Belike his wife acquainted with his fits
On purpose fhut the doors againft his way.
My way is now to hie home to his house,
And tell his wife that being lunatick
He rufh'd into my houfe, and took perforce
My ring away. This courfe I fitteft chuse,
For forty ducats is too much to lofe.

SCENE VIII. The Street.

Enter Antipholis of Ephefus with a Failor.

[Exit.

E. Ant. Fear me not, man; I will not break away; I'll give thee, ere I leave thee, fo much mony, To warrant thee, as I am 'refted for. My wife is in a wayward mood to-day, And will not lightly truft the meffenger. That I fhould be attach'd in Ephefus, I tell you 'twill found harfhly in her ears.

Enter Dromio of Ephefus with a rope's-end. Here comes my man, I think he brings the mony. How now, Sir, have you that I fent for?

you

E. Dro. Here's that I warrant you will pay them all.
E. Ant. But where's the money?

E. Dro. Why, Sir, I gave the mony for the rope.
E. Ant. Five hundred ducats, villain, for a rope?
E. Dro. I'll ferve you, Sir, five hundred at the rate.
E. Ant. To what end did I bid thee hie thee home?
E. Dro. To a rope's-end, Sir, and to that end am I re-
t'd.

E. Ant. And to that end, Sir, I will welcome you.
[Beats Dro.

Offi. Good Sir, be patient.
E. Dro. Nay, 'tis for me to be patient, I am in adversity.
Off. Good now, hold thy tongue.

E. Dro. Nay, rather perfuade him to hold his hands.
E. Ant. Thou whorefon, fenfeless villain!

E. Dro. I would I were fenfelefs, Sir, that I might not feel your blows.

E. Ant. Thou art fenfible in nothing but blows, and fo is an afs.

E. Dro. I am an afs indeed, you may prove it by my Long ears. I have ferv'd him from the hour of my nativity

to this inftant, and have nothing at his 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 fleep, rais'd with it when I fit, driven out of doors with it when I go from home, welcom❜d home with it when I return; nay, I bear it on my shoulders, as a beggar wont her brat; and I think when he hath lam'd me, I fhall beg with it from door to door.

SCENE IX.

Enter Adriana, Luciana, Courtezan and Pinch. E. Ant. Come, go along; my wife is coming yonder. E. Dro. Miftrefs, refpice finem, refpect your end, or rather prophefie like the parrot *, beware the rope's-end. E. Ant. Wilt thou still talk? [Beats Dro. Cour. How fay you now? is not your husband mad? Adr. His incivility confirms no less. Good doctor Pinch, you are a conjurer, Establish him in his true fenfe again,

And I will pleafe you in what you will demand.

Luc. Alas, how fiery and how fharp he looks!
Cour. Mark how he trembles in his ecftafie!

Pinch. Give me your hand, and let me feel your pulse. E. Ant. There is my hand, and let it feel your ear. Pinch. I charge thee, Satan, hous'd within this man, To yield poffeffion to my holy prayers,

And to thy ftate of darkness hie thee ftrait,

I conjure thee by all the Saints in heav'n.

E. Ant. Peace, doating wizard, peace, I am not mad.
Adr. Oh that thou wert not, poor diftreffed foul!
E. Ant. You minion you, are these your customers
Did this companion with the faffron face

Revel and feaft it at my house to-day,
Whilft upon me the guilty doors were shut,

And I deny'd to enter in my house?

Adr. Oh husband, God doth know you din'd at home, Where would you had remain'd until this time,

Free from these flanders and this open shame.

E. Ant. Din'd I at home? thou villain, what say 'ft thou?

It was a word which was taught to Parrots to throw out by way

of abuse upon people as they passed along, A ropes a rope.

A. Dro.

E. Dro. Sir, footh to fay, you did not dine at home. E. Art. Were not my doors lock'd up, and I fhut out? E. Dro. Perdie, your doors were lock'd, and you fhut out. E. Ant. And did not fhe her felf revile me there? E. Dro. Sans fable, fhe her felf revil'd you there. E. Ant. Did not her kitchen-maid rail, taunt, and scorn me?

E. Dro. Certes fhe did, the kitchen-veftal fcorn'd you. E. Ant. And did not I in rage depart from thence? E. Dro, In verity you did, my bones bear witness, That fince have felt the vigour of your rage.

Adr. Is't good to footh him in these contraries? Pinch. It is no fhame; the fellow finds his vein, And yielding to him, humours well his frenzy."

E. Ant. Thou haft fuborn'd the goldsmith to arreft me. Adr. Alas, I fent you mony to redeem you, By Dromio here, who came in hafte for it.

E. Dro. Mony by me? heart and good-will you might, But furely, mafter, not a rag of mony.

E. Ant. Went'ft not thou to her for a purfe of ducats? Adr. He came to me, and I deliver'd it.

Luc. And I am witnefs with her that he did.

E. Dro. God and the rope-maker do bear me witness; That I was fent for nothing but a rope.

Pinch. Miftrefs, both man and mafter are poffeft,

I know it by their pale and deadly looks;

They must be bound and laid in fome dark room.

E. Ant. Say, wherefore didft thou lock me forth to-day,

And why doft thou deny the bag of gold?

Adr. I did not, gentle hufband, lock thee forth.
E. Dro, And, gentle mafter, I receiv'd no gold,

But I confefs, Sir, that we were lock'd out.

Adr. Diffembling villain, thou speak'ft falfe in both.
E. Ant. Diffembling harlot, thou art falfe in all,

And art confederate with a damned pack,
To make a loathfome abject fcorn of me :
But with these nails I'll pluck out thofe falfe eyes,
That would behold in me this fhameful fport.

Enter three or four, and offer to bind bim: be ftrives.
Adr, Oh, bind him, bind him, let him not come near me.

Pinch. More company, the fiend is ftrong within him. Luc. Ay me, poor man, how pale and wan he looks! E. Ant. What, will you murther me? thou jailor thou, I am thy prifoner, wilt thou fuffer them

To make a rescue ?

Offi. Mafters; let him go:

He is my prifoner, and you fhall not have him.

Pinch. Go bind this man, for he is frantick too.
Adr. What wilt thou do, thou peevish officer ?
Haft thou delight to fee a wretched man
Do outrage and displeasure to himself?

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

Adr. I will difcharge thee, ere I go from thee;
Bear me forthwith unto his creditor, [They bind Ant, and Dro.
And knowing how the debt grows I will pay it.

Good master doctor, fee him fafe convey'd
Home to my house. Oh moft unhappy day!
E. Ant. Oh moft unhappy ftrumpet!

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

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

Luc. God help, poor fouls, how idly do they talk! Adr. Go bear him hence; fifter, ftay you with me. Say now, whofe fuit is he arrefted at ?

[Exeunt Pinch, Ant. and Dro.

SCENE X.

Manent Officer, Adri. Luci, and Courtezan.

Off. One Angelo, a goldfmith; do you know him?
Adr. I know the man; what is the fum he owes?
Offi. Two hundred ducats.

Adr. Say how grows it due ?

Offi. Due for a chain your husband had of him.
Adr. He did befpeak a chain, 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 faw upon his finger now)
Strait after did I meet him with a chain.

Adr

Adr. It may be fo, but I did never see it. Come, jailor, bring me where the goldfmith is, I long to know the truth hereof at large.

SCENE XI. Enter Antipholis Syracufan with bis rapier drawn, and Dromio Syrac.

Luc. God, for thy mercy! they are loose again.

Adr. And come with naked fwords; let's call more help To have them bound again.

Offi. Away, they'll kill us.

Manent Ant. and Dro.

[They run out.

S. Ant. I fee thefe witches are afraid of fwords. S. Dro. She that would be your wife now ran from you. S. Ant. Come to the Centaur, fetch our stuff from thence: I long that we were fafe and found aboard.

S. Dro. 'Faith, ftay here this night, they will furely do us no harm; you faw they fpake us fair, gave us gold; methinks they are fuch a gentle nation, that but for the mountain of mad flesh that claims marriage of me, I couldfind in my heart to ftay here ftill, and turn witch. S. Ant. I will not stay to-night for all the town, Therefore away, to get our ftuff aboard.

ACT V. SCENE I.

[Exeunt.

A Street, before a Priory. Enter the Merchant and Angelo.
Am forry, Sir, that I have hinder'd you,
But I proteft he had the chain of me,

Ang.

I

Though moft difhoneftly he did deny it.

Mer. How is the man efteem'd here in the city?
Ang. Of very reverent 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 foftly; yonder, as I think, he walks.
Enter Antipholis and Dromio of Syracufe.

Ang. 'Tis fo; and that felf chain about his neck,
Which he forfwore moft monftroufly to have.
Good Sir, draw near to me, I'll fpeak to him.
Signior intipholis, I wonder much

That you would put me to this fhame and trouble,
And not without fome fcandal to your felf,
With circumstance and oaths fo to deny

t