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Unwilling I agreed; alas, too soon.
We came aboard :.

A league from Epidamnum had we sail'd,
Before the always-wind-obeying deep
Gave any tragick instance of our harm :
But longer did we not retain much hope;
For what obscured light the heavens did grant
Did but convey unto our fearful minds
A doubtful warrant of immediate death;
Which, though myself would gladly have embrac'd,
Yet the incessant weepings of my wife,
Weeping before for what she saw must come,
And piteous plainings of the pretty babes,
That mourn'd for fashion, ignorant what to fear,
Forc'd me to seek delays for them and me.
And this it was, for other means was none,-
The sailors sought for safety by our boat,
And left the ship, then sinking-ripe to us;
My wife, more careful for the latter-born,
Had fasten'd him unto a small spare mast,
Such as sea-faring men provide for storms;
To him one of the other twins was bound,
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

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For we may pity, though not pardon thee.

ÆGE. 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,5 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 seiz'd on us; And, knowing whom it was their hap to save, Gave helpful welcome to their shipwreck'd guests; 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.

-borne upon,] The original copy reads-borne up. The additional syllable was supplied by the editor of the second folio.

MALONE.

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. 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."
ÆGE. My youngest boy, and yet my eldest care,
At eighteen years became inquisitive
After his brother; and impórtun'd me,
That his attendant, (for his case was like,
Reft of his brother, but retain'd his name,) A
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 furthest Greece,
Roaming clean through the bounds of Asia,1
And coasting homeward, came to Ephesus;
Hopeless to find, yet loath to leave unsought,

1

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7-and thee, till now, The first copy erroneously readsand they. The correction was made in the second folio.

MALONE. **My youngest boy, and yet my eldest care,] Shakspeare has here been guilty of a little forgetfulness. Ægeon had said, page 352, that the youngest son was that which his wife had taken care of:

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" My wife, more careful for the latter-born,
" Had fasten'd him upon a small spare mast."

He himself did the same by the other; and then each, fixing their eyes on whom their care was fixed, fastened themselves at either end of the mast. M. MASON.

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- for his case was like,] The original copy has-so his. The emendation was made by the editor of the second folio.

MALONE.

1 Roaming clean through the bounds of Asia,] In the northern parts of England this word is still used instead of quite, fully, per Fectly, completely. So, in Coriolanus:

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This is clean kam."

Again, in Julius Cæsar:

"Clean from the purpose of the things themselves."

The reader will likewise find it in the 77th Psalm.

STEEVENS.

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 Ægeon, whom the fates have mark'd

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To bear the extremity of dire mishap!
Now, trust me, were it not against our laws,
Against my crown, my oath, my dignity,
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:

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Therefore, merchant, I'll limit thee this day, off
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 not, then thou art doom'd to die:
Gaoler, take him to thy custody.

GAOL. I will, my lord.

39.

help] Mr. Pope and some other modern editors read-To seek thy life, &c. But the jingle has much of Shakspeare's manner. MALONE.

To seek thy life, can hardly be the true reading, for, in ancient language, it signifies a base endeavour to take life away. Thus, Antonio says of Shylock,

" He seeks my life."

I believe, therefore, the word-help, was accidentally repeated by the compositor, and that our author wrote,

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To seek thy help by beneficial means.

STEEVENS.

4

if not,] Old copy-no. Corrected in the second

folio. MALONE.

ÆGE. Hopeless, and helpless, doth Ægeon wend, But to procrastinate his lifeless end. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

A publick 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 Syracusan 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 sun set in the west.5 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.

*wend,] i. e. go. An obsolete word. So, in A Mid'summer's-Night's Dream: "And back to Athens shall the lovers wend."

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STEEVENS.

ere the weary sun set in the west.] So, in King John: the feeble and day-wearied sun."

Again, in King Richard III:

"The weary sun hath made a golden set." STEEVENS.

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