Have won his grace to come in person hither, Mer. To see a reverend Syracusan merchant. Against the laws and statutes of this town, Beheaded publicly for his offence. Ang. See, where they come; we will behold his death. 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, At your important* letters,-this ill day A most outrageous fit of madness took him; That desperately he hurried through the street By rushing in their houses, bearing thence He broke from those that had the guard of him; Nor send him forth, that we may bear him hence. Duke. Long since, thy husband served me in my wars: When thou didst make him master of thy bed, * Importunate. To do him all the grace and good I could.- I will determine this, before I stir. Enter a SERVANT. Serv. O mistress, mistress, shift and save yourself! Great pails of puddled mire to quench the hair: Adr. Peace, fool, thy master and his man are here: Serv. Mistress, upon my life, I tell you true; [Cry within. Duke. Come, stand by me, fear nothing: Guard with halberts. Adr. Ah me, it is my husband! Witness you, That he is borne about invisible: Even now we housed him in the abbey here; And now he's there, past thought of human reason. Enter ANTIPHOLUS and DROMIO of Ephesus." Ant. E. Justice, most gracious duke, oh, grant me justice! Even for the service that long since I did thee, When I bestrid thee in the wars, and took Deep scars to save thy life; even for the blood That then I lost for thee, now grant me justice. Ege. Unless the fear of death doth make me dote, I see my son Antipholus, and Dromio. Ant. E. Justice, sweet prince, against that woman there. She whom thou gav'st to me to be my wife; That hath abused and dishonour'd me, Even in the strength and height of injury! Beyond imagination is the wrong, That she this day hath shameless thrown on me. Duke. Discover how, and thou shalt find me just. Ant. E. This day, great duke, she shut the doors upon me, While she with harlotst feasted in my house. Duke. A grievous fault: Say, woman, didst thou so? *I. e. one after another. I. e. cuts his hair close. The term once included male cheats To-day did dine together: So befall my soul, Luc. Ne'er may I look on day, nor sleep on night, But she tells to your highness simple truth! Ang. O perjured woman! They are both forsworn. In this the madman justly chargeth them. Ant. E. My liege, I am advised what I say: There did this perjured goldsmith swear me down, Which, God he knows, I saw not: for the which, I did obey; and sent my peasant home For certain ducats: he with none return'd. Then fairly I bespoke the officer, To go in person with me to my house. By the way we met My wife, her sister, and a rabble more Of vile confederates; along with them They brought one Pinch; a hungry lean-faced villain, A niere anatomy, a mountebank, A thread-bare juggler, and a fortune-teller; A needy, hollow-eyed, sharp-looking wretch, Ran hither to your grace; whom I beseech To give me ample satisfaction For these deep shames and great indignities. Ang. My lord, in truth, thus far I witness with him; That he dined not at home but was lock'd out. Duke. But had he such a chain of thee, or no? These people saw the chain about his neck. Mer. Besides, I will be sworn, these ears of mine Duke. Why, what an intricate impeach is this! If here you housed him, here he would have been; Dro. E. Sir, he dined with her there, at the Porpentine. 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, Syracusan, what thou wilt. And is not that your bondman Dromio? Dro. E. Within this hour I was his bondman, Sir, Ege. I am sure, you both of you remember me. 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. Ege. Oh! grief hath changed me since you saw me last; And careful hours, with Time's deformedt 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. Ege. I am sure, thou dost. Dro. E. Ay, Sir; but I am sure, I do not; and whatsoever a man denies, you are now bound to believe him. Ege. Not know my voice! O, time's extremity! Hast thou so cracked and splitted my poor tongue, *Confounded. + Deforming. Disfigurements. In seven short years, that here my only son 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, Syracusan, twenty years Have I been patron to Antipholus, During which time he ne'er saw Syracusa : I see, thy age and dangers make thee dote. Enter the ABBESS, with ANTIPHOLUS Syracusan, and DROMIO Syracusan. Abb. Most mighty duke, behold a man much wronged. [All gather to see him. 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 Ege. If I dream not, thou art Æmilia; Abb. By men of Epidamnum, he, and I, * Voice made feeble by grating cares. + Furrowed. |