As could not be distinguish'd but by names.
That very hour, and in the felf-fame inn,
A poor mean woman was delivered
Of fuch a burden, male twins both alike:
Thofe (for the parents were exceeding poor)
I bought, and brought up to attend my fons.
My wife, not meanly proud of two fuch boys,
Made daily motions for our home-return:
Unwilling, I agreed: alas, too foon!
We came aboard.
A league from Epidamnum had we fail'd,
Before the always wind-obeying deep
Gave any tragic inftance of our harm;
But longer did we not retain much hope:
For what obfcured light the heav'ns did grant,
Did but convey unto our fearful minds
A doubtful warrant of immediate death;
Which tho' myself would gladly have embrac'd,
Yet the inceffant weeping of my wife,
(Weeping before, for what fhe faw muft come,)
And piteous plainings of the pretty babes,
That mourn'd for fashion, ignorant what to fear,
Forc'd me to feek delays for them and me.
And this it was; (for other means were none.)
The failors fought for fafety by our boat,
And left the fhip, then finking-ripe, to us;
My wife, more careful for the elder born,
Had faften'd him unto a fmáll fpare maft,
Such as feafaring men provide for ftorms;
To him one of the other twins was bound,
Whilft I had been like heedful of the other.
The children thus difpos'd, my wife and I,
Fixing our eyes on whom our care was fix'd,
Faften'd ourfelves at either end the maft;
And floating ftraight, obedient to the ftream,
Were carry'd towards Corinth, as we thought.
At length the fun, gazing upon the earth,
Difpers'd thofe vapours that offended us;
And, by the benefit of his wish'd light,
The feas wax'd calm; and we discover'd
Two fhips from far making amain to us,
Of Corinth that, of Epidaurus this;
But ere they came-Oh, let me fay no more!
Gather the fequel by that went before.
Duke. Nay, forward, old man, do not break off fo;
For we may pity, tho' not pardon thee.
Egeon. Oh, had the gods done fo, I had not now
Worthily term'd them merciless to us.
For ere the fhips could meet by twice five leagues,
We were encountered by a mighty rock;
Which being violently borne upon,
Our helpless fhip was splitted in the midft:
So that, in this unjust divorce of us,
Fortune had left to both of us alike
What to delight in, what to forrow for.
Her part, poor foul! feeming as burdened
With leffer weight, but not with leffer woe,
Was carry'd with more speed before the wind,
And in our fight they three were taken up
By fishermen of Corinth, as we thought.
At length, another thip had feiz'd, on us;
And knowing whom it was their hap to fave,
Gave helpful welcome to their fhipwreck'd guefts;
And would have reft the fishers of their prey,
Had not their bark been very flow of fail;
And therefore homeward did they bend their course.-—
Thus have you heard me fever'd from my blifs;
That by misfortunes was my life prolong'd,
To tell fad ftories of my own mishaps.
Duke. And, for the fakes of them thou forrow'ft for,
Do me the favour to dilate at full
What hath befall'n of them, and thee, till now.
Egeon. My youngest boy, and yet my eldest care,
At eighteen years, became inquifitive
After his brother: and importun'd me,
That his attendant (for his cafe was like,
Reft of his brother, but retain'd his name)
Might bear him company in queft of him:
Whom whilst I labour'd of a love to fee,
I hazarded the lofs of whom I lov'd.
Five fummers have I spent in fartheft Greece,
Roaming clean through the bounds of Afia,
And coasting homeward, came to Ephefus:
Hopelefs to find, yet loath to leave unfought,
Or that, or any place that harbours men.
But here must end the story of my life;
And happy were I in my timely death,
Could all my travels warrant me they live.
Duke. Haplefs Egeon, whom the fates have mark'd To bear th' extremity of dire mishap:
Now, truft me, were it not against our laws,
(Which princes, would they, may not disannul ;)
Againft my crown, my oath, my dignity,
My foul fhould fue as advocate for thee.
But, tho' thou art adjudged to the death,
And paffed fentence may not be recall'd,
But to our honour's great difparagement;
Yet will I favour thee in what I can;
I therefore, merchant, limit thee this day,
To feek thy life by beneficial help:
Try all the friends thou haft in Ephefus,
Beg thou, or borrow, to make up the fum,
And live; if not, then thou art doom'd to die.
Jailor, take him to thy cuftody.
Egeon. Hopelefs and helpless doth geon, wend,
But to procraftinate his lifelefs end.
[Exeunt Egeon, and Failor.
SCENE II. Changes to the street.
Enter Antipholis of Syracufe, a Merchant, and Dromio.
Mer. Therefore give out, you are of Epidamnum, Left that your goods too foon be confifcate.
This very day, a Syracufan merchant
Is apprehended for arrival here;
And, not being able to buy out his life,
According to the ftatute of the town,
Dies ere the weary fun fet in the weft:
There is your money that I had to keep.
Ant. Go bear it to the Centaur, where we hoft,
And stay there, Dromio, till I come to thee:
Within this hour it will be dinner-time;
Till that I'll view the manners of the town,
Perufe the traders, gaze upon the buildings,
And then return, and fleep within mine inn;
For with long travel I am stiff and weary.
Get thee away.
Dro. Many a man would take you at your word,
And go indeed, having fo good a means.
Ant. A trufty villain, Sir, that very oft, When I am dull with care and melancholy, Lightens my humour with his merry jefts. What, will you walk with me about the town, And then go to the inn, and dine with me?
Mer. I am invited, Sir, to certain merchants, Of whom I hope to make much benefit: I crave your pardon. Soon at five o'clock, Please you, I'll meet with you upon the mart, And afterwards confort you till bed-time: My prefent bufinefs calls me from you now. Ant. Farewell till then; I will go lofe myself, And wander up and down to view the city. Mer. Sir, I commend you to your own content. [Exit Merchant.
Ant. He that commends me to my own content,
Commends me to the thing I cannot get,
I to the world am like a drop of water,
That in the ocean feeks another drop,
Who falling there to find his fellow forth,
Unfeen inquifitive confounds himself:
So I, to find a mother and a brother,
In queit of them, unhappy, lofe myself.
Here comes the alınanack of my true date.
What now? how chance thou art return'd so foon?
E. Dro. Return'd fo foon? rather approach'd too late
The capon burns, the pig falls from the fpit,
The clock has ftrucken twelve upon the bell;
My mistress made it one upon my cheek,
She is fo hot, because the meat is cold;
The meat is cold, because you come not home;
You come not home, because you have no ftomach:
You have no ftomach, having broke your faft;
But we, that know what 'tis to fast and pray,
Are penitent for your default to-day.
Ant. Stop in your wind, Sir; tell me this, I pray, Where have left the money that I gave you? E. Dro. Oh,-fixpence that I had a Wednesday laft, To the faddler for pay miftrefs' crupper? The faddler had it, Sir; I kept it not.
Ant. I am not in a fportive humour now; Tell me and dally not, where is the money? We being strangers here, how dar'st thou trust So great a charge from thine own cuftody?
E. Dro. I pray you, jeft, Sir, as you fit at dinner:
I from my mistrefs come to you in post;
If I return. I fhall be poft indeed;
For fhe will score your fault upon my pate.
Methinks your maw, like mine, fhould be
And ftrike you home without a meffenger.
Ant. Come, Dromio, come, these jefts are out of feafon; Referve them till a merrier hour than this.
Where is the gold I gave in charge to thee?
E. Dro. To me, Sir? why, you gave no gold to me. Ant. Come on, Sir Knave, have done your And tell me how thou haft difpos'd thy charge?
E. Dro. My charge was but to fetch you from the
Home to your house, the Phoenix, Sir, to dinner;
My mistress and her fifter stay for
Ant. Now, as I am a Chriftian answer me,
In what fafe place you have bestow'd my money;
Or I fhall break that merry fconce of yours,
That ftands on tricks when, I am undifpos'd:
Where are the thoufand marks thou hadft of me?
E. Dro. I have fome marks of yours upon my pate;
Some of my miftrefs' marks upon my fhoulders;
But not a thousand marks between you both.-
If I should pay your Worship thofe again,
Perchance you will not bear them patiently.
Ant. Thy miftrefs' marks; what mistress, flave, hast thou?
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