Duke. I would, thou hadst done so by Claudio.-
Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him. [Ex. PROV.
Escal. I am sorry, one so learned and so wise
As you, lord Angelo, have still appear'd,
Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood,
And lack of temper'd judgment afterward.

Ang. I am sorry, that such sorrow I procure :
And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart,
That I crave death more willingly than mercy;
'Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it

Re-enter Provost, BARNARDINE, CLAUDIO, and JULIET.
Duke. Which is that Barnardine ?

Prov. This, my lord.

Duke. There was a friar told me of this man :-
Sirrah, thou art said to have a stubborn soul,

That apprehends no further than this world,
And squar'st thy life according. Thou'rt condemn'd;
But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all;
And pray thee, take this mercy to provide
For better times to come :-]
-Friar, advise him;
I leave him to your hand.-What muffled fellow's that?
Prov. This is another prisoner, that I sav'd,

That should have died when Claudio lost his head;
As like almost to Claudio, as himself.

[Unmuffles CLAUDIO Duke. If he be like your brother, for his sake [To ISAB Is he pardon'd; And, for your lovely sake,

Give me your hand, and say you will be mine,
He is my brother too: But fitter time for that.
By this, lord Angelo perceives he's safe;
Methinks, I see a quick'ning in his eye :--
Well, Angelo, your evil quits you well:

Look, that you love your wife; her worth, worth yours.—
I find an apt remission in myself:

And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon ;

You, sirrah, that knew me for a fool, a coward, [To Luc One all of luxury, an ass, a madman ;

Wherein have I so deserved of you,

That you extol me thus ?

Lucio. 'Faith, my lord, I spoke it but according to the trick if you will hang me for it, you may; but I had rather it would please you I might be whipp'd.

:

Duke. Whipp'd first, sir, and hang'd after.-
Proclaim it, Provost, round about the city;
If any woman's wrong'd by this lewd fellow,
(As I have heard him swear himself, there's one
Whom he begot with child,) let her appear,
And he shall marry her: the nuptial finish'd,
Let him be whipp'd and hang'd.

Lucio. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a whore! Your highness said even now, I made you a duke; good my lord, do not recompense me, in making me a cuckold.

Duke. Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her. Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal

Remit thy other forfeits :-Take him to prison :

And see our pleasure herein executed.

Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging.

Duke. Sland'ring a prince deserves it.—

She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore.—
Joy to you, Mariana !—love her, Angelo;

'I have confess'd her, and I know her virtue.—
Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness :
There's more behind, that is more gratulate.-
Thanks, Provost, for thy care and secrecy ;
We shall employ thee in a worthier place:
Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home
The head of Ragozine for Claudio's ;
The offence pardons itself.-Dear Isabel,
I have a motion much imports your good;
Whereto if you'll a willing ear incline,

What's mine is your's, and what is your's is mine
So, bring us to our palace; where we'll show
What's yet behind, that's meet you all should know.

[Exeunt

COMEDY OF ERRORS.

OBSERVATIONS.

COMEDY OF ERRORS.] Shakespeare might have taken 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 took 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 Shakespeare the title for his piece.

See this translation of the Menæchmi, among six old Plays on which Shakespeare founded, &c. published by S. Leacroft, Charing Cross.

At the beginning of an address Ad Lectorem, prefixed to the errata of Decker's Satiromastix, &c. 1602, is the following passage, which apparently alludes to the title of the comedy before us:

"In steed of the trumpets sounding thrice before the play begin, it shall not be amisse (for him that will read) first to beholde this short Comedy of Errors, and where the greatest enter, to give them instead of a hisse, a gentle correction." STEEVENS.

I suspect this and all other plays where much rhyme is used, and especially long hobbling verses, to have been among Shakespeare's more early productions.

BLACKSTONE.