Act I In the city of Ephesus FOR WHAT CAUSE THOU CAMEST TO EPHESUS IN SYRACUSA WAS I BORN AND WED WITH MY SPOUSE I LIVED IN JOY OUR WEALTH INCREASED BY PROSPEROUS VOYAGES I OFTEN MADE TO EPIDAMIUM GREAT CARE OF GOODS DREW ME FROM MY SPOUSE MY SPOUSE SOON ARRIVED WHERE I WAS THERE SHE BECAME A JOYFUL MOTHER OF TWO GOODLY SONS ONE SO LIKE THE OTHER AS COULD NOT BE DISTINGUISHED BUT BY NAMES THAT VERY HOUR A MEAN WOMAN DELIVERED MALE TWINS THOSE I BOUGHT AND BROUGHT UP TO ATTEND MY SONS MY WIFE MADE MOTIONS FOR OUR HOME RETURN A LEAGUE FROM EPIDAMILIM HAD WE SAILED BEFORE THE DEEP GAVE ANY TRAGIC INSTANCE OF OUR HARM
THE SAILORS SOUGHT FOR SAFETY AND LEFT THE SHIP THEN SINKING TO US MY WIFE MORE CAREFUL FOR THE LATTER BORN HAD FASTENED HIM UNTO A SMALL SPARE OF THE OTHER TWINS WAS BOUND WHILST I HAD BEEN LIKE HEEDFUL OF THE OTHER WE WERE ENCOUNTERED BY A MIGHTY ROCK OUR HELPFUL SHIP WAS SPLITTED IN THE MIDST HER PART WAS CARRIED WITH MORE SPEED BEFORE THE WIND AND IN OUR SIGHT THEY THREE WERE TAKEN UP BY FISHERMEN OF CORINTH AS WE THOUGHT
MY YOUNGEST BOY AND YET MY ELDEST CARE AT EIGHTEEN YEARS BECAME INQUISITIVE AFTER HIS BROTHER AND IMPORTUNED ME THAT HIS ATTENDANT MIGHT BEAR HIM COMPANY IN THE QUEST OF HIM After telling his story Egeon awaits the sentence of Duke Solinus THOU ART ADJUDGED TO THE DEATH AND PASSED SENTENCE MAY NOT BE RECALLED YET WILL I FAVOR THEE I'LL LIMIT THEE THIS DAY TO TRY ALL THE FRIENDS THOU HAST IN EPHESUS BEG THOU OR BORROW TO MAKE UP THE SUM
At the market of Ephesus GO BEAR IT TO THE CENTAUR WHERE WE HOST AND STA THERE DROMIO TILL I COME TO THEE 20 0100 GIVE OUT YOU ARE OF EPIDAMIUM LEST THAT YOUR GOODS TOO SOON BE CONFISCATE THIS VERY DAY A SYRACUSIAN MERCHANT IS APPREHENDED FOR ARRIVAL HERE THERE IS YOUR MONEY THAT I HAD TO KEEP WILL YOU WALK WITH ME ABOUT THE TOWN AND THEN GO TO MY INN AND DINE WITH ME I CRAVE YOUR PARDON MY PRESENT BUSINESS CALLS ME FROM YOU NOW SO I TO FIND A MOTHER AND A BROTHER IN QUEST OF THEM LOSE MYSELF I TO THE WORLD AM LIKE A DROP OF WATER THAT IN THE OCEAN SEEKS ANOTHER DROP
