A living dead man. This pernicious flave,
Forlooth, took on him as a conjurer;
And, gazing in my eyes, feeling my pulfe,
And with no-face, as 'twere, out-facing me,
Cries out, I was poffeft. Then all together
They fell upon me, bound me, bore me thence;
And in a dark and dankifh vault at home
There left me and my man, both bound together;
Till, gnawing with my teeth my bonds afunder,
I gained my freedom, and immediately
Ran hither to your Grace; whom I befeech
To give me ample fatisfaction

For thefe deep fhames and great indignities. [him,
Ang. My Lord, in truth, thus far I witnefs with
That he din'd not at home, but was lock'd out.

Duke. But had he fuch a chain of thee or no? Ang. He had, my Lord; and when he ran in here, Thefe people faw the chain about his neck.

Mer. Befides, I will be sworn, these ears of mine Heard you confefs you had the chain of him, After you first forefwore it on the mart; And thereupon I drew my fword on you; And then you fled into this abbey here, From whence, I think, you're come by miracle. E. Ant. I never came within these abbey-walls, Nor ever didft thou draw thy fword on me; I never faw the chain, fo 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 houfed him, here he would have been; If he were mad, he would not plead fo coldly; You fay he din'd at home; the goldsmith here Denies that faying. Sirrah, what fay you? [pine. E. Dro. Sir, he dined with her there, at the Porcu

1

Cour. He did, and from my finger fnatched that

ring.

E. Ant. 'Tis true, my Liege, this ring I had of her. Duke. Saw't thou him enter at the abbey here? Cour. As fure, my Liege, as I do fee your Grace. Duke. Why, this is ftrange; go call the Abbess I think you are all mated, or itark mad. [hither; [Exit one to the Abbess. Egeon. Moft mighty Duke, vouchsafe me fpeak a Haply I fee a friend will fave my life, [word: And pay the fum that may deliver me.

Duke. Speak freely, Syracufan, what thou wilt. Egean. Is not your name, Sir, called Antipholis? And is not that your bond-man-Dromio ?

E.Dro. Within this hour I was his bond-man, Sir, But he, I thank him, gnaw'd in two my cords; Now am I Dromio, and his man unbound.

Egeon. I am fure both of you remember me. you E. Dro. Ourfelves we do remember, Sir, by you; For lately we were bound, as you are now. You are not Pinch's patient, are you, Sir?

Egeon. Why look you ftrange on me? you know

me well.

E. Ant. I never faw you in my life, 'till now. Egeon. Oh grief hath changed me fince you faw me laft;

And careful hours with time's deformed hand
Have written ftrange defeatures in my face:
But tell me yet, doit thou not know my voice?
E. Ant. Neither.

Egeon. Dromio, nor thou?

E. Dro. No, truft me, Sir, nor I.

Egeon. I am fure thou doft.

E. Dro. I, Sir? but I am fure I do not; and whatsoever a man denies, you are now bound to believe him.

Egeon. Not know my voice! oh, time's extremity! Haft thou fo cracked and fplitted my poor tongue In feven fhort years, that here my only fon Knows not my feeble key of untun'd cares? Though now this grained face of mine be hid In fap-confuming winter's drizzled fnow, And all the conduits of my blood froze up; Yet hath my night of life fome memory; My wafting lamp fome fading glimmer left, My dull deaf ears a little ufe to hear: All these old witneffes, I cannot err, Tell me thou art my fon Antipholis.

E. Ant. I never faw my father in my life. Egeon. But feven years fince, in Syracufa bay, Thou knoweft, we parted; but, perhaps, my fon, Thou fham'ft t'acknowledge me in mifery.

E. Ant. The Duke and all that know me in the Can witnefs with me that it is not fo:

I ne'er faw Syracufa in my life.

Duke. I tell thee, Syracufan, twenty years'

Have I been patron to Antipholis,

During which time he ne'er faw Syracufa: 1 fee thy age and dangers make thee dote.

[city

Enter the Abbefs, with ANTIPHOLIS Syracufan, and DROMIO Syracufan.

wronged.

Abb. Molt mighty Duke, behold a man-much [All gather to fee him. Adr. I fee two husbands, or mine eyes deceive me. Duke. One of these men is genius to the other; And fo of these which is the natural man, And which the fpirit? who deciphers them? S. Dro. I, Sir, am Dromio; command him away. E. Dro, I, Sir, am Dromio; pray, let me ftay. S. Ant. Egeon, art thou not? or clic his ghost?

S. Dro. O, my old mafter! who hath bound him

here?

Abb. Whoever bound him, I will loofe his bonds, And gain a husband by his liberty.

Speak, old Ageon, if thou be'it the man
That, had'it a wife once called Æmilia,
That bore thee at a burden two fair fons?
Oh, if thou be'ft the faine Ageon, speak;
And fpeak unto the fame Emilia.

Duke. Why, here begins his morning story rights
Thefe two Antipholises, thefe two fo like,
And these two Dromios, one in semblance;
Befides her urging of her wreck at fea,
Thefe plainly are the parents to these children,
Which accidentally are met together.

Egeon. If I dream not, thou art Æmilia;
If thou art fhe, tell me where is that fon
That floated with thee on the fatal raft?

Abb. By men of Epidamnum, he and I,
And the twin Dromio, all were taken up;
But, by and by, rude fishermen of Corinth
By force took Dromio and my fon from them,
And me they left with thofe of Epidamnum.
What then became of them I cannot tell;
I, to this fortune that you fee me in.

Duke. Antipholis, thou cameft, from Corinth firft.
S. Ant. No, Sir, not I; I came from Syracufe.
Duke. Stay, ftand apart; I know not which is
which.

E. Ant. I came from Corinth, my most gracious Lord.

E. Dro. And I with him.

E. Ant. Brought to this town by that most famous warrior,

Duke Menaphon, your most renowned uncle.

Adr. Which of you two did dine with me to-day?

S. Ant. I, gentle mistress.

Adr. And are not you my husband?
E. Ant. No, I fay nay to that.

S. nt. And fo do I, yet she did call me fo: A
And this fair gentlewoman, her filter here,
Did call me brother. What I told you then,
I hope I fhall have leifure to make good,
If this be not a dream I fee and hear,

Ang. That is the chain, Sir, which you had of me. S. Ant. I think it be, Sir, I deny it not.

E. Ant. And you, Sir, for this chain arrefted me. Ang. I think I did, Sir; I deny it not.

Adr. I fent you money, Sir, to be your bail, By Dromio, but I think he brought it not. E. Dro. No, none by me.

S. Ant. This purfe of ducats I received from you, And Dromio my man did bring them me: I fee we fill did meet each other's man, And I was ta'en for him, and he for me, And thereupon thefe errors all arofe.

E. Ant. Thefe ducats pawn I for my father here. Duke. It fhall not need, thy father hath his life. Cour. Sir, I must have that diamond from you. E. Ant. There, take it; and much thanks for my good cheer.

Abb. Renowned Duke, vouchsafe to take the pains Το go with us into the Abbey here,

And hear at large difcourfed all our fortunes:
And all that are affembled in this place,
That by this fympathized one day's error
Have fuffered wrong, go, keep us company,
And ye fhall have full fatisfaction.

Twenty-five years have I but gone in travel (22)

(22) Thirty-three years.] 'Tis impoffible the Poet could be fo forgetful as to defign this number here: and therefore I have ventured to alter it to twenty-five, upon a proof