n
many respects worthy of imitation; but his conduct in conniving at
the irregularities of Ctesipho, and even assisting him to support
them, is certainly reprehensible. Perhaps the Poet threw this
shade over his virtues on purpose to show that mildness and
good-humor might be carried to excess."]

[Footnote 85: _That point I was coming to_)--Ver. 824. Colman
observes here: "Madame Dacier makes an observation on this speech,
something like that of Donatus on one of Micio's above; and says
that Micio, being hard put to it by the real circumstances of the
case, thinks to confound Demea by a nonsensical gallimatia. I can
not be of the ingenious lady's opinion on this matter, for I think
a more sensible speech could not be made, nor a better plea
offered in favor of the young men, than that of Micio in the
present instance."]

[Footnote 86: _At the very mid-day_)--Ver. 851. Exposed to the
heat of a mid-day sun.]

[Footnote 87: _To the object_)--Ver. 857. The marriage and its
festivities.]

[Footnote 88: _Am the eldest_)--Ver. 884. And therefore likely to
be the first to die, and to avoid seeing such a time come.]

[Footnote 89: _O Syrus, my friend_)--Ver. 886. The emptiness of
his poor attempts to be familiar are very evident in this line.]

[Footnote 90: _The music-girl_)--Ver. 908. "Tibicinae," or
music-girls, attended at marriage ceremonials. See the Aulularia
of Plautus, where Megadorus hires the music-girls on his intended
marriage with the daughter of Euclio.]

[Footnote 91: _The crowds, the torches_)--Ver. 910. See the Casina
of Plautus, Act IV., Scenes 3 and 4, for some account of the
marriage ceremonial. The torches, music-girls, processions, and
hymeneal song, generally accompanied a wedding, but from the
present passage we may conclude that they were not considered
absolutely necessary.]

[Footnote 92: _Stone wall in the garden_)--Ver. 911. The
"maceria," or garden-wall of loose stones, is also mentioned in
the Truculentus of Plautus, l. 301.]

[Footnote 93: _Bid that Babylonian_)--Ver. 918. This passage has
much puzzled the Commentators; but it seems most probable that it
is said aside, and that in consequence of his profuseness he calls
his brother a Babylonian, (just as we call a wealthy man a nabob,)
and says, "Well, let him, with all my heart, be paying twenty minae
(between L70 and L80) for music-girl."]

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