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. Then let your servants bring my husband forth. Till I have brought him to his wits again, Or lose my labour in assaying it. Adr. I will attend my husband, be his nurse, And therefore let me have him home with me. It is a branch and parcel of mine oath, A charitable duty of my order. 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. 90 100 110 Abb. Be quiet and depart thou shalt not have him. [Exit. Luc. Complain unto the duke of this indignity. Adr. Come, go: I will fall prostrate at his feet And never rise until my tears and prayers Sec. Mer. By this, I think, the dial points at five The place of death and sorry execution, Ang. Upon what cause? Sec. Mer. To see a reverend Syracusian merchant, Who put unluckily into this bay Against the laws and statutes of this town, Beheaded publicly for his offence. Ang. See where they come we will behold his death. 120 Enter DUKE, attended; ÆGEON bareheaded; with the Heads man 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! 130 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 140 He broke from those that had the guard of him; 150 Each one with ireful passion, with drawn swords, Chased us away, till raising of more aid We came again to bind them. Then they fled Nor send him forth that we may bear him hence. Let him be brought forth and borne hence for help. 160 Duke. Long since thy husband served me in my wars, And I to thee engaged a prince's word, When thou did'st 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 I before I stir. Enter a Servant. Serv. O mistress, mistress, shift and save yourself! Whose beard they have singed off with brands of fire; Great pails of puddled mire to quench the hair: My master preaches patience to him and the while And sure, unless you send present help, Between them they will kill the conjurer. Adr. Peace, fool! thy master and his man are here, 170 And that is false thou dost report to us. 180 Serv. Mistress, upon my life, I tell you true; I have not breathed 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. Hark, hark! I hear him, mistress: fly, be gone! Duke. Come, stand by me; fear nothing. Guard with halberds! [Cry within. Adr. Ay 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 of Ephesus and DROMIO of Ephesus. Ant. E. Justice, most gracious duke, O, 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 191 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 gavest 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. 200 Ant. E. This day, great duke, she shut the doors upon me, While she with harlots feasted in my house. Duke. A grievous fault! Say, woman, didst 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, 210 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, Neither disturbed with the effect of wine, Nor heady-rash, provoked with raging ire, Albeit my wrongs might make one wiser mad. This woman lock'd me out this day from dinner : That goldsmith there, were he not pack'd with her, 220 Promising to bring it to the Porpentine, There did this perjured goldsmith swear me down Which, God he knows, I saw not: for the which He did arrest me with an officer. 230 I did obey, and sent my peasant home For certain ducats: he with none return'd. 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 mere anatomy, a mountebank, A threadbare 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? Ang. He had, my lord: and when he ran in here, These people saw the chain about his neck. Sec Mer. Besides, I will be sworn these ears of mine Heard you confess you had the chain of him From whence, I think, you are come by miracle. 240 250 260 And this is false vou burden me withal. Duke. Why, what an intricate impeach is this! I think you all have drunk of Circe's cup. If here you housed him, here he would have been ; If he were mad, he would not plead so coldly: 270 Dro. E. Sir, he dined with her there, at the Porpentine. 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 one to the Abbess. 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. 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? 290 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 changed 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? Ego. Dromio, nor thou? No, trust me, sir, nor I. Ege. I am sure thou dost. 300 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, 310 |