Unwilling I agreed-alas! too soon we came

aboard:

A league from Epidamnum had we sail'd,
Before the always-wind-obeying deep
Gave any tragic instance of our harm;
But longer did we not retain much hope;
For what obscured light the heavens did grant
Did but convey unto our fearful minds
A doubtful warrant of immediate death;
Which, though myself would gladly have embrac'd,
Yet the incessant weepings 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 seek delays for them and me.
And this it was-for other means was none:
The sailors sought for safety by our boat,
And left the ship, then sinking-ripe, to us.
My wife, more careful for the latter-born,
Had fasten'd him unto a small spare mast,
Such as seafaring men provide for storms:
To him one of the other twins was bound,
Whilst I had been like heedful of the other.
The children thus dispos'd, my wife and I,
Fixing our eyes on whom our care was fix'd,
Fasten'd ourselves at either end the mast;
And, floating straight, obedient to the stream,
Were carried towards Corinth, as we thought.
At length the sun, gazing upon the earth,
Dispers'd those vapours that offended us ;
And, by the benefit of his wished light,
The seas wax'd calm, and we discovered
Two ships from far, making amain 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.

EGE. 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 helpful 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 burdened With lesser weight, but not with lesser woe, Was carried with more speed before the wind;

(*) First folio, borne up.

a So his case was like,-] The second folio substituted for in place of so, and has been followed by most of the subsequent editors. Those who adopt the original reading, "so his case was like," interpret it to mean, his case was so like. But does it not rather mean, "as his case was like,"? This use of so we meet again shortly after,-"Am I so round with you, as you with me?" &c.

To seek thy hope by beneficial help:] The folio, 1623, has help.

And, in our sight, they three were taken up
By fishermen of Corinth, as we thought.
At length another ship had seiz'd 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 ;
That by misfortunes was my life prolong'd,
To tell sad stories of my own mishaps.

DUKE. And, for the sake of them thou sor-
rowest 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 importun'd me
That his attendant (so his case was like,
Reft of his brother, but retain'd his name)
Might bear him company in the quest of him;
Whom, whilst I labour'd of a love to see,

a

I hazarded the loss of whom I lov'd.
Five summers have I spent in farthest Greece,
Roaming clean through the bounds of Asia,
And, coasting homeward, came to Ephesus;
Hopeless to find, yet loath to leave unsought
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. Hapless Egeon, whom the fates have
mark'd

To bear the 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,
My soul should sue as advocate for thee.
But, though thou art adjudged 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 hope by beneficial help: "
Try all the friends thou hast in Ephesus;
Beg thou, or borrow, to make up the sum,
And live; if no, then thou art doom'd to die :-
Gaoler, take him to thy custody.

:

GAOL. I will, my lord. AGE. Hopeless and helpless doth Ægeon wend, But to procrastinate his liveless end. [Exeunt.

"To seek thy help by beneficial means."

"To seek thy fine" has also been suggested; and is a plausible conjecture: but as Egeon is made to repeat the Duke's words in hope-less, help-less, and live-less, I have no doubt hope, or holp, was what the poet wrote.

SCENE II.-A Public Place.

a

Enter ANTIPHOLUS and DROMIO of Syracuse, and a Merchant.

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, 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. [Exit DRO. S.

a ANTIPHOLUs-] The folio, 1623, has, "Enter Antipholis Erotes, a Marchant, and Dromio."

b A trusty villain,-] A faithful bondman, or slave. By these appellations each Antipholus, throughout this Comedy, denominates the Dromio attached to him. So in our author's " Rape of Lucrece," where a Roman slave is mentioned :

"The homely villain curt'sies to her low."-MALONE.

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 And then go to my 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 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. MER. Sir, I commend you to your own content. [Exit Merchant. ANT. S. He that commends me to mine own

content,

Commends me to the thing I cannot get.

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.

c Soon, at five o'clock,-] That is, about five o'clock.

d And afterward consort you-] Malone proposed to read, "consort with you;" but the original is probably right-consort you meaning companion you, accompany you.

e Unseen inquisitive!] This is invariably printed, "Unseen, inquisitive," &c.; but inquisitive, I believe, is used here for inquisitor.

She that doth fast till you come home to dinner,b

And prays that you will hie you home to dinner.

ANT. S. What! wilt thou flout me thus unto

my face,

Being forbid? There, take you that, sir knave. DRO. E. What mean you, sir? for God's sake, hold your hands;

Nay, an you will not, sir, I'll take my heels.
[Exit DRO. E.
ANT. S. Upon my life, by some device or other,
The villain is o'erraught of all my money.
They say this town is full of cozenage;
(1)
As nimble jugglers, that deceive the eye,
Dark-working sorcerers, that change the mind,
Soul-killing witches, that deform the body,
Disguised cheaters, prating mountebanks,
And many such like liberties of sin:
If it prove so, I will be gone the sooner.
I'll to the Centaur, to go seek this slave;
I greatly fear my money is not safe.

c

ADR. Neither my husband nor the slave return'd,

That in such haste I sent to seek his master!
Sure, Luciana, it is two o'clock.

Luc. Perhaps some merchant hath invited him,
And from the mart he's somewhere gone to dinner.
Good sister, let us dine, and never fret:
A man is master of his liberty;
Time is their master; and, when they see time,
They'll go or come: If so, be patient, sister.
ADR. Why should their liberty than ours be
more?

ADRIANA and LUCIANA.] The folio, 1623, has "Enter Adriana, wife to Antipholis Sereptus, with Luciana her Sister."

He takes it ill.] The first folio has thus, instead of ill. The latter word, which seems called for by the rhyme, was supplied in the folio of 1632.

e Is lash'd with woe.] It was suggested to Steevens by a lady, that we should read leash'd, i. e. coupled like a headstrong hound;

Luc. Because their business still lies out o' door. ADR. Look, when I serve him so, he takes it ill.b Luc. O, know, he is the bridle of your will. ADR. There's none but asses will be bridled so. Luc. Why, headstrong liberty is lash'd with

woe.

c

There's nothing situate under heaven's eye
But hath his bound, in earth, in sea, in sky:
The beasts, the fishes, and the winged fowls,
Are their males' subjects, and at their controls.
Men, more divine, the masters of all these,
Lords of the wide world and wild wat'ry seas,
Indued with intellectual sense and souls,
Of more pre-eminence than fish and fowls,

but, as he remarks, "when the mariner lashes his guns, the sportsman leashes his dogs, the female laces her clothes, they all perform one act of fastening with a lace or cord." No alteration, therefore, is required.

d The first folio reads Man, and master, in this line, and Lord, in the next. Hanmer made the necessary corrections.