From whom my absence was not six months old,
Before herself (almost at fainting, under
The pleasing punishment that women bear *,)
Had made provision for her following me,
And soon, and safe, arrived where I was.
There had she not been long, but she became

A joyful mother of two goodly sons;

And, which was strange, the one so like the other,
As could not be distinguish'd but by names.
That very hour, and in the self-same inn,
A poor mean woman was deliver'd

Of such a burden, male twins, both alike:
Those, for their parents were exceeding poor,
I bought, and brought up to attend my sons.

* First folio, bears,

the old copy, except that in that copy we have-And he great care, &c. For this emendation I am answerable.

Perhaps there are few passages in these plays where an emendation, effected by the addition of a single letter, produces so easy and clear a sense. Mr. Steevens, however, adhered to the errour of the old copy, but changed its punctuation and adopted a parenthesis, suggested by Mr. M. Mason; in consequence of which alterations the text appears in his edition as follows:

66

66

our wealth increas'd,

By prosperous voyages I often made

"To Epidamnum, till my factor's death:

"And he (great care of goods at random left)
"Drew me, &c."

According to this punctuation and arrangement, the meaning is, that Ægeon carried on a successful trade till his factor's death; and then he [the dead factor] drew him away from the embracements of his wife. MALOne.

• A POOR mean woman was deliver'd-] The old copy reads: "A mean woman was delivered."

The word poor was added to complete the metre in the second folio. It is manifest that some word was omitted by the compositor of the original copy; but the word supplied by the second folio can hardly be the authour's word, for in the next line but one we have

66

for their parents were exceeding poor." However, rather than print an imperfect verse, I have admitted this clumsy emendation. MALONE.

My wife, not meanly proud of two such boys,
Made daily motions for our home return:
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 carry'd 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 wished light,
The seas wax'd calm, and we discover'd
Two ships from far making amain to us,
Of Corinth that, of Epidaurus this:

*First folio, was.

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 7,
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,

8

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.

7

borne UPON,] The original copy reads-borne up. The additional syllable was supplied by the reviser of the second folio, who, however, absurdly reads-borne up upon. MALONE.

8 Gave HELPFUL Welcome-] Old copy-healthful welcome. Corrected by the editor of the second folio. So, in K. Henry IV. P. I.: 66 And gave the tongue a helpful ornament." MALONE. I cannot think any change was necessary. A healthful welcome is a kind welcome, wishing health to their guests. It was not a helpful welcome, for the slowness of their bark prevented them from rendering assistance. BOSWELL.

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 care1,

At eighteen years became inquisitive
After his brother; and impórtun'd me,

That his attendant, (so his case was like 2,
Reft of his brother, but retain'd his name3,)
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,

9

and THEE, till now.] The first copy erroneously reads— and they. The correction was made in the second folio. MALONE. 1 My YOUNGEST BOY, and yet my eldest care,] Shakspeare has here been guilty of a little forgetfulness. Egeon had said, page 156, that the youngest son was that which his wife had taken care of:

66

'My wife, more careful for the latter-born,

"Had fasten'd him unto 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.

2

so his case was like,] i. e. his case being so like that of Antipholus. The reviser of the second folio inserted for, instead of so; and this unnecessary change was adopted by all the subsequent editors. MALONE.

3 - but retain'd his name,] i. e. he retained his name. Here we have another instance of what frequently occurs in these plays, the suppression of the personal pronoun. See the essay on the Phraseology of Shakspeare. MALONE.

4 Roaming CLEAN through the bounds of Asia,] In the northern parts of England this word is still used instead of quite, fully, perfectly, completely. So, in Coriolanus:

66

This is clean kam."

Again, in Julius Cæsar :

66

Clean from the purpose of the things themselves."

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

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,
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 5:
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 :—
Jailer, take him to thy custody.

Again, in Chloris, or the Complaint of the Passionate Despised Shepheard, by W. Smith, 4to. 1596:

"Yet let me rather cleane forget myselfe." MALONE.

5 To seek thy HELP by beneficial help,] 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,

"To seek thy help by beneficial means. STEEVENS.

This emendation seems to have been proposed on a principle which Mr. Steevens seems to have adopted, that we are at liberty to substitute any one word for another. MALONE.

6 if No,] Thus the old copy. The reviser of the second