His goods confiscate to the Duke's dispose,
Unless a thousand marks be levied
To quit the penalty, and ransom him.
Thy substance, valu'd at the highest rate,
Cannot amount unto a hundred marks;
Therefore, by law thou art condemn'd to die.
Ageon. Yet this my comfort, when your words are
My woes end likewise with the evening fun.
Duke. Well, Syracufan, say, in brief, the cause,
Why thou departed'st from thy native home;
And for what cause thou cam'st to Ephesus.
Ægeon. A heavier task could not have been impos'd,
Than I to speak my grief unspeakable:
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 I 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 pleasing punishment that women bear)
Had made provifion for her following me,
And foon, and safe, arrived where I was.
There she had not been long, but she became
A joyful mother of two goodly fons;
And, which was strange, the one fo like the other,
As could not be diftinguish'd but by names.
That very hour, and in the self-fame inn,
A poor mean woman was delivered
Of fuch a burden, male-twins both alike:
Those (for their parents were exceeding poor)
I bought, and brought up to attend my fons.
My wife, not meanly proud of two such 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,
rr Before the always-wind-obeying deep
Gave any tragic instance 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 incessant 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 safety by our boat,
And left the ship, then finking-ripe, to us;
My wife, more careful for the elder born,
Had fasten'd him unto a small spare mast,
Such as fea-faring 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 fixt,
Fasten'd ourfselves at either end the mast;
And floating straight, obedient to the stream,
Were carry'd towards Corinth, as we thought.
At length the fun, gazing upon the earth,
Difpers'd those vapours that offended us;
And, by the benefit of his wish'd light,
The feas waxt calm; and we discovered
Two ships from far making amain to us,
Of Corinth that, of Epidaurus this;
But ere they came-oh, let me say no more!
Gather the sequel by that went before.
Duke. Nay, forward, old man, do not break off fo; For we may pity, tho' not pardon thee.
Ægeon. Oh, 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 encountered by a mighty rock;
Which being violently borne upon,
Our helpless ship 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! seeming 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 ship had feiz'd on us;
And knowing whom it was their hap to save,
Gave helpful welcome to their shipwreckt guests;
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 stories of my own mishaps.
Duke. And, for the fakes of them thou forrow'st for, Do me the favour to dilate at full
What hath befall'n of them, and thee, 'till now.
Ægeon. 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 fee,
I hazarded the lofs of whom I lov'd..
Five fummers have I spent in farthest Greece,
Roaming clean through the bounds of Afia,
And coasting homeward, came to Ephesus:
Hopeless to find, yet loth 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 Ægeon, whom the fates have markt To bear th'extremity of dire mishap; Now, trust me, were it not againft our laws, (Which Princes, would they, may not disannul;) Against my crown, my oath, my dignity, My foul should fue as advocate for thee. But, tho' thou art adjudged to the death, And passed sentence 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 hast in Ephesus, • Beg thou, or borrow, to make up the sum, And live; if not, then thou art doom'd to die. Jailor, take him to thy custody.
Ægeon. Hopeless and helpless doth Ægeon wend,
But to procrastinate his lifeless end.
[Exeunt Ægeon, and Jailor.
Enter Antipholis of Syracuse, a Merchant, and Dromio.
THEREFORE give out, you are of Epi
Lest 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 statute 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 jelts. 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 business 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.
E 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,
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