Ant. S. Avoid, thou fiend! what tell'st thou me of my nativity to this instant, and have nothing at his supping? Thou art, as you are all, a sorceress : I conjure thee to leave me, and be gone. hands for my service, but blows. When I am cold, he heats me with beating; when I am warm, he cools me with beating: I am wak'd with it, when I sleep; rais'd Cour. Give me the ring of mine you had at dinner, with it, when I sit; driven out of doors with it, when Or for my diamond the chain you promised, Dro. S. Some devils ask but the parings of one's A rush, a hair, a drop of blood, a pin, a nut, a cherry- But she, more covetous, would have a chain. The devil will shake her chain, and fright us with it. Ant. S. Avaunt, thou witch! Come, Dromio, let us go. Of his own doors being shut against his entrance. SCENE IV.-The Same. I go from home; welcomed home with it, when I Ant. E. Come, go along: my wife is coming yonder. Dro. E. Mistress, respice finem, respect your end; or rather the prophecy, like the parrot, "beware the rope's end." Ant. E. Wilt thou still talk? Ant. E. There is my hand, and let it feel your ear. And to thy state of darkness hie thee straight: Ant. E. Peace, doting wizard, peace! I am not mad. Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Ephesus, and a Jailor. My wife is in a wayward mood to-day, I tell you, 'twill sound harshly in her ears. Enter DROMIO of Ephesus with a rope's-end. Dro. E. Here's that, I warrant you, will pay them all. Dro. E. Why, sir, I gave the money for the rope. Ant. E. And to that end, sir, I will welcome you. Jail. Good sir, be patient. Dro. E. Nay, 'tis for me to be patient; I am in adversity. Jail. Good now, hold thy tongue. Dro. E. Nay, rather persuade him to hold his hands. Dro. E. I would I were senseless, sir; that I might not feel your blows. Ant. E. Thou art sensible in nothing but blows, and so is an ass. Dro. E. I am an ass, indeed: you may prove it by my long ears. I have serv'd him from the hour of Whilst upon me the guilty doors were shut, Adr. O, husband, God doth know, you din'd at home; Ant. E. Din'd at home! Thou, villain, what say'st Dro. E. Sir, sooth to say, you did not dine at home. out? Dro. E. Certes, she did; the kitchen-vestal scorn'd you. Ant. E. And did not I in rage depart from thence? Dro. E. In verity, you did :-my bones bear witness, That since have felt the rigour of his rage. Adr. Is't good to soothe him in these contraries? Ant. E. Thou hast suborn'd the goldsmith to arrest me. But, surely, master, not a rag of money. Ant. E. Went'st not thou to her for a purse of ducats! Luc. And I am witness with ber that she did. That I was sent for nothing but a rope! Pinch. Mistress, both man and master is possessed: I know it by their pale and deadly looks. They must be bound, and laid in some dark room. Ant. E. Say, wherefore didst thou lock me forth to-day? And why dost thou deny the bag of gold? Adr. I did not, gentle husband, lock thee forth. Dro. E. And, gentle master, I receiv'd no gold; But I confess, sir, that we were lock'd out. Adr. Dissembling villain! thou speak'st false in both. Ant. E. Dissembling harlot! thou art false in all, And art confederate with a damned pack To make a loathsome, abject scorn of me; But with these nails I'll pluck out those false eyes, That would behold in me this shameful sport. Enter three or four, and bind ANTIPHOLUS and DROMIO. Adr. O bind him, bind him! let him not come near me. Pinch. More company!-the fiend is strong within him. Luc. Ah me! poor man, how pale and wan he looks. Ant. E. What, will you murder me? Thou jailor, thou, I am thy prisoner: wilt thou suffer them Jail. Masters, let him go: He is my prisoner, and you shall not have him. Pinch. Go, bind this man, for he is frantic too. Adr. What wilt thou do, thou peevish officer? Hast thou delight to see a wretched man Do outrage and displeasure to himself? pay it. Jail. He is my prisoner: if I let him go, The debt he owes will be requir'd of me. Adr. I will discharge thee, ere I go from thee. Bear me forthwith unto his creditor, And, knowing how the debt grows, I will Good master doctor, see him safe convey'd Home to my house.-O, most unhappy day! Ant. E. O, most unhappy strumpet! Dro. E. Master, I am here enter'd in bond for you. Ant. E. Out on thee, villain! wherefore dost thou mad me? Luc. God help, poor souls! how idly do they talk. Adr. Go bear him hence.-Sister, go you with me. [Exeunt PINCH and assistants with ANT. and DRO. Say now, whose suit is he arrested at? Jail. One Angelo, a goldsmith; do you know him? Adr. I know the man. What is the sum he owes ? Jail. Two hundred ducats. Adr. Say, how grows it due? Jail. Due for a chain your husband had of him. Adr. He did bespeak a chain for me, but had it not. Cour. When as your husband, all in rage, to-day Came to my house, and took away my ring, (The ring I saw upon his finger now) Straight after did I meet him with a chain. Adr. It may be so, but I did never see it.Come, jailor, bring me where the goldsmith is: I long to know the truth hereof at large. Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse, with his rapier drawn, and DROMIO of Syracuse. Luc. God, for thy mercy! they are loose again. Adr. And come with naked swords. Let's call more help, To have them bound again. Jail. Away! they'll kill us. [Exeunt ADRIANA, LUCIANA, and Jailor. Ant. S. I see, these witches are afraid of swords. Dro. S. She, that would be your wife, now ran from you. Ant. S. Come to the Centaur; fetch our stuff from thence : I long, that we were safe and sound aboard. Dro. S. Faith, stay here this night, they will surely do us no harm; you saw they spake us fair, gave us gold. Methinks they are such a gentle nation, that but for the mountain of mad flesh that claims marriage of me, I could find in my heart to stay here still, and turn witch. Ant. S. I will not stay to-night for all the town; Therefore away, to get out stuff aboard. [Exeunt. ACT V. SCENE I.-The Same. Before an Abbey. Ang. I am sorry, sir, that I have hinder'd you; Mer. How is the man esteem'd here in the city? That you would put me to this shame and trouble; You have done wrong to this my honest friend; Fie on thee, wretch! 'tis pity that thou liv'st Ant. S. Thou art a villain to impeach me thus. Mer. I dare, and do defy thee for a villain. [They draw. [Exeunt ANTIPHOLUS and DROMIO to the Abbey. Adr. To fetch my poor distracted husband hence. Let us come in, that we may bind him fast, And bear him home for his recovery. Ang. I knew, he was not in his perfect wits. Mer. I am sorry now, that I did draw on him. Abb. How long hath this possession held the man? Adr. This week he hath been heavy, sour, sad; And much different from the man he was; But, till this afternoon, his passion Ne'er brake into extremity of rage. Abb. Hath he not lost much wealth by wreck of sea? Buried some dear friend? Hath not else his eye Stray'd his affection in unlawful love? A sin prevailing much in youthful men, Adr. To none of these, except it be the last; Namely, some love, that drew him oft from home. Abb. You should for that have reprehended him. Adr. Why, so I did. Abb. Ay, but not rough enough. And in assemblies too. Still did I tell him it was vile and bad. Abb. And thereof came it that the man was mad : The venom clamours of a jealous woman Thou say'st, his meat was sauc'd with thy upbraidings: Luc. She never reprehended him but mildly, When he demean'd himself rough, rude, and wildly. Why bear you these rebukes, and answer not? Adr. She did betray me to my own reproof.Good people, enter, and lay hold on him. Abb. No; not a creature enters in my house. Adr. I will attend my husband, be his nurse, And therefore let me have him home with me. With wholesome syrups, drugs, and holy prayers, Therefore depart, and leave him here with me. Adr. I will not hence, and leave my husband here; And ill it doth beseem your holiness To separate the husband and the wife. Abb. Be quiet, and depart : thou shalt not have him. Mer. By this, I think, the dial points at five: Ang. Upon what cause? Mer. To see a reverend Syracusian merchant, Against the laws and statutes of this town, Ang. See, where they come: we will behold his death. Luc. Kneel to the duke before he pass the abbey. Enter DUKE attended; ÆGEON bare-headed; with the Headsman and other Officers. Duke. Yet once again proclaim it publicly, If any friend will pay the sum for him, He shall not die, so much we tender him. Adr. Justice, most sacred duke, against the abbess! Duke. She is a virtuous and a reverend lady: It cannot be, that she hath done thee wrong. Adr. May it please your grace, Antipholus, my husband, Whom I made lord of me, and all I had, By rushing in their houses, bearing thence Nor send him forth, that we may bear him hence. Duke. Long since thy husband serv'd me in my wars, And I to thee engag'd a prince's word, When thou didst make him master of thy bed, To do him all the grace and good I could.Go, some of you, knock at the abbey gate, And bid the lady abbess come to me. I will determine this, before I stir. Enter a Servant. Serv. O mistress, mistress! shift and save yourself. My master and his man are both broke loose, Adr. Peace, fool! thy master and his man are here: And that is false, thou dost report to us. Serv. Mistress, upon my life, I tell you true; I have not breath'd almost, since I did see it. He cries for you, and vows, if he can take you, To scorch your face, and to disfigure you. [Cry within. Hark, hark, I hear him, mistress: fly, be gone. Duke. Come, stand by me; fear nothing. with halberds! Guard Adr. Ah me, it is my husband! Witness you, Even for the service that long since I did thee, Ant. E. Justice, sweet prince, against that woman there! She whom thou gav'st to me to be my wife, That she this day hath shameless thrown on me. While she with harlots feasted in my house. Duke. A grievous fault. Say, woman, did'st thou so? Adr. No, my good lord: myself, he, and my sister, To-day did dine together. So befal my soul, As this is false he burdens me withal. Luc. Ne'er may I look on day, nor sleep on night, But she tells to your highness simple truth. Ang. O perjur'd woman! They are both forsworn: In this the madman justly chargeth them. Ant. E. My liege, I am advised what I say; I did obey, and sent my peasant home Το go in person with me to my house. By the way we met : My wife, her sister, and a rabble more A thread-bare juggler, and a fortune-teller, For these deep shames, and great indignities. Duke. But had he such a chain of thee, or no? Ang. He had, my lord; and when he ran in here, These people saw the chain about his neck. Mer. Besides, I will be sworn, these ears of mine Heard you confess you had the chain of him, After you first forswore it on the mart, And, thereupon, I drew my sword on you; And then you fled into this abbey here, From whence, I think, you are come by miracle. Ant. E. I never came within these abbey walls, Nor ever did'st thou draw thy sword on me. I never saw the chain, so help me heaven! And this is false you burden me withal. Duke. Why, what an intricate impeach is this! I think, you all have drunk of Circe's cup. If here you hous'd him, here he would have been ; If he were mad, he would not plead so coldly You say, he dined at home; the goldsmith here Denies that saying.—Sirrah, what say you? : Dro. E. Sir, he dined with her, there, at the Porcupine. Cour. He did, and from my finger snatch'd that ring. Ant. E. 'Tis true, my liege; this ring I had of her. Duke. Saw'st thou him enter at the abbey here? Cour. As sure, my liege, as I do see your grace. Duke. Why, this is strange.-Go call the abbess hither. I think you are all mated, or stark mad. [Exit an Attendant. Ege. Most mighty duke, vouchsafe me speak a word. Haply, I see a friend will save my life, And pay the sum that may deliver me. Duke. Speak freely, Syracusian, what thou wilt. Ege. Is not your name, sir, call'd Antipholus, And is not that your bondman Dromio? Dro. E. Within this hour I was his bondman, sir; But he, I thank him, gnaw'd in two my cords: Now am I Dromio, and his man, unbound. Ege. I am sure you both of you remember me. Dro. E. Ourselves we do remember, sir, by you; For lately we were bound, as you are now. You are not Pinch's patient, are you, sir? Ege. Why look you strange on me? you know me well. Ant. E. I never saw you in my life, till now. Ege. O! grief hath chang'd me, since you saw me last; And careful hours, with time's deformed hand, Have written strange defeatures in my face: But tell me yet, dost thou not know my voice? Ege. Dromio, nor thou? Dro. E. No, trust me, sir, nor I. Dro. E. Ay, sir; but I am sure I do not; and what- Ant. E. I never saw my father in my life. Ant. E. The duke, and all that know me in the city, Can witness with me that it is not so. I ne'er saw Syracusa in my life. Duke. I tell thee, Syracusian, twenty years Have I been patron to Antipholus, During which time he ne'er saw Syracuse. I see, thy age and dangers make thee dote. Enter Abbess, with ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse and DROMIO of Syracuse. Abb. Most mighty duke, behold a man much wrong'd. [All gather to see them. Adr. I see two husbands, or mine eyes deceive me! Duke. One of these men is Genius to the other; And so of these: which is the natural man, And which the spirit? Who deciphers them? Dro. S. I, sir, am Dromio: command him away. Dro. E. I, sir, am Dromio: pray let me stay. Ant. S. Egeon, art thou not? or else his ghost? Dro. S. O, my old master! who hath bound him here? Abb. Whoever bound him, I will loose his bonds, And gain a husband by his liberty.Speak, old Ægeon, if thou be'st the man That had a wife once call'd Æmilia, That bore thee at a burden two fair sons. O! if thou be'st the same Ægeon, speak, And speak unto the same Emilia ! Ege. If I dream not, thou art Æmilia. Abb. By men of Epidamnum, he, and I, Duke. Why, here begins his morning story right. Ant. S. No, sir, not I: I came from Syracuse. Duke. Stay, stand apart: I know not which is which. Ant. E. I came from Corinth, my most gracious lord. Dro. E. And I with him. Ant. E. Brought to this town by that most famous Duke Menaphon, your most renowned uncle. Adr. And are not you my husband? Ant. S. And so do I, yet did she call me so; Ang. That is the chain, sir, which you had of me. Ant. S. This purse of ducats I received from you, Ant. E. These ducats pawn I for my father here. Abb. Renowned duke, vouchsafe to take the pains Duke. With all my heart: I'll gossip at this feast. [Exeunt Duke, Abbess, EGEON, Courtezan, Merchant, ANGELO, and Attendants. Dro. S. Master, shall I fetch your stuff from shipboard? Ant. E. Dromio, what stuff of mine hast thou embarked? Dro. S. Your goods, that lay at host, sir, in the Centaur. Ant. S. He speaks to me.-I am your master, Dromio: Come, go with us; we'll look to that anon. Embrace thy brother there; rejoice with him. [Exeunt ANT. S. and E., ADR., and Luc. Dro. S. There is a fat friend at your master's house, That kitchen'd me for you to-day at dinner: She now shall be my sister, not my wife. Dro. E. Methinks, you are my glass, and not my brother: I see by you I am a sweet-faced youth. Will you walk in to see their gossiping? Dro. S. Not I, sir; you are my elder. Dro. E. That's a question: how shall we try it? Dro. S. We'll draw cuts for the senior: till then, lead thou first. Dro. E. Nay, then thus: We came into the world, like brother and brother; And now, let's go hand in hand, not one before another. [Exeunt. |