Flo. We are not, sir, nor are we like to be; Is this the daughter of a king? When once she is my wife. My lord, She is, Leon. That once, I see, by your good father's speed, Paul. Sir, my liege, Your eye hath too much youth in 't: not a month SCENE II.-The same. Before the Palace. Enter AUTOLYCUS and a Gentleman. relation? 1 Gent. I was by at the opening of the fardel, heard the old shepherd deliver the manner how he found it: whereupon, after a little amazedness, we were all commanded out of the chamber; only this, methought I heard the shepherd say, he found the child. which is called true, is so like an old tale, that the verity of it is in strong suspicion: Has the king found his heir? 3 Gent. Most true; if ever truth were pregnant by circumstance; that, which you hear, you'll swear you see, there is such unity in the proofs. The mantle of queen Hermione:-her jewel about the neck of it-the letters of Antigonus, found with it, which they know to be his character:-the majesty of the creature, in resemblance of the mother;-the affection of nobleness, which nature shews above her breeding, and many other evidences, proclaim her, with certainty, to be the king's daughter. Did you see the meeting of the two kings? 2 Gent. No. S Gent. Then have you lost a sight, which was to be seen, cannot be spoken of. There might you have beheld one joy crown another; so, and in such manner, that, it seemed, sorrow wept to take leave of them; for their joy waded in tears. There was casting up of eyes, holding up of hands; with countenance of such distraction, that they were to be known by garment, not by favour. Our king, being ready to leap out of himself for joy of his found daughter; as if that joy were now become a loss, cries, O, thy mother, thy mother! then asks Bohemia forgiveness; then embraces his son-in-law; then again worries he his daughter, with clipping her; now he thanks the old shepherd, which stands by, like a weather-bitten conduit of may kings' reigns. I never heard of such another encounter, which lames report to follow it, and undoes description to do it. 2 Gent. What, pray you, became of Antigonus, that carried hence the child? 3 Gent. Like an old tale still; which will have matter to rehearse, though credit be asleep, and not an ear open: He was torn to pieces with a bear: this avouches the shepherd's son; who has not only his innocence (which seems much,) to justify him, but a handkerchief, and rings, of his, that Paulina knows. 1 Gent. What became of his bark, and his followers? 3 Gent. Wrecked, the same instant of their master's death; and in the view of the shepherd: so that all the instruments, which aided to expose the child, were even then lost, when it was found. But, O, the noble combat, that, 'twixt joy and sorrow, was fought in Paulina! She had one eye declined for the loss of her husband; another elevated that the oracle was fulfilled: She lifted the princess from the earth; and so locks her in embracing, as if she would pin her to her heart, that she might no more be in danger of losing. Aut. I would most gladly know the issue of it. 1 Gent. I make a broken delivery of the business : 1 Gent. The dignity of this act was worth the au-But the changes I perceived in the king, and Ca-dience of kings and princes; for by such was it acted. millo, were very notes of admiration: they seemed almost, with staring on one another, to tear the cases of their eyes; there was a speech in their dumbness, language in their very gesture; they looked, as they had heard of a world ransomed, or one destroyed: A noble passion of wonder appeared in them: but the wisest beholder, that knew no more but seeing, could not say, if the importance were joy, or sorrow: but in the extremity of the one it must needs be. Enter another Gentleman. 2 Gent. Nothing but bonfires: The oracle is fulfilled; the king's daughter is found: such a deal of wonder is broken out within this hour, that balladmakers cannot be able to express it. 3 Gent. One of the prettiest touches of all, and that which angled for mine eyes (caught the water, though not the fish,) was, when at the relation of the queen's death, with the manner how she came to it, (bravely confessed, and lamented by the king,) how attentiveness wounded his daughter; till, from one sign of dolour to another, she did, with an alas! I would fain say, bleed tears; for, I am sure, my heart wept blood. Who was most marble there, changed colour; some swooned, all sorrowed: if all the world could have seen it, the woe had been universal. 1 Gent. Are they returned to the court? 3 Gent. No: the princess hearing of her mother's statue, which is in the keeping of Paulina,-a piece many years in doing, and now newly performed by that rare Italian master, Julio Romano; who, had he himself eternity, and could put breath into his Here comes the lady Paulina's steward; he can de-work, would beguile nature of her custom, so perliver you more.--How goes it now, sir? this news, fectly he is her ape: he so near to Hermione hath Enter a third Gentleman. done Hermione, that, they say, one would speak to | do not wonder, how thou darest venture to be drunk, her, and stand in hope of answer: thither, with all not being a tall fellow, trust me not.-Hark! the greediness of affection, are they gone; and there they kings and the princes, our kindred, are going to see intend to sup. the queen's picture. Come, follow us: we 'll be thy good masters. [Exeunt. 2 Gent. I thought, she had some great matter there in hand; for she hath privately, twice or thrice a day; ever since the death of Hermione, visited that removed house. Shall we thither, and with our company piece the rejoicing? SCENE III.-The same. A Room in Paulina's House. 1 Gent. Who would be thence, that has the benefit of access? every wink of an eye, some new grace will be born: our absence makes us unthrifty to our knowledge. Let's along. [Exeunt Gentlemen. Aut. Now, had I not the dash of my former life in me, would preferment drop on my head. I brought the old man and his son aboard the prince; told him, I heard them talk of a fardel, and I know not what; but he at that time, over-fond of the shepherd's daughter, (so he then took her to be,) who began to O Paulina, be much sea-sick, and himself little better, extremity | We honour you with trouble: but we came of weather continuing, this mystery remained un-To see the statue of our queen: your gallery discovered. But 'tis all one to me; for had I been Have we pass'd through, not without much content the finder out of this secret, it would not have relished In many singularities; but we saw not among my other discredits. That which my daughter came to look upon, The statue of her mother. Enter Shepherd and Clown. Here comes those I have done good to against my will, and already appearing in the blossoms of their fortune. Shep. Come, boy; I am past more children, but thy sons and daughters will be all gentlemen born. Clo. You are well met, sir: You denied to fight with me this other day, because I was no gentleman born: See you these clothes? say, you see them not, and think me still no gentleman born: you were best say, these robes are not gentleman born. Give me the lie; do; and try whother I am not now a gentleman born. Aut. I know, you are now, sir, a gentleman born. Paul. As she liv'd peerless, Clo. So you have: but I was a gentleman born before my father: for the king's son took me by the hand, and called me, brother; and then the two kings called my father, brother; and then the prince, my brother, and the princess, my sister, called my father, father; and so we wept: and there was the first gen-As she liv'd now. tleman-like tears that ever we shed. Shep. We may live, son, to shed many more. Clo. Ay; or else 'twere hard luck; being in so preposterous estate as we are. Aut. I humbly beseech you, sir, to pardon me all the faults I have committed to your worship, and to give me your good report to the prince my master. Shep. Pr'ythee, son, do; for we must be gentle, now we are gentlemen. Clo. Thou wilt amend thy life? Aut. Ay, an it like your good worship. Clo. Give me thy hand: I will swear to the prince, thou art as honest a true fellow as any is in Bohemia. Shep. You may say it, but not swear it. Clo. Not swear it, now I am a gentleman? Let boors and franklins say it, I'll swear it. Shep. How if it be false, son? Clo. If it be ne'er so false, a true gentleman may swear it, in the behalf of his friend :--And I'll swear to the prince, thou art a tall fellow of thy hands, and that thou wilt not be drunk; but I know, thou art no tall fellow of thy hands, and that thou wilt be drunk; but I'll swear it: and I would, thou would'st be a tall fellow of thy hands, Aut. I will prove so, sir, to my power. Pol. Leon. As now she might have done, Per. And give me leave, Dear my brother, Clo. Ay, by any means prove a tall fellow: If I Let him, that was the cause of this, have power Make me to think so twenty years together; No settled senses of the world can match Dear life redeems you. You perceive, she stirs ; You kill her double; Nay, present your hand: Leon. O, she's warm! Pol. [Embracing her. She embraces him. If she pertain to life, let her speak too. Pol. Ay, and make't manifest where she has liv'd, Or, how stol'n from the dead? Paul. That she is living, [Presenting PERDITA, who kneels to HERMIONE. Her. Paul. I am sorry, sir, I have thus far stirr'd you: but And from your sacred vials pour your graces Upon my daughter's head!-Tell me, mine own, found Thy father's court? for thou shalt hear, that I,— Paul. There's time enough for that; Either forbear, Leon. What you can make her do, To make her speak, as move. Paul. It is requir'd, This play, as Dr. Warburton justly observes, is, with all its absurdities, very entertaining. The character of Autolycus is naturally conceived, and strongly represented.-JOHNSON. Warburton is not guilty of a criticism so frigid as Johnson has represented.-His words are "This play, throughout, is written in the very spirit of its anthor. And in telling this homely and simple, though agreeable, country tale, Our sweetest Shakspeare, fancy's child, Leon. O peace, Paulina ; By us, a pair of kings.-Let's from this place.- [Exeunt. misled some of great name into a wrong judgment of its merit; which, as far as it regards sentiment and character, is scarce ia ferior to any in the whole collection." The persons of great name to whom Warburton alludes are Dryden and Pope. The former of whom mentions this play with no great indulgence, in the Essay at the end of the second part of the Conquest of Grenada; while the latter, in the preface to his edition of our author's works, is rash enough to class it with Love's Labour's Lost, the Comedy of Errors, and Titus Andronicus, as one of the plays, in which Shakspeare had produced only some characters, or single scenes, or perhaps a few particular passages. THIS play, of which the first edition was that of the folio 1623, is mentioned by Meres in 1598, and exhibits internal proofs of having been one of Shakspeare's earliest productions. A translation of the Menachmi of Plautus by W. W (i. e. according to Ward, William Warner) was published in 1595, and may have afforded the ground work of the present comedy. PERSONS REPRESENTED. SOLINUS, Duke of Ephesus. A Merchant, friend to Antipholus of Syracuse. EMILIA, wife to Ægeon, an Abbess at Ephesus. LUCE, her servant. A Courtezan. SCENE I.-A Hall in the Duke's Palace. Enter DUKE, ÆGEON, Gaoler, Officers, and other Attendants. Ege. Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall, If any, born at Ephesus, be seen Come to the bay of Ephesus, he dies, Unto a woman, happy but for me, And, which was strange, the one so like the other, Of such a burden, male twins, both alike: A league from Epidamnum had we sail'd, A doubtful warrant of immediate death; 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, Till that, I'll view the manners of the town, Peruse the traders, gaze upon the buildings, And then return, and sleep within mine ina; For with long travel I am stiff and weary. Get thee away. Dro. S. Many a man would take you at your word, And go indeed, having so good a mean. [Exit Duo. S. Ant. S. A trusty villain, sir; that very oft, When I am dull with care and melancholy, Lightens my humour with his merry jests. What, will you walk with me about the town, And then go to my inn, and dine with me? Mer. I am invited, sir, to certain merchants, Of whom I hope to make much benefit; crave your pardon. Soon, at five o'clock, And therefore homeward did they bend their course.-Please you, I'll meet with you upon the mart, Thus have you heard me sever'd from my bliss; Duke. And for the sake of them thou sorrowest for, up SCENE II.-A public Place. And afterwards consort you till bed-time; I to the world am like a drop of water, Here comes the almanac of my true date.- Ant. S. Stop in your wind, sir; tell me this, I pray; Where have you left the money that I gave you? Dro. E. O,-sixpence, that I had o' Wednesday last, To pay the saddler for my mistress' crupper ;— The saddler had it, sir, I kept it not. ? Ant. S. I am not in a sportive humour now: Tell me, and dally not, where is the money' We being strangers here, how dar'st thou trust So great a charge from thine own custody? Dro. E. I pray you, jest, sir, as you sit at dinner : from my mistress come to you in post; For she will score your fault upon my pate. If I return, I shall be post indeed; Methinks, your maw, like mine, should be your clock, And strike you home without a messenger. Ant. S. Come, Dromio, come, these jests are out of Enter ANTIPHOLUS and DROMIO of Syracuse, and a Reserve them till a merrier hour than this: [season; Merchant. Mer. Therefore, give out, you are of Epidamnum, 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, According to the statute of the town, Dies ere the weary sun set in the west. There is your money that I had to keep. Ant. S. Go bear it to the Centaur, where we host, And stay there, Dromio, till I come to thee. Within this hour it will be dinner-time : Where is the gold I gave in charge to thee? Dro. E. To me, sir? why you gave no gold to me. Ant. S. Come on, sir knave; have done your foolishness, And tell me, how thou hast dispos'd thy charge. Dro. E. My charge was but to fetch you from the mart Home to your house, the Phoenix, sir, to dinner; My mistress, and her sister, stay for you. Ant. S. Now, as I am a christian, answer me, In what safe place you have bestow'd my money; Or I shall break that merry sconce of yours, That stands on tricks when I am undispos'd: |