And, by the benefit of his wifh'd light,
The feas waz'd calm, and we difcovered
Two thips 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, though not pardon thee.

Egen. Oh, had the gods done fo, I had not now Worthily term'd them mercilefs to us!

For, ere the thips could meet by twice five leagues
We were encountred 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 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 ship had seiz'd on us;
And, knowing whom it was their hap to fave,
Gave helpful welcome to their fhipwreck'd guests;
And would have reft the fifher of their prey,
Had not their bark been very flow of fail,
And therefore homeward did they bend their
courfe.-

Thus have you heard me sever'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

Do me the favour to dilate at full

[eft for, What

What hath befallen of them, and thee, till now.
Egen. My youngeit 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 the queft of him;
Whom whilft labour'd of a love to fee,
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 ftory of my life;
And happy were I in my timely death,
Could all my travels warrant me they live.
Duke. Haplefs Ageon, whom the fates have
To bear the extremity of dire mithap! [mark'd
Now, trust me, were it not against our laws,
Against my crown, my oath, my dignity,
Which princes, would they, may not difannul,
My foul thould fue as advocate for thee.
But, though thou art adjudged to the death,
And paffed fentence may not be recall'd,
But to our honour's great difparagement,
Yet will I favour thee in what I can:
Therefore, merchant, I'll limit thee this day,
To feck thy help 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 :-
Jailer, take him to thy cuftody.

[Exeunt Duke and Train.

Jail. I will, my lord.

Egeon. Hopeless and helplefs, doth Egeon wen But to procraftinate his livele's end.

SCENE II. Changes to the Street.

Enter ANTIPHOLIS of Syracufe, a Merchant, a DROMIO.

Mer. Therefore give out, you are of Epidamnun
Left 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 west.
There is your money, that I had to keep.

Ant. Go bear it to the Centaur, where we hof
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,
Ferufe 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, fir; 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 my inn and dine with me?

Mer. I am invited, fir, to certain merchants,

Of whom I hope to make much benefit,
I crave your pardon. Soon, at five o'clock,
Pleafe you, I'll meet with you upon the mart,
And afterwards confort you till bed-time;
My prefent business calls me from you now.
Ant. Farewell till then: I will go lofe 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 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 feeks another drop;
Who, falling there to find his fellow forth,
Unfeen, inquifitive, confounds himself:
So I, to find a mother, and a brother,
In queft of them, unhappy, lose myself.

Enter DROMIO of Ephefus.

Here comes the almanack of my true date.-
What now? How chance, thou art return'd fo foon?
E. Dro. Return'd fo foon! rather approach'd
too late :

The capon burns, the pig falls from the fpit;
The clock has ftrucken twelve

upon the bell,
My miftrefs made it one upon my cheek:
She is fo hot, because the meat is cold;

The meat is cold, because you come not home; You come not home, becaufe you have no ftomach; You have no ftomach, having broke your faft;" But we, that know what 'tis to faft and pray, Are penitent for your default to-day.

Ant. Stop in your wind, fir: tell me this, I pray; Where have you left the money, that I gave you? E. Dro

B

Το

E. Dro. Oh,--fix-pence, that I had o' Wedne day laft,

pay

the faddler for my mistress' crupper ;The fadler had it, fir, I kept it not.

Ant. I am not in a sportive humour now; Tell me, and dally not, where is the money? We being strangers here, how dar'ft thou truft So great a charge from thine own custody?

E. Dro. I pray you, jest, fir, as you fit at dinne I from my mistress come to you in post; If I return I fhall be poft indeed,

For the will score your fault upon my pate. Methinks, your maw, like mine, should be you clock,

And ftrike you home without a meffenger.

Ant. Come, Dromio, come, thefe jefts are of
of feafon;

Referve them till a merrier hour than this:
Where is the gold I gave in charge to thee?

E. Dro. To me, fir? why you gave no gold to me
Ant. Come on, fir knave, have done your fool
ifhnefs,

And tell me, how thou haft difpos'd thy charge. E. Dro. My charge was but to fetch you from

the mart

Home to your house, the Phoenix, fir, to dinner; My mistress, and her fifter, ftay for you.

Ant. Now, as I am a christian, answer me, In what fafe place you have difpos'd my money; Or I fhall break that merry fconce of yours, That stands on tricks when I am undifpos'd: Where are the thousand marks thou hadft of me! E. Dro. I have fome marks of yours upon my

pate,

Some