e 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 exceeding 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 ship-board; for we had not sailed
above a league from Epidamnum 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, who with the
other children was soon separated from me; but while they were yet in my
sight, they were taken up by a boat of fishermen, from Corinth, (as I
supposed), and seeing them in safety, I had no care but to struggle with
the wild sea-waves, to preserve my dear son and the youngest slave. At
length we, in our turn, were taken up by a ship, and the sailors,
knowing me, gave us kind welcome and assistance, and landed u