And left the ship, then sinking-ripe, co us;
My wife, more careful for the elder born,
Had fasten’d him unto a small spare-malt,
Such as sea-faring men provide for forms ; ;
To him one of the other twins was bound,
Whilft I had been like heedful of the other.
The children thus dispos'd, my wife and I,
Fixing our cyes on whom our care was fixt,
Fasten'd ourselves at either end the mast; on.
And foaring straight, obedient to the dreams or
Were carry'd towards Corintb, as we thought
At length the sun, gazing upon the earth, din of
Dispers'd those vapours that offended us ;
And, by the benefit of his wish'd light, 19t
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 chat went before.

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

Ægeon. Oh, had the Gods done fo, I had not nov Worchily term'd them merciless to us ,

( For ere the ships could meet by twice five leaguesia We were encountered by a mighty rock; Which being violently borne upona Our helpless 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 leffer weight, but not with leffer woe, Was carry'd with more speed before the wind, And in our sight they three were taken up By fishermen of Gorinib, as we thought.

At length, another ship had seiz'd on us ; 7 And knowing whom it was their bap to fave, I

Gaye

Gave helpful welcome to their shipwreckt guests ;
And would have reft the hfhers of their prey,
Had not their bark been very low of fail;
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 cell sad 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 inquisitive 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?kim company in quest of him: Whom whilft I labour'd of a love to see, 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 coafting homeward, came to Ephesus: Hopeless to find, yet loth to leave unfought, Or that, or any place that harbours men. Burchese must end the story of my life; And happy were I in my timely death, Could all my travels warrant me they live.

Duke. Båptessi Ægeon, whom the fates have markt To bear th’extremity of dire milhap; ?

*.
Now, trust me, were it not against our laws,
(Which Princes, Would they, may not difannul ;)
Against my crown, my bath, my dignity,
My fout Thotda fue as advocate for thee.
But, tho--thou are adjudged to the death,
And passed sentence may not be recallid,
But to our hohour's great difparagement;
Yet will I favour thee in what I cari;

I therefore, merchant, limit thee this day,
SEE
P 3

To

;

To seek 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 io die.
Jailor, take him to thy custody.

[Exeunt Duke, and Train. Jail. I will, my Lord.

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. Mer. .

THerefore give out, you are of Epidamnum,
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 sun set in the west :
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,
Peruse the traders, gaze upon the buildings,
And then return and neep 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.

Ant. 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 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.

Ant. He 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 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.

Enter Dromio of Ephesus.
Here comes the almanack of my true date.
What now? how chance, thou art return'd so soon?
E. Dro. Return'd so soon! rather approach'd too

late :
The capon burns, the pig falls from the fpit,
The clock has 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

P 4

You come not home, because you have no ftomach ;
You have no ftomach, having broke your faft:
But we, that know what 'tis to fast and pray,
Are penitent for your default to day.

Ant. Stop in your wind, Sir; tell me this, I pray, Where you have left the mony that I gave you?

E Dro. Oh-fix-pence, that I had a Wednesday laft, To

pay the sadler for my mistress' crupper? The sádler had it, Sir; í kept it not, Ant. I am not in a sportive humour now;

1 Tell me and dally not, where is the mony? We being strangers here, how dar'lt thou trust So great a charge from thine own custody?

E. Dro. I pray you, jest, Sir, as you sit at dinner : I from my mistress come to you in poft; If I return, I shall be poft indeed ;, For she will score your fault upon my pate: Methinks, your maw, like mine, should be your clock; And strike you home without a messenger. Ant. Come, Dromio, come, these jests are out of

season; Reserve them 'rill a merrier hour than this: Where is the gold I gave in charge to thee?

E. Dro. To me, Sir? why, you gave no gold to nie.

Ant. Come on, Sir knave, have done your foolishness; And tell me, how thou halt dispos'd thy charge? E. Dro. My charge was but to fetch you from the

mart Home to your house, the Pbænix, Sir, to dinner ; My mistress and her sister ftay for you.

Ant. Now, as I am a christian answer me,
In what safe place you have bestow'd my mony;
Or I shall break that merry sconce of yours,
That stands on tricks when I am' undispos'd ;
Where are the thousand marks thou hadít of me?

E. Dro. I have some marks of yours upon my pate; Some of my mistress' marks upon my shoulders;

But