Poison more deadly than a mad dog's tooth. Unquiet meals make ill digestions, Thereof the raging fire of fever bred; And what's a fever but a fit of madness? (Kinsman to grim and comfortless despair;) Abb. No, not a creature enters in my house. Abb. Neither; he took this place for sanctuary, And it shall privilege him from your hands, Till I have brought him to his wits again, Or lose my labour in assaying it. Adr. I will attend my husband, be his nurse, Diet his sickness, for it is my office, And will have no attorney but myself; And therefore let me have him home with me. Abb. Be patient; for I will not let him stir, Till I have used the approved means I have, With wholesome syrups, drugs, and holy prayers, To make of him a formal man again: It is a branch and parcel 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, To separate the husband and the wife. Abb. Be quiet, and depart, thou shalt not have him. [Exit Abbess. Luc. Complain unto the Duke of this indignity. Adr. Come, go; I will fall prostrate at his feet, And never rise until my tears and prayers Have won his grace to come in person hither, And take perforce my husband from the Abbess. Mer. By this, I think, the dial points at five; Anon, I am 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. Ang. Upon what cause? 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. Enter Duke attended; Aegeon bare-headed; with the Headsman and other Officers, Duke. Yet once again proclaim it publickly, If any friend will pay the sum for him, He shall not die, so much we tender him. 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, By rushing in their houses, bearing thence He broke from those that had the guard of him; Duke. Long since, thy husband serv'd me in my wars; And I to thee engag'd a Prince's word, When thou didst make him master of thy bed, To do him all the grace and good I could. Enter a Servant. Serv. O Mistress, Mistress, shift and save your self! 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: 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. He cries for you, and vows, if he can take you, To scorch your face, and to disfigure you: [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, That he is borne about invisible: Even now we hous'd him in the abbey here; And now he's there, past thought of human rea son. 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, 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 dis day hath shameless thrown on me. just. Ant. E. This day, great Duke, she shut the doors upon me, While she with harlots feasted in my house. Duke. A grievous fault: Say, woman, did'st thou 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, But she tells to your Highness simple truth! Ang. O perjurd woman! They are both for Sworn. In this the madman justly chargeth them. Ant. E. My Liege, I am advised what I say; |