a heavier task could not have been imposed upon
him than to relate the events of his unfortunate life. He then began
his own history, in the following words:--

"I was born at Syracuse, and brought up to the profession of a
merchant. I married a lady with whom I lived very happily, but being
obliged to go to Epidamnium, I was detained there by my business
six months, and then, finding I should be obliged to stay some time
longer, I sent for my wife, who, as soon as she arrived, was brought
to bed of two sons, and what was very strange, they were both so
exactly alike, that it was impossible to distinguish the one from
the other. At the same time that my wife was brought to bed of these
twin-boys, a poor woman in the inn where my wife lodged was brought to
bed of two sons, and these twins were as much like each other as my
two sons were. The parents of these children being exceedingly poor, I
bought the two boys, and brought them up to attend upon my sons.

"My sons were very fine children, and my wife was not a little proud
of two such boys: and she daily wishing to return home, I unwillingly
agreed, and in an evil hour we got on shipboard; for we had not sailed
above a league from Epidamnium before a dreadful storm arose, which
continued with such violence, that the sailors, seeing no chance
of saving the ship, crowded into the boat to save their own lives,
leaving us alone in the ship, which we every moment expected would be
destroyed by the fury of the storm.

"The incessant weeping of my wife, and the piteous complaints of the
pretty babes, who not knowing what to fear, wept for fashion, because
they saw their mother weep, filled me with terror for them, though
I did not for myself fear death; and all my thoughts were bent to
contrive means for their safety. I tied my youngest son to the end
of a small spare mast, such as seafaring men provide against storms;
at the other end I bound the youngest of the twin-slaves, and at the
same time I directed my wife how to fasten the other children in like
manner to another mast. She thus having the care of the two eldest
children, and I of the two younger, we bound ourselves separately to
these masts with the children; and but for this contrivance we had
all been lost, for the ship split on a mighty rock and was dashed in
pieces, and we clinging to these slender masts were supported above
the water, where I, having the care of two children, was unable to
assist my wife, wh