BALTHAZAR
a merchant
LUCE (or Nell)
kitchen-maid in Adriana’s household
SECOND MERCHANT
creditor to Angelo
15
OFFICER
COURTESAN
Doctor PINCH
a schoolmaster and conjuror
MESSENGER
Attendant to the Duke, three or four Attendants to Doctor Pinch, Headsman, other Officers
20
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
1.1
Enter [Solinus,] the DUKE of Ephesus, with
[EGEON,] the Merchant of Syracuse, Jailer and other Attendants.
EGEON
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
5
Sprang from the rancorous outrage of your duke
To merchants, our well-dealing countrymen,
Who, wanting guilders to redeem their lives,
Have sealed his rigorous statutes with their bloods,
Excludes all pity from our threatening looks;
10
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 to our adverse towns.
15
Nay, more: if any born at Ephesus
Be seen at 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,
20
Unless a thousand marks be levied
To quit the penalty and ransom him.
Thy substance, valued at the highest rate,
Cannot amount unto a hundred marks:
Therefore, by law thou art condemned to die.
25
EGEON
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 departed’st from thy native home,
And for what cause thou cam’st to Ephesus.
30
EGEON
A heavier task could not have been imposed
Than I to speak my griefs unspeakable.
Yet that the world may witness that my end
Was wrought by nature, not by vile offence,
I’ll utter what my sorrow gives me leave.
35
In Syracusa was I born, and wed
Unto a woman, happy but for me,
And by me, had not our hap been bad.
With her I lived in joy; our wealth increased
By prosperous voyages I often made
40
To Epidamium, till my factor’s death,
And the great care of goods at random left,
Drew me from kind embracements of my spouse;
From whom my absence was not six months old
Before herself (almost at fainting under
45
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,
50
And, which was strange, the one so like the other
As could not be distinguished but by names.
That very hour, and in the self-same inn,
A meaner woman was delivered
Of such a burden, male twins, both alike.
55
Those, for their parents were exceeding poor,
I bought, and brought up to attend my sons.
My wife, not meanly proud of two such boys,
Made daily motions for our home return.
Unwilling, I agreed. Alas! too soon
60
We came aboard.
A league from Epidamium had we sailed
Before the always wind-obeying deep
Gave any tragic instance of our harm.
But longer did we not retain much hope,
65
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 embraced,
Yet the incessant weepings of my wife,
70
Weeping before for what she saw must come,
And piteous plainings of the pretty babes,
That mourned for fashion, ignorant what to fear,
Forced me to seek delays for them and me.
And this it was, for other means was none:
75
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 fastened him unto a small spare mast
Such as seafaring men provide for storms;
80
To him one of the other twins was bound,
Whilst I had been like heedful of the other.
The children thus disposed, my wife and I,
Fixing our eyes on whom our care was fixed,
Fastened ourselves at either end the mast,
85
And floating straight, obedient to the stream,
Was carried towards Corinth, as we thought.
At length the sun, gazing upon the earth,
Dispersed those vapours that offended us,
And by the benefit of his wished light
90
The seas waxed 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.
95
DUKE
Nay, forward, old man; do not break off so,
For we may pity, though not pardon thee.
EGEON
O, had the gods done so, I had not now
Worthily termed them merciless to us;
For ere the ships could meet, by twice five leagues,
100
We were encountered by a mighty rock,
Which being violently borne upon,
Our helpful ship was splitted in the midst;
So that, in this unjust divorce of us,
Fortune had left to both of us alike
105
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
110
By fishermen of Corinth, as we thought.
At length another ship had seized on us,
And, knowing whom it was their hap to save,
Gave healthful welcome to their shipwrecked guests,
And would have reft the fishers of their prey
115
Had not their bark been very slow of sail;
And therefore homeward did they bend their course.
Thus have you heard me severed from my bliss,
That by misfortunes was my life prolonged
To tell sad stories of my own mishaps.
120
DUKE
And for the sake of them thou sorrow’st for,
Do me the favour to dilate at full
What have befall’n of them and thee till now.
EGEON
My youngest boy, and yet my eldest care,
At eighteen years became inquisitive
125
After his brother, and importuned me
That his attendant, so his case was like,
Reft of his brother, but retained his name,
Might bear him company in the quest of him;
Whom whilst I laboured of a love to see,
130
I hazarded the loss of whom I loved.
Five summers have I spent in farthest Greece,
Roaming clean through the bounds of Asia,
And coasting homeward came to Ephesus,
Hopeless to find, yet loath to leave unsought
135
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 marked
140
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.
145
But, though thou art adjudged to the death,
And passed sentence may not be recalled
But to our honour’s great disparagement,
Yet will I favour thee in what I can.
Therefore, merchant, I’ll limit thee this day
150
To seek thy hope 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 doomed to die.
Jailer, take him to thy custody.
155
JAILER
I will, my lord.
EGEON
Hopeless and helpless doth Egeon wend,
But to procrastinate his lifeless end. Exeunt.
[1.2]
Enter ANTIPHOLUS [OF SYRACUSE], [First]
Merchant and DROMIO [OF SYRACUSE].
1 MERCHANT
Therefore, give out you are of Epidamium,
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,
5
According to the statute of the town
Dies ere the weary sun set in the west.
[Offers a purse to Antipholus.]
There is your money that I had to keep.
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE [to Dromio, giving the purse]
Go, bear it to the Centaur, where we host,
And stay there, Dromio, till I come to thee.
10
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.
15
Get thee away.
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
Many a man would take you at your word
And go indeed, having so good a mean. Exit.
The Comedy of Errors Page 15