Dispersed those vapours that offended us ;
And, by the benefit of his wish'd light,
The seas wax'd calm, and we discoveréd
Two ships from far making amain 11 to us,

Of Corinth that, of Epidaurus this :

But, ere they came, — O, let me say no more!

Gather the sequel by that went before.

Duke. Nay, forward, old man; do not break off so; For we may pity, though not pardon thee.

Æge. O, had the gods done so, I had not now
Worthily term'd them merciless to us!

For, ere the ships could meet by twice five leagues,
We were encounter'd by a mighty rock;

Which being violently borne upon,

Our hopeful ship was splitted in the midst ;

So that, in this unjust divorce of us,
Fortune had left to both of us alike

What to delight in, what to sorrow for.
Her part, poor soul! seeming as burdenéd
With lesser weight, but not with lesser woe,
Was carried with more speed before the wind;
And in our sight they three were taken up
By fishermen of Corinth, as we thought.
At length, the other ship had seized on us;
And, knowing whom it was their hap to save,
Gave healthful welcome to their shipwreck'd guests;
And would have reft the fishers of their prey,
Had not their bark been very slow of sail;
And therefore homeward did they bend their course.
Thus have you heard me sever'd from my bliss ;
Thus by misfortune was my life prolong'd,

11 Amain is with strength, or strongly; that is, swiftly. So, in Shakespeare, the adjective main often means great or mighty, as in the phrase, "with main strength."

To tell sad stories of my own mishaps.

Duke. And, for the sake of them thou sorrow'st for,

Do me the favour to dilate at full

What hath befall'n of them and thee till now.

Ege. My youngest boy, and yet my eldest care,

At eighteen years became inquisitive

After his brother; and impórtuned me
That his attendant - for his case was like,
Reft of his brother, but retain❜d 12 his name
Might bear him company in the quest of him:
Whom whilst I labour'd of a love 13 to see,
I hazarded the loss of whom I loved.
Five Summers have I spent in farthest Greece,
Roaming clean 14 through the bounds of Asia,
And, coasting homeward, came to Ephesus;
Hopeless to find, yet loth to leave unsought
Or that or ·15 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. Hapless Ægeon, whom the fates have mark'd

To bear th' extremity of dire mishap !

Now, trust me, were it not against our laws,

Against my crown, my oath, my dignity, —

Which princes, would they, may not disannul,16———

My soul should sue as advocate for thee.

12 The language, expressed in full, would be " He was reft of his brother, but retain'd." The Poet has many like ellipses.

13 Here of stands for the relation of cause: from or out of a love.

14 Clean is utterly or entirely. So in Julius Cæsar, i. 3: “Men may construe things clean from the purpose." Also in the 77th Psalm: "Is His mercy clean gone for ever?"

15 Or- or for either- or is frequent in all English poetry.

16 Disannul for annul, though properly meaning just the opposite. So in Galatians, iii. 17: "The covenant, that was confirmed before, the law cannot disannul."

But, though thou art adjudgèd to the death,
And passed sentence may not be recall'd
But to our honour's great disparagement,
Yet will I favour thee in what I can.
Therefore, merchant, I'll limit thee this day
To seek thy life by beneficial help : 17
Try all the friends thou hast in Ephesus;

Beg thou, or borrow, to make up the sum,
And live; if not, then thou art doom'd to die. —
Jailer, now take him to thy custody.

Jail. I will, my lord.

Ege. Hopeless and helpless doth Ægeon wend, But to procrastinate his lifeless end.

[Exeunt.

Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse, DROMIO of Syracuse, and First Merchant.

1 Mer. Therefore give out you are of Epidamnum, Lest that your goods too soon be confiscate.

This very day a Syracusian merchant

Is apprehended for arrival here;

And, not being able to buy out his life,
According to the statute of the town,
Dies ere the weary Sun set in the West.
There is your money that I had to keep.

Ant. S. Go bear it to the Centaur, where we host,2

17 The Poet repeatedly uses beneficial for beneficent or benevolent. So that "beneficial help" is assistance rendered out of charity or kindness.

1 'Lest that" is old language for lest simply. So we have if that, since that, though that, when that, &c., where we should now use only if, since, though, when, &c.

2 To host for to lodge. So again in All's Well, iii. 5: "Come, pilgrim, I will bring you where you shall host." In King Lear, v. 2, the word occurs as a substantive for lodging.- Centaur is the name of an inn. And so with Phenix a little further on.

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,
Peruse the traders, gaze upon the buildings,
And then return, and sleep within mine inn
For with long travel I am stiff and weary.

Get thee away.

;

Dro. S. Many a man would take you at your word, And go indeed, having so good a mean.4

Ant. S. A trusty villain, sir; that very oft,
When I am dull with care and melancholy,
Lightens my humour with his merry jests.
What, will you walk with me about the town,
And then go to my inn, and dine with me?

1 Mer. I am invited, sir, to certain merchants,
Of whom I hope to make much benefit;
I crave your pardon. Soon at 5 five o'clock,
Please you, I'll meet with you upon the mart,
And afterward consort you till bed-time :
My present business calls me from you now.

Ant. S. Farewell till then I will go lose myself,

And wander up and down to view the city.

[Exit.

1 Mer. Sir, I commend you to your own content. [Exit. Ant. S. He that commends me to mine own content

Commends me to the thing I cannot get.

3 The Poet often has peruse for mark or observe closely. So in Hamlet, iv. 4: "He, being remiss, most generous, and free from all contriving, will not peruse the foils."

4 Mean and means were used indifferently. Here mean refers to the money. And the sense is, "Many a man, having such a purse of money in trust, would run away."

5 Soon at is an old phrase for about. So again in iii. 1, of this play: 'And soon at supper-time I'll visit you." Also in The Merchant, ii. 3: "Soon at supper shalt thou see Lorenzo."

6 Consort for accompany or attend. So in Love's Labours Lost, ii. 1: "Sweet health and fair desires consort your Grace!"

I to the world am like a drop of water,
That in the ocean seeks another drop;
Who, falling there to find his fellow forth,
Unseen, inquisitive, confounds himself:
So I, to find a mother and a brother,

In quest of them, unhappy, lose myself.
Here comes the almanac of my true date.8.

ANT. S.

Enter DROMIO of Ephesus.

What now? how chance thou art return'd so soon?

Dro. E. Return'd so soon! rather approach'd too late : The capon burns, the pig falls from the spit ;9

The clock hath strucken twelve upon the bell, –

My mistress made it one upon my cheek :

She is so hot, because the meat is cold;

The meat is cold, because you come not home;

You come not home, because you have no stomach; 10
You have no stomach, having broke your fast;

But we, that know what 'tis to fast and pray,

Are penitent for your default to-day.

Ant. S. Stop in your wind, sir: tell me this, I pray,
Where have you left the money that I gave you?
Dro. E. O, sixpence, that I had o' Wednesday last
Το
pay the saddler for my mistress' crupper:

The saddler had it, sir; I kept it not.

Ant. S. I am not in a sportive humour now:

7 To spend, to consume, to destroy are old meanings of to confound. Forth was often used with the sense of out.

8 The almanac of his true date, because they were both born the same day.

9 A spit was an iron rod, to thrust through a fowl, a pig, or a piece of meat, for roasting. The fowl or pig was then placed before the fire, so as to be kept turning; and the one who turned it was called a turnspit.

10 Stomach for appetite. A frequent usage. Sometimes it means courage; that is, an appetite for fighting.