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And, gazing in my eyes, feeling my pulfe
And with no-face, as it were, 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 dankish vault at home
They left me and my man, both bound together;
'Till, gnawing with my teeth my bonds afunder,
I gain'd my freedom, and immediately

Ran hither to your Grace; whom 1 befeech
To give me ample fatisfaction

For these deep thames and great indignities.

Ang. My Lord, in truth, thus far I witnefs with him; That he din'd not at home, but was lock'd out. Duke. But he had fuch a chain of thee, or no? Ang. He had, my Lord; and when he ran in here, These people faw the chain about his neck.

Mer. Befides, I will be fworn, these ears of mine
Heard you confess, you had the chain of him
After you first forfwore 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-walle
Nor ever didft thou draw thy fword on me;
I never faw the chain, so help me heav'n!
And this is falfe, 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 hous'd 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?

E. Dro. Sir, he din'd with her there, at the Porcu-
pine.
Cour. He did, and from my finger fnatc'd that ring.
E. Ant. 'Tis true, my Liege, this ring I had of her.
Duke. Saw'st thou him enter at the abbey here?
Cour. As fure, my Liege, as I do fee your Grace.

I

*

Duke.

Duke. Why, this is strange; go call the Abbefs

hither;

I think, you are all mated, or stark mad.

[Exit one to the Abbefs.

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Egeon. Molt mighty Duke, vouchfafe me fpeak a

word:

Haply, I fee a friend, will fave my life;
And pay the fum that may deliver me.

Duke. Speak freely, Syracufan, what thou wilt. Egeon. Is not your name, Sif, call'd 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, you both of you remember me. 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 chang'd me, fince you faw me laft;

And careful hours with time's deformed hand

2

Have written ftrange defeatures in my face;
But tell me yet, doft 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 whatfoever a man denies, you are now bound to believe him.

Strange defeatures. Defed- The meaning is, time hath canLure is the privative of feature. celled my features.

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Egeon. Not know my voice! oh, time's extremity! Haft thou fo crack'd and splitted my poor tongue In seven short years, that here my only fon Knows not my feeble key untun'd care? Tho' now this grained face of mine be hid In fap-confuming winter's drizled snow, 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: 3 All thefe old witneffes, I cannot err, Tell me thou art my lon Antipholis.

E. Ant. I never faw my father in my life. Egeon. But feven years fince, in Syracufa bay, Thou know'ft, 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 city, 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 Antipbolis,

During which time he ne'er faw Syracufa :
I fee, thy age and dangers make thee doat,

SCENE VII.

Enter the Abbess, with Antipholis Syracufan, and Dromio Syracufan.

Abb. Moft mighty Duke, wrong'd.

Adr. I fee two hufbands, or

behold a man much [All gather to fee him. mine eyes deceive me.

Duke. One of these men is Genius to the other

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And fo of these which is the natural man,
And which the spirit? 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 elfe his ghost?
S. Dro. Oh, my old mafter! who hath bound him
here ?CE A

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

Speak, old Egeon, if thou be't the man,
That hadft a wife once call'd Emilia,

That bore thee at a burden two fair fons?
Oh, if thou be❜ft the fame #geon, speak;
And speak unto the fame Emilia.

A

Duke. Why, here begins his morning ftory right! These two Antipholis's, thefe two fo like, And those two Dromio's, one in femblance; Befides her urging of her wreck at fea, These plainly are the parents of these children, Which accidentally are met together.

Ægeon. If I dream not, thou art Emilia ;
If thou art the, 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. Antipbolis, thou cam'ft from Corinth first.
S. Ant. No, Sir, not I; I came from Syracufe.
Duk. Stay, ftand apart; I know not which is which.
E. Ant. I came from Corinth, my moft gacious
Lord.

E. Dro. And I'with him.

E. Ant. Brought to this town by that most famous MODA Warrior, LLA

M 4

Duke

Duke Menophon,' your most renowned uncle.
Adr. Which of you two did dine with me to day?
S. Ant. I, gentle mistress.

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Adr. And are not you my husband? i

E. Ant. No, I fay nay to that.

S. Ant. And fo do I, yet she did call me fo :
And this fair gentlewoman, her fifter 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 arrested me.
Ang. I think, I did, Sir, I deny it not.

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

S. Ant. This purse of ducats I receiv'd from you, And Dromio my man did bring them me;

I fee, we ftill 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 To 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 fuffer'd wrong; ga, keep us company,
And ye shall have full fatisfaction.

A

Twenty-five years have I but gone in travel

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