336

COMEDY OF ERRORS.

That e'er I put between your holy looks
My ill suspicion.-This your son-in-law,
And son unto the king (whom' heavens directing,)
Is troth-plight to your daughter.-Good Paulina,
Lead us from hence; where we may leisurely
Each one demand, and answer to his part
Perform'd in this wide gap of time, since first
We were dissever'd: Hastily lead away. [Exeunt.
THIS play, as Dr. Warburton justly observes, is, with
all its absurdities, very entertaining. The character of
Autolycus is naturally conceived, and strongly repre-
JOHNSON.
sented.
**This is not only a frigid note of approbation, but
is unjustly attributed to Warburtou, whose opinion is
He must in jus
conveyed in more enthusiastic terms.
This play
tice be allowed to speak for himself.
1 Whom is here used where him would be now em-
ployed.

throughout is written in the very spirit of its author.
And in telling this homely and simple, though agreeable,
country tale,

"Our sweetest Shakspeare, Fancy's child,
Warbles his native wood-notes wild."

This was necessary to observe in mere justice to the
play; as the meanness of the fable, and the extravagant
conduct of it, had misled some of great name (i. e. Dry-
which, as far as regards sentiment and character,
den and Pope) into a wrong judgment of its merit;
scarce inferior to any in the collection."

ADDITIONAL NOTE.

I will just take occasion to observe here, that at page 316, Sc. 3, of this play, Paulina says of Hermione, coma gracious innocent soul; trasting her with Leontes, that she is More free than he is jealous.' Where the epithet free evidently means chaste, pure. I regret that this instance did not occur to me when I wrote the note on Twelfth Night, p. 108, note 6.

COMEDY OF ERRORS.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

was swayed by custom in introducing it into his early plays there can be no doubt; for it should be remembered that this kind of versification is to be found in Love's Labour's Lost, and in The Taming of the Shrew. His better judgment made him subsequently abandon IL as a model has not come down to us. There was a transThe particular translation from Plautus which served

THE general idea of this play is taken from the Menæchmi of Plautus, but the plot is entirely recast, and rendered much more diverting by the variety and quick succession of the incidents. To the twin brothers of Plautus are added twin servants, and though this increases the improbability, yet, as Schlegel observes, 'when once we have lent ourselves to the first, which certainly borders on the incredible, we should not pro-lation of the Menæchmi, by W. W. (Warner), published bably be disposed to cavil about the second; and if the spectator is to be entertained with mere perplexities, they cannot be too much varied.' The clumsy and inartificial mode of informing the spectator by a prologue of events, which it was necessary for him to be acquainted with in order to enter into the spirit of the piece, is well avoided, and shows the superior skill of the modern dramatist over his ancient prototype. With how much more propriety is it placed in the mouth of Egeon, the father of the twin brothers, whose character is sketched with such skill as deeply to interest the reader in his griefs and misfortunes. Developement of character, however, was not to be expected in a piece which consists of an uninterrupted series of mistakes and laughter-moving situations. Steevens most resolutely maintained his opinion that this was a play only retouched by the hand of Shakspeare, but he has not given the grounds upon which his opinion was formed. We may suppose the doggerel verses of the dramas, and the want of distinct characterization in the dramatis personæ, together with the farcelike nature of some of the incidents, made him draw this conclusion. Malone has given a satisfactory answer to the first objection, by adducing numerous examples of the same kind of long verse from the dramas of several of his contemporaries; and that Shakspeare

in 1695, which it is possible Shakspeare may have seen in manuscript; but from the circumstance of the brothers lus Erotes or Errotis, and Antipholus Sereptus, perbeing, in the folio of 1623, occasionally styled Antiphohaps for Surreptus and Erraticus, while in Warner's translation the brothers are named Menæchmus Sosicles was not the poet's authority. It is difficult to pronounce and Menæchmus the traveller, it is concluded that he decidedly between the contending opinions of the critics, but the general impression upon my mind is that the whole of the play is from the hand of Shakspeare. Dr. well in the broad exuberance of its mirth as in the cast Drake thinks it is visible throughout the entire play, as of its more chastised parts, a combination of which may be found in the character of Pinch, who is sketched in his strongest and most marked style. We may conclude with Schlegel's dictum, that this is the best of all written or possible Menæchmi; and if the piece is inferior in worth to other pieces of Shakspeare, it is merely because nothing more could be made of the materials."

Malone first placed the date of this piece in 1503, or 1596, but lastly in 1592. Chalmers plainly showed that it should be ascribed to the early date of 1591. It was neither printed nor entered on the Stationers' books until it appeared in the folio of 1623.

ACT I.

SCENE I. A Hall in the Duke's Palace. Enter
Duke, ÆGEON, Gaoler, Officer, and other At-
Egeon.

tendants.

PROCEED, Solinus, to procure my fall,
And, by the doom of death, end woes and all.
Duke. Merchant of Syracusa, plead uo 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 to 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 im-
posed,

Than I to speak my griefs unspeakable:
Yet, that the world may witness that my end
Was wrought by nature,2 not by vile offence,
Putter what my sorrow gives me leave.
In Syracusa was I born: and wed
Unto a woman, happy but for me,
And by me too, had not our hap been bad.
With her I liv'd in joy; our wealth increas'd,
Bv prosperous voyages I often made
To Epidamnum, 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
The pleasing punishment that women bear)
Had made provision for her following me,
And soon, and safe, arrived where I was.
There she had 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 selfsame inn,
A poort mean woman was delivered
Of such a burden, male twins, both alike:
Those, for their parents were exceeding poor,
I bought, and brought up to attend my sous.
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,

1 A gilder was a coin valued from one shilling and *xpence to two shillings.

21. e. natural affection.

3 The old copy reads he: the emendation is Malone's. It is a happy restoration; for the manner in which Steevens pointed this passage gave to it a confused if not an absurd meaning.

4 The word poor was supplied by the editor of the second folio.

5 Instance appears to be used here for symptom or prognostic. Shakspeare uses this word with very great Saturde.

Before the always wind-obeying deep
But longer did we not retain much hope;
Gave any tragic instance of our harm:
For what obscured light the heaveus 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 seafaring 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,-0, 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,
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 healthful 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 you have heard me sever'd from my bliss;
That by misfortunes was my life prolong'd,
To tell sad stories of my own mishaps.

Duke. And, for the sake of them thou sorrowest
for,

8

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
At eighteen years became inquisitive
After his brother; and importun'd me,
That his attendant (for his case was like,
Reft of his brother, but retain'd his name)
Might bear him company in the quest of him:
Whom whilst I labour'd of a love to see,

6 The first folio reads borne up.'

care,

7 The second folio altered this to helpful welcome;' but change was unnecessary. 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.

8 It appears, from what goes before, that it was the eldest, and not the youngest. He says, 'My wife, more careful of the latter born,' &c.

9 The first folio reads so; the second for. 10 The personal pronoun he is suppressed: such phraseology is not unfrequent in the writings of that age.

43

1333

I to the world am like a drop of water,
That in the ocean seeks another drop;
Who falling there to find his fellow forth,
Unseen, inquisitive, confounds himself:
So I, to find a mother, and a brother,
In quest of them, unhappy, lose myself.
Enter DROMIO of Ephesus.

Here comes the almanack of my true date,

Duke. Hapless Egeon, whom the fates have What now? How chance, thou art return'd so soon!

Dro. E. Return'd so soon! rather approach'd too
late:

The capon burns, the pig falls from the spit:
The clock hath strucken twelve upon the bell,
My mistress made it one upon my cheek:
She is so hot, because the meat is cold;
The meat is cold because you come not home:
You come not home, because you have no stomach;
You have no stomach, having broken your fast;
But we, that know what 'tis to fast and pray,
Are penitent for your default to-day.

Ant. S. Stop in your wind, sir; tell me this, 1

Ant. S. Go bear it to the Centaur, where we host, Reserve them till a merrier hour than this:

Dro. S. Many a man would take you at your Home to your house, the Phoenix, sir, to dinner; word,

1 No, which is the reading of the first folio, was anciently often used for not. The second folio reads not.

3 That is, a faithful slave. It is the French sense of t'e word.

41. e. accompany you. In this line the emphasis must be laid on time, at the end of the line, to preserve the metre.

7 The old copy reads cook. The emendation is Pope's 8 Sconce is head. So in Hamlet, Act v. Sc. Why does he suffer this rude knave to knock h about the sconce,' A sconce signified a blockhouse, strong fortification, for the most part round, in fashion 5 Confounded, here, does not signify destroyed, as of a head,' says Blount. I suppose that it was abrient Malone asserts; but overwhelmed, mixed confusedly ly used for a lantern also, on account of the round

Dro. E. What mean you, sir? for God's sake, hold your hands;

Nay, an you will not, sir, I'll take my

heels.
[Exit DROMIO 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:2
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 :3

If it prove so, I will be gone the sooner.
I'll to the Centaur, to go seek this slave;
I greatly fear my money is not safe.

ACT II.

[Exit.

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. 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 is at two hands with me, and that my two ears can witness.

Adr. Say, didst you 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 could'st 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.10

Adr. But say, I pr'ythee, 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?

Dro. E. I mean not cuckold-mad; but, sure, he's stark mad:

When I desir'd him to come home to dinner,

Luc. Perhaps, some merchant hath invited him, He ask'd me for a thousand marks in gold:
And from the mart he's somewhere gone to dinner;'Tis dinner time, quoth I; My gold, quoth he:
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'doors.
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.
Luc. Why, headstrong liberty is lash'd with woe,+
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 controuls:
Men, more divine, the masters of all these,
Lords of the wide world, and wild watry seas,
Indued with intellectual sense and souls,
Of more pre-eminence than fish and fowls,
Are masters to their females, and their lords:
Then let your will attend on their accords.

Adr. This servitude makes you to keep unwed.
Luc. Not this, but troubles of the marriage bed.
Adr. But, were you wedded, you would bear

some sway.

Luc. Ere I learn love, I'll practise to obey.
Adr. How if your husband start some other

where ?5

Luc. Till he come home again, I would forbear.
Adr. Patience, unmov'd, no marvel though she

pause;

They can be meek, that have no other cause."
A wretched soul, bruis'd with adversity,
We bid be quiet, when we hear it cry;
But were we burden'd with like weight of pain,
As much, or more, we should ourselves complain:
So thou, that hast no unkind mate to grieve thee,
With urging helpless patience would'st relieve me
But, if thou live to see like right bereft,
This fool-begg'd patience in thee will be left.

1 i. e. overreached.

:

Your meat doth burn, quoth I; My gold, quoth he:
Will you come home ? quoth I; My gold, quoth he:
Where is the thousand marks I gave thee, villain?
My mistress, sir, quoth I; Hang up thy mistress;
The pig, quoth I, is burn'd; My gold, quoth he
I know not thy mistress; out on thy mistress!12
Luc. Quoth who?

Dro. E. Quoth my master:

I know, quoth he, no house, no wife, no mistress ;—
So that my errand, due unto my tongue,
I thank him, I bear home upon my shoulders;
For, in conclusion, he did beat me there.

Adr. Go back again, thou slave, and fetch him

home.

You spurn me hence, and he will spurn me hither:
That like a football you do spurn me thus ?
If I last in this service, you must case me in leather.

[Exit.

Luc. Fie, how impatience loureth in your face!
Adr. His company must do his minions grace,
Whilst I at home starve for a merry look.14
Hath homely age the alluring beauty took
From my poor cheek? then he hath wasted it:
If voluble and sharp discourse be marr'd,
Are my discourses dull? barren my wit?
Unkindness blunts it, more than marble hard.
Do their gay vestments his affections bait?
That's not my fault, he's master of my state.
What ruins are in me, that can be found
By him not ruin'd? then is he the ground

2 This was the character which the ancients gave of Of my defeatures:15 My decayed fair1
Ephesus.

3 That is, licentious actions, sinful liberties. 4 The meaning of this passage may be, that those who refuse the bridle must bear the lash, and that woe is the punishment of headstrong liberty.•

5 Elsewhere, other where; in another place, alibi, says Baret. The sense is, 'How if your husband fly off in pursuit of some other woman?'

6 To pause is to rest, to be quiet. 7 i. e. no cause to be otherwise.

8 That is, by urging me to patience which affords no help.

9Fool-begged patience' is that patience which is so near to idiotical simplicity, that you might be represented to be a fool, and your guardianship begg'd accordingly.

10 i. e. scarce stand under them.

Act:-
12 We have an equally unmetrical line in the first

'Therefore, merchant, I'll liinit thee this day.' spherical, as applied to himself; and unrestrained, or 13 He plays upon the word round, which signifies free in speech or action, as regards his mistress. The King in Hamlet desires the Queen to be round with her

sen.

seventy-fifth:-
14 So in Shakspeare's Sonnets, the forty-seventh and

"When that mine eye is famish'd for a look.'
Sometimes all full with feeding on his sight,
And by and by clean starved for a look."

15 Defeat and defeature were used for disfigurement or alteration of features. Cotgrave has 'Un visage desfaict: Growne very leane, pale, wan, or decayed in

11 Home is not in the old copy: it was supplied to feature and colour.' complete the verse by Capell.

16 Fair, strictly speaking, is not used here for fair.

I know his eye doth homage otherwhere;

Or else, what lets it but he would be here?
Sister, you know, he promis'd me a chain;
'Would, that alone, alone he would detain,
So he would keep fair quarter with his bed!
I see, the jewel, best enamelled,

Will lose his beauty; and though gold 'bides still,
That others touch, yet often touching will
Wear gold: and no man, that hath a name,
But falsehood and corruption doth it shame.
Since that my beauty cannot please his eye,
I'll weep what's left away, and weeping die.
Luc. How many fond fools serve mad jealousy!
[Exeunt.
SCENE II. The same. Enter ANTIPHOLUS of

5 A sconce was a fortification; to insconce was to hair by a certain disease. It seems to have been a joke