COMEDY of ERRO BY WILL, SHAKSPEI Printed Complete from the TEXT of SAM. JOHNSON and GEO. STEEVE And revised from the last Editions, When Learning's triumph o'er her barb'rous focs DR. SAMUEL JI LONDON: Printed for, and under the direction of John Bell, British-Library, STRA MDCCLXXXV. OBSERVATIONS ON THE Fable AND Composition of THE COMEDY of ERRORS. Süakster I certainly took the general plan of this comedy from a translation of the Menachmi of Plautus, by W. W. i..e. (according to Wood) William Warner, in 1595, whose version of the acrostical argument is as follows: “ Two twinne-borne sonnes, a Sicill marchant had, “ Menechmus one, and Sosicles the other ; " The first his father lost a little lad, « The grandsire namde the latter like his brother: “ This (growne a man) long travell tooke to seeke “ His brother, and to Epidamnum came, “ Where th’other dwelt inricht, and him so like, “ That citizens there take him for the same : " Father, wife, neighbours, each mistaking 'either, " Much pleasant error, ere they meet togither." Perhaps the last of these lines suggested to Shakspere the title for his piece. In this comedy we find more intricacy of plot than distinc. tion of character; and our attention is less forcibly engaged, because we can guess in great measure how the denoüement will be brought about Yet the poet seems unwilling to part with his subject, even in this last and unnecessary scene, where the same mistakes are continued, till their power of affording entertainment is entirely lost. STEEVENS. Dramatis Personaè. MEN. SOLINUS, Duke of Ephesus. ÆGEON, a Merchant of Syracuse. ANTIPHOL IS of Ephesus, ("Twin-Brothers, and Son's 10 ANTIPHOLIS of Syracuse, Ageon and Æmilia, but xx. known to each other, Drom10 of Ephesus, ? Twin-Brothers, and Slaves to ebe two Antipholis's. WOMEN. I T & T W Faikt, Officers, and other Attendants. SCENI, Ephesus, COMEDY of ERR ACT I. SCENE I. South burst The Duke's Palace. Enter the Duke of Ephesu Jailer, and other Attendants. Ægeon. Duke. Merchant of Syracusa, plead no B |