Till I have us'd the approved means I have, It is a branch and parcels 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, Abb. Be quiet, and depart, thou shalt not have him. [Exit Abbess. Luc. Complain unto the duke of this indignity. Mer. To see a reverend Syracusan merchant, Who put unluckily into this bay Against the laws and statutes of this town, Ang. See, where they come; we will behold his death. Luc. Kneel to the duke, before he pass the abbey. 4i. e. To bring him back to his senses. 5 Part. 6 Sad. 7 Importunate, Enter Duke attended; ÆGEON bare-headed; with the Duke. Yet once again proclaim it publickly, Adr. Justice, most sacred duke, against the ab bess! 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, 8 i. e. To take measures. 9 Know. i. e. Successively, one after another. 2 i, e. Cuts his hair close. Into this abbey, whither we pursued them; Nor send him forth, that we may bear him hence. Therefore, most gracious duke, with thy command, Let him be brought forth, and borne hence for help. Duke. Long since, thy husband serv'd me in my wars; And I to thee engag'd a prince's word, Enter a Servant. Serv. O mistress, mistress, shift and save yourself! My master and his man are both broke loose, Beaten the maids a-row, and bound the doctor, Whose beard they have singed off with brands of fire; And ever as it blazed, they threw on him Great pails of puddled mire to quench the hair: ' My master preaches patience to him, while His man with scissars nicks him like a fool: And, sure, unless you send some present help, Between them they will kill the conjurer. 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 breath'd almost, since I did see it. [Cry within. Hark, hark, I hear him, mistress; fly, be gone. Duke. Come, stand by me, fear nothing: Guard with halberds. Adr. Ah me, it is my husband! Witness you, Even now we hous'd him in the abbey here; Enter ANTIPHOLUS and DROMIO of Ephesus. Ant. E. Justice, most gracious duke, oh, grant me justice! Even for the service that long since I did thee, Æge. 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 gav'st to me to be my wife; That she this day hath shameless thrown on me, upon me, While she with harlots 3 feasted in my house. so? Adr. No, my good lord; -myself, he, and my sister, To-day did dine together: So befal my soul, Luc. Ne'er may I look on day, nor sleep on night, Ant. E. My liege, I am advised what I say; Neither disturb'd with the effect of wine, Nor heady-rash, provok'd 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, Could witness it, for he was with me then; Who parted with me to go fetch a chain, Promising to bring it to the Porcupine, Where Balthazar and I did dine together. Our dinner done, and he not coming thither, I went to seek him: in the street I met him; And in his company, that gentleman, There did this perjur'd goldsmith swear me down, That I this day of him receiv'd the chain, Which, God he knows, I saw not: for the which, He did arrest me with an officer. I did obey; and sent my peasant home For certain ducats: he with none return'd. 3 Harlot was a term of reproach applied to cheats among men as well as to wantons among women. |