The Comedy of Errors The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.] · William Shakespeare
NOTES: I, 1.
A hall ... palace.] Malone. The Duke’s palace. Theobald. A publick Place. Capell. ÆGEON,] Rowe. with the Merchant of Siracusa, Ff. Officers,] Capell. Officer, Staunton. om. Ff. 1: _Solinus_] F1. _Salinus_ F2 F3 F4. 10: _looks_] _books_ Anon. conj. 14: _Syracusians_] F4. _Siracusians_ F1 F2 F3. _Syracusans_ Pope. See note (I). 16, 17, 18: _Nay more If ... seen At any_] Malone. _Nay, more, if ... Ephesus Be seen at any_ Ff. 18: _any_] om. Pope. 23: _to ransom_] F1. _ ransom_ F2 F3 F4. 27: _this_] _’tis_ Hanmer. 33: _griefs_] F1. _griefe_ F2. _grief_ F3 F4. 35: _nature_] _fortune_ Collier MS. 39: _by me_] F1. _by me too_ F2 F3 F4. 42: _Epidamnum_] Pope. _Epidamium_ Ff. _Epidamnium_ Rowe. See note (I). 43: _the_] _then_ Edd. conj. _the ... care ... left_] Theobald. _he ... care ... left_ F1. _he ... store ... leaving_ F2 F3 F4. _heed ... caves ... left_ Jackson conj. _random_] F3 F4. _randone_ F1 F2. 50: _had she_] Ff. _she had_ Rowe. 55: _meaner_] Delius (S. Walker conj.). _meane_ F1. _poor meane_ F2. _poor mean_ F3 F4. 56: _burden, male twins_] _burthen male, twins_ F1. 61, 62: So Pope. One line in Ff. 61: _soon_] _soon!_] Pope. _soon._ Capell. 70: _gladly_] _gently_ Collier MS. 71: _weepings_] F1. _weeping_ F2 F3 F4.
76: _this_] _thus_ Collier MS. 79: _latter-_] _elder-_ Rowe. 86: _either end the mast_] _th’ end of either mast_ Hanmer. 87, 88: _And ... Was_] Ff. _And ... Were_ Rowe. _Which ... Was_ Capell. 91: _wished_] F1. _wish’d_ F2 F3 F4. 92: _seas wax’d_] _seas waxt_ F1. _seas waxe_ F2. _seas wax_ F3. _seas was_ F4. _sea was_ Rowe. 94: _Epidaurus_] _Epidarus_ F1. _Epidamnus_ Theobald conj. 103: _upon_] Pope. _up_ F1 _up upon_ F2 F3 F4. 104: _helpful_] _helpless_ Rowe. 113: _another_] _the other_ Hanmer. 115: _healthful_] F1. _helpful_ F2 F3 F4. 117: _bark_] _backe_ F1. 120: _That_] _Thus_ Hanmer. _Yet_ Anon. conj. 122: _sake_] F1. _sakes_ F2 F3 F4. 124: _hath ... thee_] _have ... they_ F1. _of_] om. F4. 128: _so_] F1. _for_ F2 F3 F4. 130: _the_] om. Pope. 131: _I labour’d of a_] _he labour’d of all_ Collier MS. 144, 145: These lines inverted by Hanmer. 145: _princes, would they, may_] Hanmer. _Princes would they may_ F1. _Princes would, they may_ F2 F3 F4. 151: _Therefore, merchant, I’ll_] Ff. _Therefore merchant, I_ Rowe. _I, therefore, merchant_ Pope. _I’ll, therefore, merchant_ Capell. 152: _help ... help_] Ff. _life ... help_ Pope. _help ... means_ Steevens conj. _hope ... help_ Collier. _fine ... help_ Singer. _by_] _thy_ Jackson conj. 155: _no_] _not_ Rowe. 156: _Gaoler,_] _Jailor, now_ Hanmer. _So, jailer,_ Capell. 159: _lifeless_] Warburton. _liveless_ Ff.
_SCENE II. The Mart._ _Enter _ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse_, _DROMIO of Syracuse_, and _First Merchant_._ _First Mer._ Therefore give out you are of Epidamnum, Lest that your goods too soon be confiscate. This very day a Syracusian merchant Is apprehended for arrival here; And, not being able to buy out his life, 5 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. 10 Within this hour it will be dinner-time: Till that. I’ll view the manners of the town, Peruse the traders, gaze upon the buildings, And then return, and sleep within mine inn; For with long travel I am stiff and weary. 15 Get thee away. _Dro. S._ Many a man would take you at your word, And go indeed, having so good a mean. [_Exit._ _Ant. S._ A trusty villain, sir; that very oft, When I am dull with care and melancholy, 20 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? _First Mer._ I am invited, sir, to certain merchants, Of whom I hope to make much benefit; 25 I crave your pardon. Soon at five o’clock, Please you, I’ll meet with you upon the mart, And afterward consort you till bed-time: My present business calls me from you now.
_Ant. S._ Farewell till then: I will go lose myself, 30 And wander up and down to view the city. _First Mer._ Sir, I commend you to your own content. [_Exit._ _Ant. S._ He that commends me to mine own content Commends me to the thing I cannot get. I to the world am like a drop of water, 35 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. 40 _Enter _DROMIO of Ephesus_._ Here comes the almanac of my true date. 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; 45 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 broke your fast; 50 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, I pray: Where have you left the money that I gave you?
_Dro. E._ O,--sixpence, that I had o’ Wednesday last 55 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 darest thou trust 60 So great a charge from thine own custody? _Dro. E._ I pray you, jest, sir, as you sit at dinner: I from my mistress come to you in post; If I return, I shall be post indeed, For she will score your fault upon my pate. 65 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 season; Reserve them till a merrier hour than this. Where is the gold I gave in charge to thee? 70 _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 disposed thy charge. _Dro. E._ My charge was but to fetch you from the mart Home to your house, the Phœnix, sir, to dinner: 75 My mistress and her sister stays 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 undisposed: 80 Where is the thousand marks thou hadst of me?
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