Ant. E. Thou hast suborn'd the goldsmith to

arrest me.

Adr. Alas, I sent you money to redeem you, By Dromio here, who came in haste for it.

Dro. E. Money by me? heart and good-will you might,

But, surely, master, not a rag of money.

Ant. E. Went'st not thou to her for a purse of ducats?

Adr. He came to me, and I deliver❜d it.

Luc. And I am witness with her, that she did. Dro. E. God and the rope-maker, bear me witness, That I was sent for nothing but a rope!

Pinch. Mistress, both man and master is possess'd; 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 these false eyes, That would behold in me this shameful sport.

[PINCH and his assistants bind ANT. and DRo. 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 gaoler, thou,

I am thy prisoner; wilt thou suffer them
To make a rescue?

Off. Masters, let him go; He is my prisoner, and you shall not have him. Pinch. Go, bind this man, for he is frantick too, Adr. What wilt thou do, thou peevish9 officer? Hast thou delight to see a wretched man Do outrage and displeasure to himself?

Off. He is my prisoner; if I let him go, The debt he owes, will be requir'd of me.

it.

Adr. I will discharge thee, ere I go from thee: Bear me forthwith unto his creditor, And, knowing how the debt grows, I will pay Good master doctor, see him safe convey'd Home to my house.-O most unhappy day! Ant. E. O most unhappy 10 strumpet!

Dro. E. Master, I am here enter'd in bond for you. Ant. E. Out on thee, villain! wherefore dost thou mad me?

Dro. E. Will you be bound for nothing? be mad, Good master; cry, the devil.—

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?

Off. One Angelo, a goldsmith; Do you know him? Adr. I know the man: What is the sum he owes? Off. Two hundred ducats.

Adr.

Say, how grows it due? Off. 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

9 Vide before, p. 172, note 6.

10 Unhappy for unlucky, i. e. mischievous.

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, gaoler, 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.

Off.

Away, they'll kill us. [Exeunt Officer, ADR. and Luc. 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 11 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 speak us fair, give 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 our stuff aboard. [Exeunt.

6

11 i. e. baggage. Stuff is the genuine old English word for all moveables. Baggage,' says Baret, is borrowed of the French, and signifyeth all such stuffe as may hinder or trouble us in warre or traveling, being not worth carriage, impedimenta.' Thus Lord Bacon:-'I cannot call riches better than the baggage of virtue; the Romane word impedimenta is better; for as the baggage is to an armie, so is riches to vertue: it cannot be spared, nor left behind; but it hindreth the march, yea, and the care of it sometimes loseth or disturbeth the victory.'

ACT V.

SCENE I. The same.

Enter Merchant and ANGELO.

Ang. I am sorry, sir, that I have hinder'd you; But, I protest, he had the chain of me, Though most dishonestly he doth deny it.

Mer. How is the man esteem'd here in the city? Ang. Of very reverend reputation, sir,

Of credit infinite, highly belov'd,

Second to none that lives here in the city;
His word might bear my wealth at any time.
Mer. Speak softly: yonder, as I think, he walks.
Enter ANTIPHOLUS and DROMIO of Syracuse.
Ang. 'Tis so; and that self chain about his neck,
Which he forswore, most monstrously, to have.
Good sir, draw near to me, I'll speak to him.
Signior Antipholus, I wonder much

That you would put me to this shame and trouble;
And not without some scandal to yourself,
With circumstance, and oaths, so to deny
This chain, which now you wear so openly:
Besides the charge, the shame, imprisonment,
You have done wrong to this my honest friend;
Who, but for staying on our controversy,
Had hoisted sail, and put to sea to-day:
This chain you had of me, can you deny it?
Ant. S. I think, I had; I never did deny it.
Mer. Yes, that you did, sir; and forswore it too.
Ant. S. Who heard me to deny it, or forswear it?
Mer. These ears of mine, thou knowest, did hear
thee:

Fie on thee, wretch! 'tis pity, that thou liv'st
To walk where any honest men resort.

Ant. S. Thou art a villain to impeach me thus:
I'll prove mine honour, and mine honesty
Against thee presently, if thou dar'st stand.
Mer. I dare, and do defy thee for a villain.
[They draw.

Enter ADRIANA, LUCIANA, Courtezan, and others. Adr. Hold, hurt him not, for God's sake; he is mad;

Some get within him1, take his sword away:
Bind Dromio too, and bear them to my house.
Dro. S. Run, master, run; for God's sake take a
house 2.

This is some priory;-In, or we are spoil'd.

[Exeunt ANTIPH. and DRO. to the Priory.

Enter the Abbess.

Abb. Be quiet, people; Wherefore throng you hither?

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?

1 i. e. close, grapple with him.

2 i. e. go into a house: we still say that a dog takes the water.