1 * COMEDY OF ERRORS. Shakspeare might have taken the general plan of this comedy from a translation of the Menachmi of Plautus, by W. W. i. e. (according to Wood) William Warner, in 1595, whofe verfion of the acroftical argument hereafter quoted, is as follows: "Two twinne borne fonnes a Sicill marchant had, "Menechmus one, and Soficles the other; The first his father loft, a little lad; "The grandfire namde the latter like his brother: "Where th' other dwelt inricht, and him fo like, Father, wife, neighbours, each mistaking either, "Much pleasant error, ere they meet togither.' Perhaps the laft of these lines suggested to Shakspeare the title for his piece. See this tranflation of the Menæchmi, among fix old Plays on which Shakspeare founded, &c. publifhed by S. Leacroft, Charing cross. At the beginning of an address Ad Lectorem, prefixed to the errata of Dekker's Satiromaftix, &c. 1602, is the following paffage, which apparently alludes to the title of the comedy before us. In fteed of the Trumpets founding thrice before they play begin, it fhall not be amiffe (for him that will read) firft to beholde this fhort Comedy of Errors, and where the greateft enter, to give them inftead of a hiffe, a gentle correction." STEEVĖNS. I fufped this and all other plays where much rhime is ufed, and efpecially long hobbling verfes, to have been among Shakspeare's more early productions. BLACKSTONE. I am poffibly fingular in thinking that Shakspeare was not under the flighteft obligation, in forming this comedy, to Warner's tran flation of the Menæchmi. The additions of Erotes and Sereptus, which do not occur in that tranflation, and he could never invent, are, alone, a fufficient inducement to believe that he was no way, indebted to it. But a further and more convincing proof is, that he has not a name, line or word, from the old play, nor any oue incident but what muft, of course, be common to every tranflation. Sir William Blackftone, I obferve, fufpe&s "this and all other plays where much rhime is ufed, and especially long hobbling verfes, to have been among Shakspeare's more early productious.' much doubt whether any of thefe long hobbling verfes" have the honour of proceeding from his pen; and, in fact, the fuperior elegance and harmony of his language is no lefs diftinguishable in his earlieft than his latest production. The truth is if any inference But I can be drawn from the moft ftriking diffimilarity of ftile, a tiffue as different as filk and worfled, that this comedy though boafting the embellishments of our author's genius, in additional words, lines, fpeeches, and fcenes, was not originally his, but proceeded from fome inferior playwright, who was capable of reading the Menæchmi without the help of a translation, or, at leaft, did not make ufe of Warner's. And this I take to have been the cafe, not only with the three parts of K. Henry VI. as I think a late editor (0 fi fic omnia!) has fatisfactorily proved, but with The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Love's Labour's Loft, and K. Richard II. in all which pieces Shakspeare's new work is as apparent as the brightest touches of Titian would be on the poorest performance of the verieft canvass-spoiler that ever handled a brush. The originals of thefe plays (except the fecond and third parts of K. Henry VI) were never printed, and may be thought to have been put into his hands by the manager for the purpofe of alteration and improvement, which we find to have been an ordinary practice of the theatre in his time. We are therefore no longer to look upon the above " pleasant and fine conceited comedie, as intitled to a fituation among the " fix plays on which Shakspeare founded his Meafure for Measure, &c." of which I fhould hope to fee a new and improved edition. RITSON. This comedy, I believe, was written in 1593. See An Attempt to afcertain the order of Shakspeare's Plays, Vol. II. MALONE. Solinus, Duke of Ephefus. Antipholus of Ephefus," Angelo, a Goldfmith, } Twin Brothers, and Sons but unknown to each other. to Egeon and Emilia, Twin Brothers, and Attendants on the two Antipholus's. A Merchant, Friend to Antipholus of Syracufe. Emilia, Wife to Egeon, an Abbess at Ephefus. Luce, her Servant. Gaoler, Officers, and other Attendants. In the old copy, these brothers are occafionally ftyled, Antipholus Erotes, or Errotis: and Antipholus Sereptus; meaning, perhaps - erraticus, and furreptus. One of thefe twins wandered in fearch of his brother, who had been forced from Emilia by fishermen of Corinth. The following acroftic is the argument to the Menæchmi of Plautus: Delph. Edit. p. 654. Mercator Siculus, cui erant gemini filii ; Ei, furrepto altero, mors obtigit. Nomen furreptitii illi indit qui domi eft Menaechmum civem credunt omnes advenam; The tranflator, W. W. calls the brothers, Menæchmus Soficles, and Menæchmus the traveller. Whencefoever Shakspeare adopted erraticus and furreptus (which either he or his editors have mif-1pelt) thefe diftin&tions were foon dropped, and throughout the reft of the entries the twins are ftyled of Syracufe or Ephefus. STEEVENS. ACT Ì. SCENE I. A Hall in the Duke's Palace, Enter Duke, AGEON, Gaoler, Officers, and other Attendants. AGE. Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall, If any, born at Ephefus, be feen Come to the bay of Ephefus, he dies, |