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 fix'd,
Fasten'd ourselves at either end the mast;

And floating straight, obedient to the stream,
Were carried towards Corinth, as we thought.
At length the sun, gazing upon the earth,
Dispers'd those vapours that offended us,
And by the benefit of his wish'd light
The seas wax'd calm, and we discovered
Two ships from far making amain to us;
Of Corinth that, of Epidaurus this:

But ere they came,-O, let me say no more!
Gather the sequel by that went before.

Duke. Nay, forward, old man; do not break off so,

For we may pity, though not pardon thee.

Ege. O, 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 encounter'd 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 sorrow for.
Her part, poor soul! seeming as burdened
With lesser weight, but not with lesser woe,
Was carried with more speed before the wind,
And in our sight they three were taken up
By fishermen of Corinth, as we thought.
At length another ship had seized on us;
And knowing whom it was their hap to save,
Gave healthful welcome to their shipwreck'd guests;

Which being violently borne UPON,] The first folio has up, and the second up upon. The present is, no doubt, the true reading, as fixed by Malone.

7 Gave HEALTHFUL welcome] The second folio reads helpful, which is probably wrong, as we have had that word just before. Malone adopted the change without sufficient reason.

And would have reft the fishers of their prey,
Had not their bark been very slow of sail,

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 tell sad stories of my own mishaps.

Duke. And, for the sake of them thou sorrowest for, Do me the favour to dilate at full

What hath befall'n of them, and thee, till now.
Ege. My youngest boy 10, and yet my eldest care,

At eighteen years became inquisitive
After his brother; and importun'd me,
That his attendant (so his case was like,
Reft of his brother, but retain'd his name,)
Might bear him company in the quest of him;
Whom whilst 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, coasting homeward, came to Ephesus,
Hopeless to find, yet loth to leave unsought
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. Hapless Egeon, whom the fates have mark'd To bear the extremity of dire mishap!

Now, trust me, were it not against our laws,
Against my crown, my oath, my dignity,

* Had not their BARK] The first folio has back for "bark," as it is correctly printed in the folio 1632.

"What hath befall'n of them, and thee, till now.] This is the reading of the second folio: the first gives the line thus :

"What have befall'n of them and they, till now."

10 MY YOUNGEST boy,] Monck Mason remarks, that Shakespeare has here been forgetful, and that it was Ægeon's wife who had been fastened on the mast near the youngest boy. So she may have been; but our author does not say so, though he may leave it to be inferred: he only says that the wife was "careful of the latter born," and therefore fastened that child to the mast.

Which princes, would they, may not disannul,
My soul should sue as advocate for thee.
But though thou art adjudged to the death,
And passed sentence may not be recall'd
But to our honour's great disparagement,
Yet will I favour thee in what I can:
Therefore, merchant, I'll limit thee this day,
To seek thy help by beneficial help'.
Try all the friends thou hast in Ephesus;
Beg thou, or borrow, to make up the sum,
And live; if no, then thou art doom'd to die.—
Jailor, take him to thy custody.

Jail. I will, my lord.

Ege. Hopeless, and helpless, doth Ægeon wend, But to procrastinate his lifeless end.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

A public Place.

Enter ANTIPHOLUS and DROMIO of Syracuse, and a Merchant.

Mer. Therefore, give out you are of Epidamnum, Lest that your goods too soon be confiscate.

This very day, a Syracusian merchant

Is apprehended for arrival here;

And, not being able to buy out his life
According to the statute of the town,

1 To seek thy HELP by beneficial HELP.] Some of the editors would substitute "life" for help in the first instance; and Steevens recommends "means" for help in the second instance. Perhaps Shakespeare wrote

"To seek thy hope by beneficial help.”

That is, to seek what you hope by beneficial help to acquire-money for your This is consistent with Ægeon's exclamation just afterwards,

ransom.

"Hopeless and helpless doth Ægeon wend," &c.

The folios have it as it stands in the text.

2 Enter Antipholus] The old stage-direction is "Enter Antipholis Erotes.”

Dies ere the weary sun set in the west.
There is your money that I had to keep.

Ant. S. 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,
Peruse the traders, gaze upon the buildings,
And then return and sleep within mine inn,
For with long travel I am stiff and weary.

Get thee away.

Dro. S. Many a man would take you at your word, And go indeed, having so good a mean. [Exit.

Ant. S. 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 my 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 3,
Please you, I'll meet with you upon the mart,
And afterwards consort you till bed-time*:
My present business calls me from you now.
Ant. S. Farewell 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.

Ant. S. 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 seeks another drop;
Who, falling there to find his fellow forth,
Unseen, inquisitive, confounds himself":

3 Soon at five o'clock ;] i. e. About five o'clock. A. iii. sc. 2, we have " soon at supper-time." "Soon at night," is a common expression.

And afterwards CONSORT you till bed-time :] i. e. Keep you company till bed-time.

5 CONFOUNDS himself:] "To confound," says Malone, "in old language

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?
Dro. E. Return'd so soon! rather approach'd too

late.

The capon burns, the pig falls from the spit,
The clock hath 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 come not home, because you have no stomach;
You have no stomach, having broke your fast;
But we, that know what 'tis to fast and pray,
Are penitent for your default to-day.

Ant. S. Stop in your wind, sir. Tell me this, I pray;
Where have you left the money that I gave you?
Dro. E. O sixpence, that I had o' Wednesday last
To pay the saddler for my mistress' crupper.
The saddler had it, sir; I kept it not.

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

Dro. E. I pray you, jest, sir, as you sit at dinner. I from my mistress come to you in post;

If I return, I shall be post indeed,

signifies to destroy." So it may, but that is not the meaning of the word here: confounds, in this place, is to be interpreted by what Antipholus just afterwards says,

"So I, to find a mother and a brother,
In quest of them, unhappy, lose myself;"

in the same way that a drop is lost in the sea, and confounded with the great mass of waters.

6 Here comes the almanack of my true date.] Because he and Dromio were born at the same hour. He, of course, mistakes Dromio of Ephesus for his own

man.