COMEDY OF ERRORS. PERSONS REPRESENTED. SOLINUE, Duke of Ephesus. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 1. ÆGEON, a merchant of Syracuse. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 1. ANTIFHOLUS OF EPHESUS, twin-brother to Antipholus of Syracuse, but unknown to him, and son to Ægeon and Emilia. Appears. Act III. sc. 1. Act IV. se. 1. Act V. sc. 1. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE, twin-brother to Antipholus of Ephesus, but unknown to him, and son to Ægeon and Emilia. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 2. Act III. sc. 2. DROMIO OF EPHESUS, twin-brother to Dromio of Syra- DROMIO OF SYRACUSE, twin-brother to Dromio of racuse. Appears, Art I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 2. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 1. BALTHAZAR, a merchant. Appears, Act III. sc. 1. ANGELO, a goldsmith. Appears, Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 1 A Merchant, friend to Antipholus of Syracuse, EMILIA, wife to Ægeon, an abbess at Ephesus ADRIANA, wife to Antipholus of Ephesus. LUCIANA, sister to Adriana. Appears, Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act III. sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 21 sc. 4. Act V. sc. 1. LUCE, her servant. Appears, Act III. sc. ! A Courtezan. Appears, Act IV. sc. 3; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 1. SCENE, EPHESUS. ACT I. SCENE I-A Hall in the Duke's Palace. Enter DUKE, ÆGEON, Gaoler, Officers, and other Attendants. Ege. Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall, And, by the doom of death, end woes and all. Duke. Merchant of Syracusa, plead no more; I am not partial, to infringe our laws; The enmity and discord, which of late Sprung from the rancorous outrage of your duke To merchants, our well-dealing countrymen,Who, wanting gilders to redeem their lives, Have seal'd his rigorous statutes with their bloods,-Excludes all pity from our threat'ning looks. For, since the mortal and intestine jars Twixt thy seditious countrymen and us, It hath in solemn synods been decreed, Both by the Syracusans and ourselves, To admit no traffic in our adverse towns: Nay, more, If any, born at Ephesus, Be seen at any Syracusan marts and fairs, Again, If any Syracusan born, Come to the bay of Ephesus, he dies, His goods confiscate to the duke's dispose; Unless a thousand marks be levied, To quit the penalty, and to ransom him. Thy substance, valued at the highest rate, Cannot amount unto a hundred marks; Therefore, by law thou art condemn'd to die. Ege. Yet this my comfort; when your words are done, My woes end likewise with the evening sun. Duke. Well, Syracusan, say, in brief, the cause Why thou departedst from thy native home; And for what cause thou cam'st to Ephesus. Ege. A heavier task could not have been impos'd, And, which was strange, the one so like the other Of such a burthen, male twins, both alike: Those, for their parents were exceeding poor, By nature-by the impulses of nature, by natural affection, -as opposed to vile offence, the violation of the municipal laws of Ephesus. I bought, and brought up to attend my sons. A doubtful warrant of immediate death; 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 For ere the ships could meet by twice five leagues, Our helpful ship was splitted in the midst, 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, and yet my eldest care, So his case was like-his case was so like that of Antipholus. I hazarded the loss of whom I lov'd. 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, 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 :Gaoler, take him into thy custody. SCENE II-A public Place. Enter ANTIPHOLUS and DROMIO of Syracuse, and a Mer. Therefore give out you are of Epidamnum, Is apprehended for arrival here; Ant. S. Go, bear it to the Centaur, where we host, Dro. S. Many a man would take you at your word, And go indeed, having so good a mean. [Exit DRO. S. 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, I to the world am like a drop of water, Laveless. Lifeless and liveless are the same; as lively and lifely also are the same. Soon at five o'clock-about five o'clock Who, falling there to find his fellow forth, Enter DROMIO of Ephesus. Here comes the almanac of my true date.- You come not home, because you have no stomach; Ant. S. Stop in your wind, sir; tell me this, I pray : To pay the saddler for my mistress' crupper; Ant. S. I am not in a sportive humour now: Dro. E. I pray you, jest, sir, as you sit at dinner : For she will score your fault upon my pate. Ant. S. Come, Dromio, come, these jests are out of season; Reserve them till a merrier hour than this: SCENE I-A public Place. Enter ADRIANA and LUCIANA. Ant. S. Come on, sir knave; have done your fool. ishness, And tell me how thou hast dispos'd thy charge. Dro. E. My charge was but to fetch you from the mart Home to your house, the Phoenix, sir, to dinner, My mistress and her sister stay for you. Ant. S. Now, as I am a christian, answer me, In what safe place you have bestow'd my money; Or I shall break that merry sconce of yours, That stands on tricks when I am undispos'd: Where is the thousand marks thou hadst of me? Dro. E. I have some marks of yours upon my pate, Some of my mistress' marks upon my shoulders, But not a thousand marks between you both. If I should pay your worship those again, Perchance, you will not bear them patiently. Ant. S. Thy mistress' marks? what mistress, slave, hast thou? Dro. E. Your worship's wife, my mistress at the Phoenix; She that doth fast till you come home to dinner, And prays that you will hie you home to dinner. Ant. S. What, wilt thou flout me thus unto my face, Being forbid? There, take you that, sir knave. Dro. E. What mean you, sir? for God's sake, hold your hands; Nay, an you will not, sir, I'll take my heels. b [Exit DRO. E. Ant. S. Upon my life, by some device or other, The villain is o'er-raught of all my money. They say this town is full of cozenage; As, nimble jugglers that deceive the eye, Dark-working sorcerers that change the mind, Soul-killing witches that deform the body, Disguised cheaters, prating mountebanks, And many such like liberties of sin : If it prove so, I will be gone the sooner. I'll to the Centaur, to go seek this slave greatly fear my money is not safe. ACT II. Adr. Neither my husband, nor the slave return'd, That in such haste I sent to seek his master! Sure, Luciana, it is two o'clock. Luc. Perhaps, some merchant hath invited him, And from the mart he 's somewhere gone to dinner. Good sister, let us dine, and never fret: A man is master of his liberty: Time is their master; and when they see time, They'll go, or come: If so, be patient, sister. Adr. Why should their liberty than ours be more? Luc. Because their business still lies out o' door. Adr. Look, when I serve him so, he takes it ill. Luc. O, know, he is the bridle of your will.. Adr. There's none but asses will be bridled so. Late. Why, headstrong liberty is lash'd with woe.c There's nothing situate under heaven's eye But hath his bound, in earth, in sea, in sky: The beasts, the fishes, and the winged fowls, Are their males' subjects, and at their controls: • Penitent-in the sense of doing penance. Post indeed. The post of a shop was used as the tally-board a publican is now used, to keep the score. • Lash'd with woe. A lace, a leash, a latch, a lash, is each a ; Men, more divine, the masters of all these, [Exit. Adr. This servitude makes you to keep unwed. sway. Luc. Ere I learn love, I'll practise to obey. They can be meek that have no other cause. b O'er-raught-overreached. Where has here the power of a noun, and is used as in form of expressing what binds or fastens; and thus "head-Henry VIII.'-"the king hath sent me otherwhere." strong liberty," and "woe," are bound together-are insepa The allusion is to the practice of "begging a fool" for the guardianship of his fortune. Luc. Well, I will marry one day, but to try ;Here comes your man, now is your husband nigh. Enter DROMIO of Ephesus. Adr. Say, is your tardy master now at hand? Dro. E. Nay, he 's at two hands with me, and that my two ears can witness. Adr. Say, didst thou speak with him? know'st thou his mind? Dro. E. Ay, ay, he told his mind upon mine ear. Beshrew his hand! I scarce could understand it. Luc. Spake he so doubtfully thou couldst not feel his meaning? Dro. E. Nay, he struck so plainly I could too well feel his blows; and withal so doubtfully that I could scarce understand them." Adr. But say, I prithee, is he coming home? It seems he hath great care to please his wife. Dro. E. Why, mistress, sure my master is horn-mad. Adr. Horn-mad, thou villain? "I know," quoth he, "no house, no wife, no mistress;" So that my errand, due unto my tongue, I thank him, I bare home upon my shoulders; Adr. Go back again, thou slave, and fetch him home. Dro. E. Go back again, and be new beaten home? For God's sake send some other messenger. Adr. Back, slave, or I will break thy pate across. Dro. E. And he will bless that cross with other beating: Between you I shall have a holy head. Adr. Hence, prating peasant! fetch thy master home. Dro. E. Am I so round with you, as you with me, That like a football you do spurn me thus? b You spurn me hence, and he will spurn me hither: If I last in this service you must case me in leather. [Exit. Luc. Fie, how impatience loureth in your face! And feeds from home: poor I am but his stale. a Understand them-stand under them. To be round with any one is to be plain-spoken; as in 'Hamlet'-"Let her be round with him." Dromio uses the word in a double sense, when he alludes to the footba... Luc. Self-harming jealousy!-fie! beat it hence. Will lose his beauty; and though gold 'bides still, SCENE II.-The same. Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse. Ant. S. The gold I gave to Dromio is laid up Enter DROMIO of Syracuse. How now, sir? is your merry humour alter'd? Dro. S. What answer, sir? When spake I such a word? Ant. S. Even now, even here, not half an hour since. Dro. S. I did not see you since you sent me hence, Home to the Centaur, with the gold you gave me. Ant. S. Villain, thou didst deny the gold's receipt, And told'st me of a mistress, and a dinner; For which, I hope, thou felt st I was displeas'd. Dro. S. I am glad to see you in this merry vein : What means this jest? I pray you, master, tell me. Ant. S. Yea, dost thou jeer, and flout me in the teeth? Think'st thou I jest? Hold, take thou that, and that. [Beating him. Dro. S. Hold, sir, for God's sake: now your jest is earnest : Upon what bargain do you give it me? Ant. S. Because that I familiarly sometimes Dro. S. Sconce, call you it? so you would leave bat. tering, I had rather have it a head: an you use these blows long, I must get a sconce for my head, and insconce it too; or else I shall seek my wit in my shoulders. But, I pray, sir, why am I beaten? Ant. S. Dost thou not know? Dro. S. Nothing, sir; but that I am beaten. Dro. S. Ay, sir, and wherefore; for, they say, every why hath a wherefore. The "serious hours" of Antipholus ate his private hours: the "sauciness" of Dromio intrudes upon those hours, and deprives his master of his exclusive possession of them-makes them "a common property. " b Insconce it-defend it-fortify it. Ant. S. Why, first-for flouting me; and then, I am not Adriana, nor thy wife. Ant. S. By what rule, sir? The time was once, when thou unurg'd wouldst vow As take from me thyself, and not me too. Dro. S. Marry, sir, by a rule as plain as the plain And break it with a deep-divorcing vow? jald pate of father Time himself. Ant. S Let's hear it. Dro. S. There's no time for a man to recover his hair, that grows bald by nature. Ant. S. May he not do it by fine and recovery? Dro. S. Yes, to pay a fine for a periwig, and recover the lost hair of another man. Ant. S. Why is Time such a niggard of hair, being, as it is, so plentiful an excrement? Dro. S. Because it is a blessing that he bestows on beasts: and what he hath scanted men in hair, he hath given them in wit. Ant. S. Why, but there 's many a man hath more hair than wit. Dro. S. Not a man of those but he hath the wit to lose his hair. Ant. S. Why, thou didst conclude hairy men plain dealers without wit. Dro. S. The plainer dealer, the sooner lost: Yet he loseta it in a kind of jollity. Ant. S. For what reason? Dro. S. For two; and sound ones too. Ant. S. Nay, not sound, I pray you. Dro. S. Sure ones then. Ant. S. Nay, not sure, in a thing falsing." Dro. S. Certain ones then. Ant. S. Name them. Dro. S. The one, to save the money that he spends in tiring; the other, that at dinner they should not drop in his porridge. Ant. S. You would all this time have proved there is no time for all things. Dro. S. Marry, and did, sir; namely, in no time to recover hair lost by nature. Ant. S. But your reason was not substantial, why there is no time to recover. Dro. S. Thus I mend it: Time himself is bald, and therefore, to the world's end, will have bald followers. Ant. S. I knew 't would be a bald conclusion: But sof! who wafts us yonder? Enter ADRIANA and LUCIANA. Adr. Ay, ay, Antipholus, look strange, and frown; Some other mistress hath thy sweet aspects: •Falsing the participle of the verb to false. Tiring-attiring. Dromio proves that "there is no time for all things," because maa recovers his hair, by means of a periwig, "in no time." I know thou canst; and therefore, see thou do it. Ant. S. Plead you to me, fair dame? I know you Dro. S. By me? Adr. By thee; and this thou didst return from him,— That he did buffet thee, and, in his blows, Denied my house for his, me for his wife. Ant. S. Did you converse, sir, with this gentlewoman? What is the course and drift of your compact? Dro. S. I, sir? I never saw her till this time. Ant. S. Villain, thou liest; for even her very words Didst thou deliver to me on the mart. Dro. S. I never spake with her in all my life. Adr. How ill agrees it with your gravity, |