Dramatis Personæ.

SALINUS, Duke of Ephesus.
Ægeon, a Merchant of Syracuse.

Twin-Brothers, and Sons to
Antipholis of Ephesus,
Antipholis of Syracuse,

Ægeon and Æmilia, but

unknown to each other. Dromio of Ephesus, Twin-Brothers, and Slaves to the

} .
Balthazar, a Merchant.
Angelo, a Goldsmith.
A Merchant, Friend to Antipholis of Syracuse.
Dr. Pinch, a School-master, and a Conjurer.

Æmilia, Wife to Ægeon, an Abbess at Ephesus.
Adriana, Wife to Antipholis of Ephesus.
Luciana, Sister to Adriana.
Luce, Servant to Adriana.

Jailor, Officers, and other Attendants.

SCE N E, Ephesus.

THE

Enter the Duke of Ephesus, Ægeon, Jailor, and other

Attendants.

1

all.

ÆGE O N.
PRO

ROCEED, Salinus, to procure my fall,

Duke. Merchant of Syracuse, plead no more;
I am not partial to infringe our laws :
The enmity, and discord, which of late
Sprung from the ranc'rous outrage of your Duke,
To merchants, our well-dealing countrymen,
(Who, wanting gilders to redeem their lives,
Have feald his rigorous statutes with their bloods)
Excludes all pity from our threatning looks.
For, since the mortal and intestine jars
'Twixt thy seditious countrymen and us,
It hath in folemn synods been decreed,
Both by the Syracufans and ourselves,
T'admit no traffic to our adverse towns.
Nay, more ; if any born at Ephesus
Be seen at Syracufan marts and fairs,
Again, if any Syracufan born
Come to the bay of Ephesus, he dies :
Vol. IV.

B

His

His goods confiscate to the Duke's dispose,
Unless a thousand marks be levied
To quit the penalty, and ransom him.
Thy substance, valu'd at the highest rate,
Cannot amount unto a hundred marks ;
Therefore, by law thou art condemn'd to die.
Ægeon. Yet this my comfort, when your words are

done,
My woes end likewise with the evening sun.

Duke. Well, Syracufan, say, in brief, the cause, Why thou departed'it from thy native home; And for what cause thou cam'ft to Ephesus.

Ægeon. A heavier task could not have been impos'd, Than I to speak my grief 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.
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,
By 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 fpoufe;
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 foon, and safe, arrived where I was.
There she had not been long, but she became
A joyful mother of two goodly fons ;
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-fame inn,
A poor mean woman was delivered
Of such a burden, male-twins both alike :
Those (for their parents were exceeding poor)

I bought,