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 departedff from thy native home; And for what cause thou cam'ft to Ephefus.
Egeon. A heavier task could not have been impos'd, Than I to speak my grief unspeakable:
Yet that the world may witnefs, 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
Was wrought by nature, not by vile offence,] All his hearers underflood that the punishment he was about to undergo was in confequence of no private crime, but of the public enmity between two ftates, to one of which he belonged: But it was a general fuperftition amongst the ancients, that every great and fudden misfortune was the vengeance of heaven purfuing men for their fecret of
fences. Hence the fentiment here put into the mouth of the fpeaker was proper. By my paft life (fays he) which I am going to relate, the world may underfland that my prefent death is according to the ordinary courfe of providence, [wrought by nature] and not the effects of divine vengeance overtaking me for my crimes [not by vile offence.]
To Epidamnum; 'till my factor's death,
And the great care of goods at random left,
Drew me from kind embracements of my fpoufe;
From whom my abfence was not fix months old,
Before herself, almoft 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 she had not been long, but fhe 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,
poor mean woman was delivered
Of fuch a burden, 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 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' myfelf would gladly have embrac'd,
Yet the inceffant weeping of my wife,
Weeping before, for what the faw must come;
And piteous plainings of the pretty babes,
That mourn'd for fashion, ign'rant 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 small spare maft,
Such as fea-faring 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 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 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 encountred by a mighty rock;
Which being violently borne upon,
Our helpless ship was fplitted in the midst :
So that, in this unjuft 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 fhip 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 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 bliss;
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. #geon. 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 case was like,
Reft of his brother, but retain'd his name,)
Might bear him company in quest of him:
Whom whilft 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 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 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, truft me, were it not against our laws,
(Which Princes, would they, may not difannul;)
Against 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 disparagement;
Yet will I favour thee in what I can;
I therefore, merchant, limit thee this day,
To seek 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. Hopeless and helpless doth Egeon wend, But to procraftinate his liveless end.
[Exeunt Ægeon, and Jailor.
Enter Antipholis of Syracufe, a Merchant, and Dromio.
Herefore 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 west:
There is your mony, that I had to keep.
Ant. 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,
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.
[Exit Dromio. Ant. A trufty villain, Sir, that very oft, When I am dull with care and melancholy, Lightens my hun:our with his merry jefts. What, will you walk with me about the town,
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