Solinus, duke of Ephesus. Egeon, a merchant of Syracuse. twin brothers and sons to Ageon and Antipholus of Syracuse, Emilia, but unknown to each other. Antipholus of Ephesus,* Dromio of Ephesus, Dromio of Syracuse, Balthazar, a merchant. Angelo, a goldsmith. twin brothers, and attendants on the two Antipholus's. A Merchant, friend to Antipholus of Syracuse. Emilia, wife to Egeon, an abbess at Ephesus. Luciana, her sister. Luce, her servant. A Courtezan. Gaoler, Officers, and other Attendants. SCENE, Ephesus. *In the old copy, these brothers are occasionally styled Antipholus Erotes, or Errotis; and Antipholus Sereptus; meaning, perhaps, erraticus, and surreptus. One of these twins wandered in search of his brother, who had been forced from Æmilia by fishermen of Corinth. The following acrostick is the argument to the Menæchmi of Plautus-Delph. Edit. p. 654: “Mercator Siculus, cui erant gemini filii, "Nomen surreptitii illi indit qui domi est "Menæchmum civem credunt omnes advenam: Eumque appellant, meretrix, uxor, et socer. "Ii se cognoscunt fratres postremò invicem." The translator, W. W. calls the brothers, Menæchmus Sosicles, and Menæchmus the traveller. Whencesoever Shakspeare adopted erraticus and surreptus, (which either he or his editors have mis-spelt) these distinctions were soon dropped, and throughout the rest of the entries the twins are styled of Syracuse or EpheSteevens. sus. ACT I.....SCENE I. A Hall in the Duke's Palace. Enter Duke, EGEON, Gaoler, Officers, and other Æge. Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall, The enmity and discord, which of late Sprung from the rancorous outrage of your duke If any, born at Ephesus, be seen Come to the bay of Ephesus, he dies, To quit the penalty, and to ransome him. Ege. Yet this my comfort; when your words are done, My woes end likewise with the evening sun. E e 2 Duke. Well, Syracusan, say, in brief, the cause Ege. A heavier task could not have been impos'd, Yet, that the world may witness, that my end Unto a woman, happy but for me, And by me too, had not our hap been bad. To Epidamnum, till my factor's death; And he (great care of goods at random left)3 1 Was wrought by nature, not by vile offence.] All his hearers understood that the punishment he was about to undergo was in consequence of no private crime, but of the publick enmity between two states, to one of which he belonged: but it was a general superstition amongst the ancients, that every great and sudden misfortune was the vengeance of heaven pursuing men for their secret offences. Hence the sentiment put into the mouth of the speaker was proper. By my past life, (says he) which I am going to relate, the world may understand, that my present death is according to the ordinary course of Providence, [wrought by nature] and not the effects of divine vengeance overtaking me for my crimes, [not by vile offence.] Warburton. The real meaning of this passage is much less abstruse than that which Warburton attributes to it. By nature is meant natural affection. Ageon came to Ephesus in search of his son, and tells his story, in order to show that his death was in consequence of natural affection for his child, not of any criminal intention. M. Mason. 2 And by me too,] Too, which is not found in the original copy, was added by the editor of the second folio, to complete the metre. Malone. 3 And he (great care of goods at random left)] Surely we should read And the great care of goods at random left Drew me &c. The text, as exhibited in the old copy, can scarcely be reconciled to grammar. Malone. A parenthesis makes the present reading clear: And he (great care of goods at random left) Drew me &c. M. Mason. From whom my absence was not six months old, And, which was strange, the one so like the other, That very hour, and in the selfsame inn, 4 A poor mean woman' was delivered Of such a burden, male twins, both alike: We came aboard: A league from Epidamnum had we sail'd, A doubtful warrant of immediate death; Which, though myself would gladly have embrac❜d, Weeping before for what she saw must come, 4 A poor mean woman-] Poor is not in the old copy. It was inserted, for the sake of the metre, by the editor of the second folio. Malone. The children thus dispos'd, my wife and I, But ere they came,-O, let me say no more! 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, Our helpful ship was splitted in the midst, 5 borne upon,] The original copy reads-borne up. The additional syllable was supplied by the editor of the second folio. Malone. 6 Gave helpful welcome-] Old copy-healthful welcome. Corrected by the editor of the second folio. So, in King Henry IV, P. I: "And gave the tongue a helpful welcome." Malone. |