Ant. E. Justice, sweet prince, against that woman there. Duke. Discover how, and thou shalt find me just. upon me, While she with harlots feasted in my house. Duke. A grievous fault. Say, woman, didst thou Adr. No, my good lord ;—myself, he, and my sister, To-day did dine together. So befall So befall my soul, As this is false he burdens me withal ! 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; Neither disturbed with the effect of wine, Nor heady rash, provoked with raging ire, Albeit, my wrongs might make one wiser mad. This woman locked me out this day from dinner; That goldsmith there, were he not packed 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 perjured goldsmith swear me down, That I this day of him received the chain, Which, God he knows, I saw not; for the which, 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. Ву a He did arrest me with an officer. person with me to my house. way we met , Ang. My lord, in truth, thus far I witness with him, That he dined not at home, but was locked 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 Ant. E. I never came within these abbey walls, Duke. Why, what an intricate impeach is this ! I think you all have drunk of Circe's cup. If here you housed 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? Dro. E. Sir, he dined with her there, at the Por cupine. Cour. He did ; and from my finger snatched that 1 ring. Ant. E. 'Tis true, my liege, this ring I had of her. Duke. Saw'st thou him enter at the abbey here? Cour. 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. [Exit an Attendant. Æge. 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. Æge. Is not your name, sir, called Antipholus ? And is not that your bondman Dromio? Dro. E. Within this hour, I was his bondman, sir, But he, I thank him, gnawed in two my cords Now am I Dromio, and his man, unbound. Æge. 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 ? Æge. Why look you strange on me? You know me well. Ant. E. I never saw you in my life, till now. Æge. Oh! grief hath changed me, since you saw me last; And careful hours, with Time's deformed hand, 1 Confounded. See note on Macbeth, Act v. Sc. 1. 2 Have written strange defeatures in my face: ? Dromio, nor thou ? 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. Æge. Not know my voice! O, time's extremity! Hast thou so cracked and splitted my poor tongue, In seven short years, that here my only son Knows not my feeble key of untuned 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 lamp 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. Ant. E. I never saw my father in my life. . Æge. But seven years since, in Syracusa, boy, Thou know'st, we parted; but, perhaps, my son, Thou sham'st to acknowledge me in misery. 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. 1 Dromio delights in a quibble, and the word bound has before been the subject of his mirth. 2 Furrowed, lined. 1 Adr. I see two husbands, or mine eyes deceive me. Duke. One of these men is genius to the other ; Dro. S. I, sir, am Dromio; command him away. here? Æge. If I dream not, thou art Æmilia ;? Abb. By men of Epidamnum, he, and I, Duke. Why, here begins his morning story right.® Ant. S. No, sir, not I; I came from Syracuse. Duke. Stay, stand apart; I know not which is which. 1 In the old copy, this speech of Ægeon, and the subsequent one of the abbess, follow the speech of the duke. It is evident that they were transposed by mistake. 2 « The morning story” is what Ægeon tells the duke in the first scene of this play. |