be drawn from the most striking dissimilarity of style, a tissue as different as silk and worsted, that this comedy, though boasting the embellishments of our author's genius, in additional words, lines, speeches, and scenes, was not originally his, but proceeded from some inferior playwright, who was capable of reading the Menæchmi without the help of a translation, or, at least, did not make use of Warner's. And this I take to have been the case, not only with the three Parts of King Henry VI. (though not, perhaps, exactly in the way, or to the extent, maintained by a late editor,) but with The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Love's Labour's Lost, and King 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 veriest canvass-spoiler that ever handled a brush. The originals of these plays were never printed, and may be thought to have been put into his hands by the manager, for the purpose 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 entitled to a situation among the " six plays on which Shakspeare founded his Measure for Measure," &c. of which I should hope to see a new and improved edition. RITSON. This comedy, I believe, was written in 1593. tempt to ascertain the Order of Shakespeare's Plays, See An AtVol. II. MALONE. Solinus, Duke of Ephesus. Ægeon, a Merchant of Syracuse. Antipholus of Ephesus,1 Antipholus of Syracuse, Twin Brothers, and Sons to Ægeon and Æmilia, but unknown to each other. Dromio of Ephesus, Twin Brothers, and AttendDromio of Syracuse, 5 ants on the two Antipholus's. Balthazar, a Merchant. Angelo, a Goldsmith. A Merchant, Friend to Antipholus of Syracuse. Pinch, a Schoolmaster, and a Conjurer. Æmilia, Wife to Ægeon, an Abbess at Ephesus. Adriana, Wife to Antipholus of Ephesus. Luciana, her Sister. Luce, her Servant. A Courtezan. Gaoler, Officers, and other Attendants. 1 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, 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 Ephesus. STEEVENS. COMEDY OF ERRORS. ACT I. SCENE I. A Hall in the Duke's Palace. Enter Duke, ÆGEON, Gaoler, Officers, and other Attendants. ÆGE. Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall, If any, born at Ephesus, be seen To quit the penalty, and to ransome him. My woes end likewise with the evening sun. ÆGE. A heavier task could not have been im 'pos'd, Than I to speak my griefs unspeakable : A : 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. Ægeon 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. : 3 And by me too, had not our hap been bad. * 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 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. * 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. |