Alone, it was the subject of my theme; Still did I tell him it was vile and bad. Abb. And thereof came it, that the man was mad. The venom clamors of a jealous woman Poison more deadly than a mad dog's tooth. It seems his sleeps were hindered by thy railing; And thereof comes it that his head is light. Thou say'st his meat was sauced with thy upbraidings; Unquiet meals make ill digestions, Thereof the raging fire of fever bred; And what's a fever but a fit of madness? Thou say'st his sports were hindered by thy brawls; Kinsman to grim and comfortless despair,) Luc. She never reprehended him but mildly, Abb. No, not a creature enters in my house. And it shall privilege him from your hands, Till I have brought him to his wits again, Or lose my labor in assaying it. Adr. I will attend my husband, be his nurse, 1 i. e. substitute. With wholesome sirups, drugs, and holy prayers, 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. Abb. Be quiet, and depart; thou shalt not have him. [Exit Abbess. 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 Have won his grace to come in person hither, And take perforce my husband from the abbess. Mer. By this, I think, the dial points at five. Anon, I am sure, the duke himself in person Comes this way to the melancholy vale; The place of death and sorry 2 execution, Behind the ditches of the abbey here. Ang. Upon what cause? Mer. To see a reverend Syracusan 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. Luc. Kneel to the duke, before he pass the abbey. Enter Duke, attended; ÆGEON, bareheaded; 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! 1 i. e. to bring him back to his senses, and the accustomed forms of sober behavior. In Measure for Measure, "informal women" is used for just the contrary. 2 i. e. dismal :—" dismolde and sorrie, atra funestus." 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, By rushing in their houses, bearing thence Nor send him forth, that we may bear him hence. wars; And I to thee engaged a prince's word, When thou didst make him master of thy bed, 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, And that is false, thou dost report to us. 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. [Cry within. Hark, hark, I hear him, mistress; fly, begone. Duke. Come, stand by me; fear nothing. Guard with halberds! Adr. Ah me, it is my husband! Witness you, That he is borne about invisible. Even now we housed him in the abbey here; Enter ANTIPHOLUS 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 1 i. e. successively, one after another. Ant. E. Justice, sweet prince, against that woman there. She whom thou gav'st to me to be my wife; That hath abused and dishonored 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 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 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, 1 Harlot was a term anciently applied to a rogue or base person among men, as well as to wantons among women. See Todd's Johnson. |