Adriana She did betray me to my own reproof.Good people, enter, and lay hold on him. Abbess. No; not a creature enters in Adriana. my house. At your important letters, this ill day By rushing in their houses, bearing thence Then, let your servants bring my husband Rings, jewels, any thing his rage did like. forth. Abbess Neither he took this place for sanctuary, I will attend my husband, be his nurse, And therefore let me have him home with me. Be patient; for I will not let him stir, Therefore depart, and leave him here with me. I will not hence, and leave my husband here; Abbess. Be quiet, and depart: thou shalt not have him. [Exit Abbess. Luciana. Complain unto the duke of this indignity. Adriana. Come, go: I will fall prostrate at his feet, Merchant. By this, I think, the dial points at five: Anon, I'm sure, the duke himself in person Comes this way to the melancholy vale, The place of death and sorry execution, Behind the ditches of the abbey here. Upon what cause? Angelo. Merchant. To see a reverend Syracusian merchant, Against the laws and statutes of this town, Angelo. Once did I get him bound, and sent him home, Let him be brought forth, and borne hence for O mistress, mistress! shift and save yourself. His man with scissars nicks him like a fool; Mistress, upon my life, I tell you true; I have not breath'd, almost, since I did see it. See, where they come: we will behold his Hark, hark, I hear him, mistress: fly, be gone. Egeon. Unless the fear of death doth make me dote, I see my son Antipholus, and Dromio! Antipholus of Ephesus. Justice, sweet prince, against that woman there! She whom thou gav'st to me to be my wife, Discover how, and thou shalt find me just. This day, great duke, she shut the doors upon Angelo. O perjur'd woman! They are both forsworn: In this the madman justly chargeth them. Antipholus of Ephesus. My liege, I am advised what I say; I did obey, and sent my peasant home [villain, My wife, her sister, and a rabble more Duke. But had he such a chain of thee, or no? Angelo. He had, my lord; and when he ran in here, These people saw the chain about his neck. Merchant. Besides, I will be sworn, these ears of mine Heard you confess you had the chain of him, After you first forswore it on the mart, And, thereupon, I drew my sword on you; And then you fled into this abbey here, From whence, I think, you are come by miracle. Antipholus of Ephesus. I never came within these abbey walls, Nor ever did'st thou draw thy sword on me. I never saw the chain, so 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 hous'd him, here he would have been ; If he were mad, he would not plead so coldly:You say, he dined at home; the goldsmith here Denies that saying.-Sirrah, what say you? Dromio of Ephesus. Sir, he dined with her, there, at the Porcupine. Courtezan. He did, and from my finger snatch'd that ring. Antipholus of Ephesus. 'Tis true, my liege; this ring I had of her. Duke. Saw'st thou him enter at the abbey here? 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. Duke. Speak freely, Syracusian, what thou wilt. Is not your name, sir, call'd Antipholus, Within this hour I was his bondman, sir; But he, I thank him, gnaw'd in two my cords: Now am 1 Dromio, and his man, unbound. Egeon. I am sure you both of you remember me. Antipholus of Ephesus. Egeon. Not know my voice? O, time's extremity ! Hast thou so crack'd and splitted my poor tongue In seven short years, that here my only son Knows not my feeble key of untun'd cares? Though now this grained face of mine be hid In sap-consuming winter's drizzled snow, And all the conduits of my blood froze up, Yet hath my night of life some memory, My wasting lamps some fading glimmer left, My dull, deaf ears a little use to hear: All these old witnesses (I cannot err) Tell me thou art my son Antipholus. Antipholus of Ephesus. I never saw my father in my life. And the twin Dromio, all were taken up; Duke. Why, here begins his morning story right. No, sir, not I: I came from Syracuse. Stay, stand apart: I know not which is which. I came from Corinth, my most gracious lord. Dromio of Ephesus. And I with him. Abbess. Renowned duke, vouchsafe to take the pains The duke, my husband, and my children both, Duke. With all my heart: I'll gossip at this feast. Master, shall I fetch your stuff from shipboard? Antipholus of Ephesus. Dromio, what stuff of mine hast thou em bark'd? Dromio of Syracuse. Antipholus of Syracuse. He speaks to me.-I am your master, Dromio: Come, go with us; we'll look to that anon. Embrace thy brother there; rejoice with him. [Exeunt Antipholus of Syracuse and Ephesus, Adriana, and Luciana. Dromio of Syracuse. There is a fat friend at your master's house, That kitchen'd me for you to-day at dinner : She now shall be my sister, not my wife. Dromio of Ephesus. Methinks, you are my glass, and not my brother: I see by you I am a sweet-faced youth. Not I, sir; you are my elder. Dromio of Ephesus. That's a question: how shall we try it? We'll draw cuts for the senior: till then, lead thou first. Dromio of Ephesus. Nay, then thus: We came into the world, like brother and brother; Your goods, that lay at host, sir, in the Cen- And now, let's go hand in hand, not one before another. taur. [Exeunt. Leonato. A victory is twice itself, when the achiever brings home full numbers. I find here, that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine, called Claudio. Messenger. Much deserved on his part, and equally remembered by Don Pedro: he hath borne himself beyond the promise of his age, doing in the figure of a lamb the feats of a lion; he hath, indeed, better bettered expectation, than you must expect of me to tell you how. Leonato. Leonato. You must not, sir, mistake my niece. There is a kind of merry war betwixt signior Benedick and her: they never meet, but there's a skirmish of wit between them. Beatrice. In our last Alas! he gets nothing by that. conflict four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed with one; so that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm. let him bear it for a difference between himself and his horse; for it is all the wealth that he hath left to be known a reasonable creature. Who is his companion now? He He hath an uncle here in Messina will be very hath every month a new sworn brother. much glad of it. Messenger. Faith, niece, you tax signior Benedick too much; but he'll be meet with you, I doubt it not. Messenger. Good signior Leonato, are you come to meet your trouble? the fashion of the world is to avoid cost, and you encounter it. Leonato. He hath done good service, lady, in these Never came trouble to my house in the like wars. ness of your grace; for trouble being gone, comfort should remain, but when you depart from me, sorrow abides, and happiness takes his leave. Don Pedro. You embrace your charge too willingly. I Her mother hath many times told me so. Were you in doubt, sir, that you asked her? You have it full, Benedick: we may guess by |