Colman has the following remarks: "Donatus observes on
this Scene between Byrrhia, Simo, Pamphilus, and Davus, that the
dialogue is sustained by four persons, who have little or no
intercourse with each other; so that the Scene is not only in
direct contradiction to the precept of Horace, excluding a fourth
person, but is also otherwise vicious in its construction. Scenes
of this kind are, I think, much too frequent in Terence, though,
indeed, the form of the ancient Theatre was more adapted to the
representation of them than the modern. The multiplicity of
speeches {aside} is also the chief error in this dialogue; such
speeches, though very common in dramatic writers, ancient and
modern, being always more or less unnatural."]

[Footnote 57: _What does he say, Davus?_)--Ver. 434. "Quid, Dave,
narrat?" This reading Vollbehr suggests in place of the old one,
"Quid Davus narrat?" and upon good grounds, as it appears.
According to the latter reading we are to suppose that Davus is
grumbling to himself, on which Simo says, "What does Davus say?"
It seems, however, much more likely that Davus accompanies
Pamphilus to the door, and speaks to him before he goes in, and
then, on his return to Simo, the latter asks him, "What does he
say, Davus?"]

[Footnote 58: _Just as much as nothing_)--Ver. 434. "AEque quidquam