EGEON, DUKE

EGEON 	Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall 
And by the doom of death end woes and all. 	
DUKE SOLINUS 	Merchant of Syracusa, plead no more; 
I am not partial to infringe our laws: 
The enmity and discord which of late 
Sprung from the rancorous outrage of your duke 
To merchants, our well-dealing countrymen, 
Who wanting guilders to redeem their lives 
Have seal'd his rigorous statutes with their bloods, 
Excludes all pity from our threatening looks. 
For, since the mortal and intestine jars 
'Twixt thy seditious countrymen and us, 
It hath in solemn synods been decreed 
Both by the Syracusians and ourselves, 
To admit no traffic to our adverse towns Nay, more, 
If any born at Ephesus be seen 
At any Syracusian marts and fairs; 
Again: if any Syracusian born 
Come to the bay of Ephesus, he dies, 
His goods confiscate to the duke's dispose, 
Unless a thousand marks be levied, 
To quit the penalty and to ransom him. 
Thy substance, valued at the highest rate, 
Cannot amount unto a hundred marks; 
Therefore by law thou art condemned to die. 	
EGEON 	Yet this my comfort: when your words are done, 
My woes end likewise with the evening sun. 	
DUKE SOLINUS 	Well, Syracusian, say in brief the cause 
Why thou departed'st from thy native home 
And for what cause thou camest to Ephesus. 	
EGEON 	A heavier task could not have been imposed 
Than I to speak my griefs unspeakable: 
Yet, that the world may witness that my end 
Was wrought by nature, not by vile offence, 
I'll utter what my sorrows give me leave. 
In Syracusa was I born, and wed 
Unto a woman, happy but for me, 
And by me, had not our hap been bad. 
With her I lived in joy; our wealth increased 
By prosperous voyages I often made 
To Epidamnum; till my factor's death 
And the great care of goods at random left 
Drew me from kind embracements of my spouse: 
From whom my absence was not six months old 
Before herself, almost at fainting under 
The pleasing punishment that women bear, 
Had made provision for her following me 
And soon and safe arrived where I was. 
There had she not been long, but she became 
A joyful mother of two goodly sons; 
And, which was strange, the one so like the other, 
As could not be distinguish'd but by names. 
That very hour, and in the self-same inn, 
A meaner woman was delivered 
Of such a burden, male twins, both alike: 
Those,--for their parents were exceeding poor,-- 
I bought and brought up to attend my sons. 
My wife, not meanly proud of two such boys, 
Made daily motions for our home return: 
Unwilling I agreed. Alas! too soon, 
We came aboard.