100For we may pitty, though not pardon thee.

101Merch. Oh had the gods done so, I had not now

102Worthily tearm'd them mercilesse to vs:

103For ere the ships could meet by twice fiue leagues,

104We were encountred by a mighty rocke,

105Which being violently borne vp,

106Our helpefull ship was splitted in the midst;

107So that in this vniust diuorce of vs,

108Fortune had left to both of vs alike,

109What to delight in, what to sorrow for,

110Her part, poore soule, seeming as burdened

111With lesser waight, but not with lesser woe,

112Was carried with more speed before the winde,

113And in our sight they three were taken vp

114By Fishermen of Corinth, as we thought.

115At length another ship had seiz'd on vs,

116And knowing whom it was their hap to saue,

117Gaue healthfull welcome to their ship-wrackt guests,

118And would haue reft the Fishers of their prey,

119Had not their backe beene very slow of saile;

120And therefore homeward did they bend their course.

121Thus haue you heard me seuer'd from my blisse,

122That by misfortunes was my life prolong'd,

123To tell sad stories of my owne mishaps.

124Duke. And for the sake of them thou sorrowest for,

125Doe me the fauour to dilate at full,

126What haue befalne of them and they till now.

127Merch. My yongest boy, and yet my eldest care,

128At eighteene yeeres became inquisitiue

129After his brother; and importun'd me

130That his attendant, so his case was like,

131Reft of his brother, but retain'd his name,

132Might beare him company in the quest of him:

133Whom whil'st I laboured of a loue to see,

134I hazarded the losse of whom I lou'd.

135Fiue Sommers haue I spent in farthest Greece,

136Roming cleane through the bounds of Asia,

137And coasting homeward, came to Ephesus:

138Hopelesse to finde, yet loth to leaue vnsought

139Or that, or any place that harbours men:

140But heere must end the story of my life,

141And happy were I in my timelie death,

142Could all my trauells warrant me they liue.

143Duke. Haplesse Egeon whom the fates haue markt

144To beare the extremitie of dire mishap:

145Now trust me, were it not against our Lawes,

146Against my Crowne, my oath, my dignity,

147Which Princes would they may not disanull,

148My soule should sue as aduocate for thee:

149But though thou art adiudged to the death,

150And passed sentence may not be recal'd

151But to our honours great disparagement:

152Yet will I fauour thee in what I can;

153Therefore Marchant, Ile limit thee this day

154To seeke thy helpe by beneficiall helpe,

155Try all the friends thou hast in Ephesus,

156Beg thou, or borrow, to make vp the summe,

157And liue: if no, then thou art doom'd to die:

158Iaylor, take him to thy custodie.

159Iaylor. I will my Lord.

160Merch. Hopelesse and helpelesse doth Egean wend,

161But to procrastinate his liuelesse end. Exeunt.

163Mer. Therefore giue out you are of Epidamium,

164Lest that your goods too soone be confiscate:

165This very day a Syracusian Marchant

166Is apprehended for a riuall here,

167And not being able to buy out his life,

168According to the statute of the towne,

169Dies ere the wearie sunne set in the West:

170There is your monie that I had to keepe.

171Ant. Goe beare it to the Centaure, where we host,

172And stay there Dromio, till I come to thee;

173Within this houre it will be dinner time,

174Till that Ile view the manners of the towne,

175Peruse the traders, gaze vpon the buildings,

176And then returne and sleepe within mine Inne,

177For with long trauaile I am stiffe and wearie.

178Get thee away.

179Dro. Many a man would take you at your word,

180And goe indeede, hauing so good a meane.

182Ant. A trustie villaine sir, that very oft,

183When I am dull with care and melancholly,

184Lightens my humour with his merry iests:

185What will you walke with me about the towne,

186And then goe to my Inne and dine with me?

187E.Mar. I am inuited sir to certaine Marchants,

188Of whom I hope to make much benefit:

189I craue your pardon, soone at fiue a clocke,

190Please you, Ile meete with you vpon the Mart,

191And afterward consort you till bed time:

192My present businesse cals me from you now.

193Ant. Farewell till then: I will goe loose my selfe,

194And wander vp and downe to view the Citie.

195E.Mar. Sir, I commend you to your owne content.

197Ant. He that commends me to mine owne content,

198Commends me to the thing I cannot get:

199I to the world am like a drop of water,

200That in the Ocean seekes another drop,

201Who falling there to finde his fellow forth,

202(Vnseene, inquisitiue) confounds himselfe.

203So I, to finde a Mother and a Brother,

204In quest of them (vnhappie a) loose my selfe.

206Here comes the almanacke of my true date:

207What now? How chance thou art return'd so soone.

208E.Dro. Return'd so soone, rather approacht too late:

209The Capon burnes, the Pig fals from the spit;

210The clocke hath strucken twelue vpon the bell:

211My Mistris made it one vpon my cheeke:

212She is so hot because the meate is colde:

213The meate is colde, because you come not home:

214You come not home, because you haue no stomacke:

215You haue no stomacke, hauing broke your fast:

216But we that know what 'tis to fast and pray,

217Are penitent for your default to day.

218Ant. Stop in your winde sir, tell me this I pray?

219Where haue you left the mony that I gaue you.

220E.Dro. Oh sixe pence that I had a wensday last,

221To pay the Sadler for my Mistris crupper:

222The Sadler had it Sir, I kept it not.

223Ant. I am not in a sportiue humor now:

224Tell me, and dally not, where is the monie?

225We being strangers here, how dar'st thou trust

226So great a charge from thine owne custodie.

227E.Dro. I pray you iest sir as you sit at dinner:

228I from my Mistris come to you in post:

229If I returne I shall be post indeede.