Dramatis Perfonæ. SALINUS, Duke of Ephefus. Antipholis of Ephefus, Twin-Brothers, and Sons to Antipholis of Syracuse, Ægeon and Emilia, but unknown to each other. Dromio of Ephefus, Tavin-Brothers, and Slaves to the Dromio of Syracufe, S two Antipholis's. Balthazar, a Merchant. Angelo, a Goldfmith. A Merchant, a Friend to Antipholis of Syracufe. Emilia, Wife to Egeon, an Abbels at Ephefus. Luce, Servant to Adriana. Failer, Officers, and other Attendants. SCENE, Ephefus. This Play is taken from the Menæchmi of Plautus. THE THE COMEDY of ERRORS. ACT I. SCENE I. The Duke's Palace. Enter the Duke of Ephefus, Egeon, failor, and other Attendants. P ÆGEON. ROCEED, Salinus, to procure my fall, The enmity, and difcord, which of late Come to the bay of Ephefus, he dies: To quit the penalty, and ranfom him. Thy fubftance, valu'd at the highest rate, Cannot amount unto a hundred marks; Egeon. Yet this my comfort, when your words are done, My woes end likewife with the evening fun. Duke. Well, Syracufan, fay, in brief, the caufe, Egeon. A heavier task could not have been impos'd, Than I to speak my grief unspeakable: Yet that the world may witnefs, that my end Unto a woman, happy, but for me; To Epidamnum; 'till my factor's death; There fhe had not been long, but she became lush, ovih And, which was ftrange, the one fo like the other, T As could not be diftinguish'd but by namest (1) Was wrought by nature, not by vile offence,] All his hearers understood that the punishment he was about to undergo was in confequence of no private crime, but of the public enmity between two states, to one of which he belonged: But it was a ge neral fuperftition amongft, the ancients, that every great and fuds den misfortune was the vengeance of heaven parfuing, men form their fecret offences. Hence the fentiment here put into the mouth of the speaker was proper. By my paft life (fays he) which I am going to relate, the world may understand that my prefent death is according to the ordinary courfe of providence, [wrought by nature] and not the effects of divine vengeance overtaking me for my crimes [not by vile offence.] WARBURTON. That |