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T'admit no traffick to our adverse towns.
Nay, more; if any born at Ephefus
Be feen at Syracufan marts and fairs,
Again, if any Syracufan born

Come to the bay of Ephefus, he dies;
His goods confifcate to the Duke's dispose,
Unless a thousand marks be levied

To quit the penalty, and ransom him.
Thy fubftance, valu'd at the highest rate,
Cannot amount unto a hundred marks;
Therefore, by law thou art condemn'd to die.

Egeon. Yet this my comfort, when your words are
done,

My woes end likewife with the evening fun.

Duke. Well, Syracufan, fay in brief, the cause,
Why thou departed'ft from thy native home;
And for what cause thou cam'ft to Ephefus.

#geon. A heavier task could not have been impos'd,
Than I to speak my grief unfpeakable:
Yet that the world may witness, that my
end
Was wrought by nature, not by vile offence,
I'll utter what my forrow gives me leave.
In Syracufa was 1 born, and wed
Unto a woman, happy but for me;
And by me too, had not our hap been bad :
With her I liv'd in joy; our wealth increas'd,
By profperous voyages I often made

To Epidamnum; 'till my factor's death,
And the great care of goods at random left,
Drew me from kind embracements of my spouse;
From whom my absence was not fix months old,
Before herself (almost at fainting under
The pleafing punishment that women bear)
Had made provifion for her following me,
And foon, and safe, arrived where I was.
There fhe had not been long, but she became
A joyful mother of two goodly fons;

And, which was ftrange, the one fo like the other,
As could not be diftinguifh'd but by names.

That very hour, and in the self-fame inn,

A

A poor mean woman was delivered

Of fuch a burthen, male-twins both alike:
Thofe (for their 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 tragick 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' myfelf would gladly have embrac'd,
Yet the inceffant weeping of my wife,

(Weeping before, for what she saw must 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 ship, then finking-ripe, to us;
My wife, more careful for the elder born,
Had faften'd him unto a small spare mast,
Such as fea-faring men provide for storms;
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 fixt,
Faften'd ourselves at either end the maft;
And floating ftraight, obedient to the stream,
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 wifh'd light,
The feas waxt calm; and we discovered
Two fhips from far making amain to us,
Of Corinth that, of Epidaurus this;

But

But ere they came- -oh, let me fay no more!
Gather the fequel by that went before.

I had not now

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,
Worthily term'd them merciless to us;
For ere the ships could meet by twice five leagues,
We were encountred 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 fpeed before the wind,
And in our fight they three were taken up
By fishermen of Corinth, as we thought.
At length, another ship had feiz'd on us ;
And knowing whom it was their hap to fave,
Gave helpful welcome to their fhipwreckt guests;
And would have reft the fifhers 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 bliís;
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 quest of him:
Whom whilst I labour'd of a love to see,
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

And coafting homeward, came to Ephefus:
Hopeless to find, yet loth to leave unfought,
Or that, or any place that harbours men.
But here must end the ftory 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 markt
To bear th' extremity of dire mishap;

Now, trust me, were it not against our laws, (1)
(Which Princes, would they, may not difannul ;)
Against my crown, my oath, my dignity,
My foul should sue 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. [Exeunt Duke, and Train.

Jail. I will, my Lord.

Egeon. Hopeless and helpless doth Ægeon wend,

But to procraftinate his livelefs end.

[Exeunt Ægeon, and Failor.

(1) Now trust me, were it not against our Laws,.

Against my Crown, my Oath, my Dignity,

Which Princes would, they may not difannul,] Thus are

thefe Lines placed in all the former Editions.

But as the

fingle Verb does not agree with all the Subftantives, which should be govern'd of it, I have ventur'd to make a Transposition; and, by a Change in the Pointing, clear'd up the Perplexity of the Sense..

SCENE

SCENE changes to the Street.

Enter Antipholis of Syracuse, a Merchant, and Dromio.

Mer.

T

Herefore give out, you are of Epidamnum, Left that your goods too foon be confiscate. 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 mony, 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 so good a means.

[Exit Dromio. 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 afterward confort you 'till bed-time : My present bufinefs calls me from you now. Ant. Farewel 'till then; I will go lose myself, And wander up and down to view the city. Mer. Sir, I commend you to your own content. [Exit Merchant.

Ant.

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