COMEDY of ERRORS. BY WILL. SHAKSPERE: Printed Complete from the TEXT of SAM. JOHNSON and GEO. STEEvens, And revised from the last Editions. When Learning's triumph o'er her barb'rous foes DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON. LONDON: Printed for, and under the direction of MDCCLXXXV. OBSERVATIONS ON THE Fable AND Composition oF THE COMEDY of ERRORS. SHAKSPER AKSPERE certainly took the general plan of this comedy from a translation of the Menæchmi 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 distinction 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 Personae. MEN SOLINUS, Duke of Ephesus. ANTIPHOLIS of Ephesus, ANTIPHOLIS of Syracuse, DROMIO of Ephesus, Twin-Brothers, and Son's to Ageon and Emilia, but unknown to each other. Twin-Brothers, and Slaves to the two Antipholis's. BALTHAZAR, a Merchant. ANGELO, a Goldsmith. A Merchant, Friend to Antipholis of Syracuse. WOMEN. EMILIA, Wife to geon, an Abbess at Ephesus. LUCE, Servant to Adriana. A Courtexan. Jailer, Officers, and other Attendants. SCENE, Ephesus. COMEDY of ERRORS. ACT 1. SCENE I. The Duke's Palace. Enter the Duke of Ephesus, ÆGEON, Jailer, and other Attendants. Ægeon. PROCEED, Solinus, to procure my fall, And, by the doom of death, end woes and all. I am not partial, to infringe our laws : 10 |