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, Which, God he knows, I saw not: for the which, I did obey; and sent my peasant home For certain ducats: he with none return'd. Then fairly I bespoke the officer, To go in person with me to my house. By the way we met My wife, her sister, and a rabble more Of vile confederates; along with them They brought one Pinch; a hungry lean-faced villain, A mere anatomy, a mountebank, A thread-bare juggler, and a fortune-teller; A needy, hollow-eyed, sharp-looking wretch, Ran hither to your grace; whom I beseech To give me ample satisfaction For these deep shames and great indignities. Ang. My lord, in truth, thus far I witness with him; That he dined not at home but was lock'd out. Duke. But had he such a chain of thee, or no? Ang. He had, my lord: and when he ran in here, These people saw the chain about his neck. Mer. Besides, I will be sworn, these ears of mine Duke. Why, what an intricate impeach is this! - If here you housed him, here he would have been ; Dro. E. Sir, he dined with her there, at the Porpentine. Duke. Why, this is strange :-Go call the abbess hither; I think you are all mated,* or stark mad. [Exit an Attendant. Ege. Most mighty duke, vouchsafe me speak a word: Haply I see a friend will save my life, And pay the sum that may deliver me. Duke. Speak freely, Syracusan, what thou wilt. And is not that your bondman Dromio? Dro. E. Within this hour I was his bondman, Sir, Ege. I am sure, you both of you remember me. Dro. E. Ourselves we do remember, Sir, by you; For lately we were bound, as you are now. You are not Pinch's patient, are you, Sir? Ege. Why look you strange on me, you know me well. Ege. Oh! grief hath changed me since you saw me last; And careful hours, with Time's deformedt hand Have written strange defeatures in my face: But tell me yet, dost thou not know my voice? Ege. Dromio, nor thou? Dro. E. No, trust me, Sir, nor I. Ege. I am sure, thou dost. Dro. E. Ay, Sir; but I am sure, I do not; and whatsoever a man denies, you are now bound to believe him. Ege. Not know my voice! O, time's extremity! Hast thou so cracked and splitted my poor tongue, *Confounded. + Deforming. Disfigurements. In seven short years, that here my only son Ant. E. I never saw my father in my life. Ant. E. The Duke, and all that know me in the city, Can witness with me that it is not so; I ne'er saw Syracusa in my life. Duke. I tell thee, Syracusan, twenty years Have I been patron to Antipholus, During which time he ne'er saw Syracusa: I see, thy age and dangers make thee dote. Enter the ABBESS, with ANTIPHOLUS Syracusan, and DROMIO Syracusan. Abb. Most mighty duke, behold a man much wronged. [All gather to see him. Adr. I see two husbands, or mine eyes deceive me. And gain a husband by his liberty: Speak, old Ægeon, if thou be'st the man Ege. If I dream not, thou art Æmilia; Abb. By men of Epidamnum, he, and I, * Voice made feeble by grating cares. + Furrowed. What then became of them, I cannot tell; I, to this fortune that you see me in. Duke. Why, here begins his morning story right;* These two Antipholuses, these two so like, And these two Dromios, one in semblance, Besides her urging of her wreck at sea,- Ant. S. No, Sir, not I; I came from Syracuse. Duke. Stay, stand apart; I know not which is which. Ant. E. Brought to this town with that most famous warrior Duke Menaphon, your most renowned uncle. Adr. Which of you two did dine with me to-day? Ant. S. I, gentle mistress. Adr. And are you not my husband? Ant. E. No, I say nay to that. Ant. S. And so do I, yet did she call me so; And this fair gentlewoman, her sister here, Ang. That is the chain, Sir, which you had of me. Ant. E. And you, Sir, for this chain arrested me. Adr. I sent you money, Sir, to be your bail, Dro. E. No, none by me. Ant. S. This purse of ducats I received from you, Ant. E. These ducats pawn I for my father here. Ant. E. There, take it; and much thanks for my good cheer. To go with us into the abbey here, And hear at large discoursed all our fortunes : And all that are assembled in this place, *The morning story is what Ægeon tells the Duke in the first scene of this play. VOL. II. My heavy burdens ne'er deliver❜d. The duke, my husband, and my children both, Go to a gossip's feast, and go with me; After so long grief, such nativity! Duke. With all my heart, I'll gossip at this feast. [Exeunt DUKE, ABBESS, ÆGEON, COURTEZAN, MERCHANT, ANGELO, and Attendants. Dro. S. Master, shall I fetch your stuff from shipboard? Ant. E. Dromio, what stuff of mine hast thou embark'd? Dro. S. Your goods, that lay at host, Sir, in the Centaur. Ant. S. 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 S. and E., ADR. and LUC. Dro. S. 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. Dro. E. Methinks you are my glass, and not my brother; I see by you I am a sweet-faced youth. Will you walk in to see their gossiping? Dro. S. Not I, Sir; you are my elder. Dro. E. That's a question: how shall we try it? Dro. S. We will draw cuts for the senior: till then, lead thou first. Dro. E. Nay, then thus: We came into the world, like brother and brother: And now let's go hand in hand, not one before another. [Exeunt. |