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Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd As if my brother liv'd: I partly think,

A due fincerity govern'd his deeds,

'Till he did look on me; fince it is so,

Let him not die: my brother had but justice,

In that he did the thing for which he dy'd :

For Angelo,

His act did not o'ertake his bad intent; And must be bury'd but as an intent,

For better times to come :- Friar, advise him

I leave him to your hand. What muffled fellow's

that?

Prov. This is another prifoner, that I fav'd, Who should have dy'd when Claudio loft his head; As like almost to Claudio, as himself.

Duke. If he be like your brother, for his fake
[To Ifab

Is he pardon'd; And, for your lovely fake,
Give me your hand, and fay you will be mine,
He is my brother too: But fitter time for that.
By this, lord Angelo perceives he's fafe;
Methinks I fee a quick'ning in his eye.-
Well, Angelo, your evil quits 2 you well:
Look, that you love your wife; her worth, worth

yours.

I find an apt remiffion in myself;

And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon;

You, firrah, that knew me for a fool, a coward,

That perifh'd by the way: thoughts are no subjects; One all of luxury, an afs, a madman;

Intents, but merely thoughts.

Mari. Merely, my lord.

Duke. Your fuit's unprofitable; stand up, I say.I have bethought me of another fault :Provost, how came it, Claudio was beheaded At an unusual hour ?

Prov. It was commanded fo.

Duke. Had you a fpecial warrant for the deed? Prov. No, my good lord; it was by private meffage.

Duke. For which I do discharge you of your office: Give up your keys.

Prov. Pardon me, noble lord:
I thought it was a fault, but knew it not;
Yet did repent me after more advice 1:
For teftimony whereof, one in the prifon,
That should by private order else have dy'd,
I have referv'd alive.

Duke. What's he?

Prov. His name is Barnardine.

Duke. I would, thou had'ft done fo by Claudio.Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him. [Exit Provofl.

Efcal. I am forry, one so learned and fo wife
As you, lord Angelo, have still appear'd,
Should flip fo grofly, both in the heat of blood,
And lack of temper'd judgment afterward.

Ang. I am forry that fuch forrow I procure :
And fo deep sticks it in my penitent heart,
That I crave death more willingly than mercy:
'Tis my deserving, and I do intreat it.
Re-enter Provost, Barnardine, Claudio, and Julietta.
Duke. Which is that Barnardine ?

Prov. This, my lord.

Wherein have I deferved so of you, That you extol me thus ?

[To Lucia,

Lucio. 'Faith, my lord, I spoke it but according to the trick 3: if you will hang me for it, you may, but I had rather it would please you, I might be whipp'd.

Duke. Whipp'd first, fir, and hang'd after.-
Proclaim it, provost, round about the city;
If any woman's wrong'd by this lewd fellow,
(As I have heard him fwear himself, there's one
Whom he begot with child) let her appear,
And he shall marry her: the nuptial finifh'd,
Let him be whipp'd and hang'd.

Lucio. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a whore! Your highness faid, even now, I made you a duke; good my lord, do not recompense me, in making me a cuckold.

Duke. Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her. Thy flanders I forgive; and therewithal Remit thy other forfeits 4:-Take him to prifon: And fee our pleasure herein executed.

Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is preffing to death, whipping, and hanging.

Duke. Sland'ring a prince deserves it.She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore, Joy to you, Mariana! love her, Angelo; I have confefs'd her, and I know her virtue.Thanks, good friend Efcalus, for thy much goodness; There's more behind, that is more gratulate 5.Thanks, provost, for thy care and fecrecy; We shall employ thee in a worthier place :Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home The head of Ragozine for Claudio's:

The offence pardons itself.-Dear Ifabel,

Duke. There was a friar told me of this man: - I have a motion much imports your good;

Sirrah, thou art faid to have a stubborn foul,

Whereto if you'll a willing ear incline,

That apprehends no further than this world,
And squar'it thy life accordingly: Thou'rt condemn'd;
But, for those earthly faults, I quit them all;

What's mine is yours, and what is yours is mine: So bring us to our palace; where we'll fhew

I pray thee, take this mercy to provide

know.

What's yet behind, that's meet you all should [Excunt

That is, confideration. 2 That is, requites. 3 That is, according to my custom. 4 Meaning, carnal offences. 5 That is, more to be rejoiced in.

COMEDY

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Enter the Duke of Epbefas, Ageon, Jailor, and other Attendants.

Ægean. P

I.

My woes end likewife with the evening fun.
Duke. Well, Syracufan, say, in brief, the caufe
Why thou departedit from thy native home;
And for what cause thou cam'ft to Ephefus.

ROCEED, Solinus, to procure my Than I

fall, And, by the doom of death, end woes and all. Dake. Merchant of Siracufa, plead no more;

Agion. A heavier task could not have been im-
to fpeak my griefs unspeakable :
[pos'd,
Yet, that the world may witness, that my end
Was wrought by nature, not by vile offence,
I'll utter what my forrow gives me leave.
In Syracufa was I born; and wed
Unto a woman, happy but for me,
And by me too, had not our hap been bad.
With her I liv'd in joy; our wealth increas'd,
By profperous voyages I often made
To Epidamnum, till my factor's death;
And he, great care of goods at random left,
Drew me from kind embracements of my spouse;
From whom my absence was not fix months old,
Before herself (almost at fainting, under
The pleafing punishment that women bear)
Had made provision for her following me,
And foon, and safe, arrived where I was.
There she had not been long, but she became
A joyful mother of two goodly fons;
And, which was strange, the one so like the other,
As could not be diftinguith'd but by names.
That very hour, and in the self-fame inn,
A poor mean woman was delivered
Of fuch a burden, male twins, both alike:
Thofe (for their parents were exceeding poor)
I bought, and brought up to attend my fons.
My wife, not meanly proud of two fuch boys,
Made daily motions for our home return:
H4

I am not partial, to infringe our lows:
The enmity and difcord, which of late
Sprung from the rancorous outrage of your duke
To merchants, our well-dealing countrymen,-
Who, wanting gilders to redeem their lives,
Have feal'd his rigorous statutes with their bloods,
Excludes all pity from our threat'ning looks.
For, fince the mortal and inteftine jars
'Twixt thy feditious countrymen and us,
It hath in folemn fynods been decreed,
Both by the Syracufans and ourselves,
To admit no traffick to our adverse towns:
Nay, more; If any, born at Ephefus,
Be feen at Syracufan marts and fairs,
Again, if any, Syracufan born,
Come to the bay of Ephesus, he dies,
His goods confifcate to the duke's dispose,
Unless a thousand marks be levied,
To quit the penalty, and to ransom him.
Thy fubstance, valu'd at the highest rate,
Cannot amount unto a hundred marks;
Therefore, by law thou art condemn'd to die..
Egeon. Yet this my comfort; when your words
are done,

Unwilling

Unwilling I agreed; alas, too soon.
We came aboard:

A league from Epidamnum had we fail'd,
Before the always-wind-obeying deep
Gave any tragic inftance of our harm:
But longer did we not retain much hope;
For what obfcured light the heavens did grant,
Did but convey unto our fearful minds
A doubtful warrant of immediate death;
Which though myself would gladly have embrac'd,
Yet the inceffant weepings of my wife,
Weeping before, for what the faw must come,
And piteous plainings of the pretty babes,
That mourn'd for fashion, ignorant what to fear,
Forc'd me to feek delays for them and me.
And this it was, for other means were none.-
The failors fought for fafety by our boat,
And left the ship, then finking-ripe, to us:
My wife, more careful for the latter-born,
Had faften'd him unto a small fpare maft,
Such as fea-faring men provide for storms;
To him one of the other twins was bound,
Whilst I had been like heedful of the other.
The children thus difpos'd, my wife and I,
Fixing our eyes on whom our care was fix'd,
Fasten'd ourselves at either end the maft;
And floating ftraight, obedient to the stream,
Were carry'd towards Corinth, as we thought.
At length the fun, gazing upon the earth,
Difpers'd those vapours that offended us;
And, by the benefit of his wifh'd light,
The feas wax'd calm, and we discovered
Two ships from far making amain to us,
Of Corinth that, of Epidaurus this:
But, ere they came, Oh, let me say no more!
Gather the fequel by that went before.

Duke. Nay, forward, old man, do not break off fo; For we may pity, though not pardon thee.

Ageon. Oh, had the gods done fo, I had not now Worthily term'd them merciless to us! For, ere the ships could meet by twice five leagues, We were encountred by a mighty rock; Which being violently borne upon, Our helpful ship was splitted in the midft, So that, in this unjust divorce of us, Fortune had left to both of us alike What to delight in, what to forrow for. Her part, poor foul! feeming as burdened With leffer weight, but not with leffer woe, Was carry'd with more speed before the wind; And in our fight they three were taken up By fishermen of Corinth, as we thought. At length, another ship had seiz'd on us; And, knowing whom it was their hap to save, Gave helpful welcome to their shipwreck'd guests; And would have reft the fither of their prey, Had not their bark been very flow of fail, [course. And therefore homeward did they bend their Thus have you heard me fever'd from my bliss; That by misfortunes was my life prolong'd, To tell fad stories of my own mishaps.

Duke. And, for the fakes of them thou forrowest for,

Do me the favour to dilate at full
What hath befall'n of them, and thee, till now.
Ægeon. My-youngest boy, and yet my eldest care,
At eighteen years became inquifitive
After his brother; and importun'd me,
That his attendant (for his cafe was like,
Reft of his brother, but retain'd his name,)
Might bear him company in the quest of him;
Whom whilft I labour'd of a love to fee,
I hazarded the loss of whom I lov'd.
Five fummers have I fpent in fartheft Greece,
Roaming clean through the bounds of Afia,
And, coafting homeward, came to Ephesus;
Hopeless to find, yet loth to leave unfought,
Or that, or any place that harbours men.
But here muft end the ftory of my life;
And happy were I in my timely death,
Could all my travels warrant me they live. [mark'd

Duke.. Hapless Ægeon, whom the fates have

To bear the extremity of dire mishap!
Now, trust me, were it not againft our laws,
Against my crown, my oath, my dignity,
Which princes, would they, may not difannul,
My foul should fue as advocate for thee,
But, though thou art adjudged to the death,
And pafsed sentence may not be recall'd,
But to our honour's great difparagement,
Yet will I favour thee in what I can:
Therefore, merchant, I'll limit thee this day,
To feek thy help by beneficial help:
Try all the friends thou haft in Ephefus;
Beg thou, or borrow, to make up the sum,
And live; if not, then thou art doom'd to die:-
Jailor, take him to thy cuftody. [Ex. Duke and train,
Jail. I will, my lord.
[wend 2,
Ageon. Hopeless, and helpless, doth Ægeon
But to procraftinate his liveless end.

[Exeunt Ageon and failor,

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Enter Antipholis of Syracuse, a Merchant, and Dromio.

Mer. Therefore give out, you are of Epidamnum,
Left that your goods too foon be confiscate.
This very day, a Syracufan merchant
Is apprehended for arrival here;

And, not being able to buy out his life,
According to the statute of the town,
Dies ere the weary fun fet in the weft.
There is your money, that I had to keep.

Ant. Go bear it to the Centaur, where we hoft, And stay there, Dromio, till I come to thee. Within this hour it will be dinner-time;

'Till that, I'll view the manners of the town,
Perufe the traders, gaze upon the buildings,
And then return, and fleep within mine inn;
For with long travel I am ftiff and weary,
Get thee away.

Dro. Many a man would take you at your word, And go indeed, having fo good a means.

[Exit Dromi

• Clean is ftill used in the North of England instead of quite, fully, completely. 2 That is, go.

Ant

Ant. A trufty villain, fir; that very oft,
When I am dull with care and melancholy,
Lightens my humour with his merry jefts.
What, will you walk with me about the town,
And then go to my inn, and dine with me?

Mer. I am invited, fir, to certain merchants,
Of whom I hope to make much benefit,
I crave your pardon. Soon, at five o'clock,
Please you, I'll meet with you upon the mart,
And afterwards confort you till bed-time;
My present business calls me from you now.

Ant. Farewell till then; I will go lose myself,
And wander up and down to view the city.
Mer. Sır, I commend you to your own content.
[Exit Merchant.
Ant. He that commends me to mine own content,
Commends me to the thing I cannot get.
I to the world am like a drop of water,
That in the ocean feeks another drop;
Who, falling there, to find his fellow forth,
Uafeen, inquifitive, confounds himselfs
So I, to find a mother, and a brother,
In quest of them, unhappy, lose myself,
Enter Dromio of Epbefus.
Here comes the almanack of my true date.
What now? How chance, thou art return'd fo foon?
E. Dro. Return'd fo foon! rather approach'd too
The capon burns, the pig falls from the spit; [late;
The clock has ftrucken twelve upon the bell,
My mittress made it one upon my cheek:
She is fo hot, because the meat is cold;
The meat is cold, because you come not home;
You come not home, because you have no ftomach;
You have no ftomach, having broke your faft;
But we, that know what 'tis to faft and pray,
Are penitent for your default to-day.

Ant. Stop in your wind, fir: tell me this, I pray;
Where have you left the money that I gave you?

E. Dro. Oh,-fix-pence, that i had o' Wednesday To pay the fadler for my mistress' crupper;- [lait, 1 he fadler had it, fir, I kept it not.

Ant. I am not in a fsportive humour now;
Tell me, and dally not, where's the money?
We being strangers here, how dar'st thou truft
So great a charge from thine own cuftody?

E. Dro. I pray you, jest, fir, as you fit at dinner:
I from my mistress come to you in poft;
If I return, I shall be poft indeed,

For the will score your fault upon my pate.

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Some of my mistress' marks upon my shoulders,
But not a thousand marks between you both.
If I should pay your worship those again,
Perchance, you will not bear them patiently,
Ant. Thy mistress' marks! what mistress, slave,
haft thou?
[Phoenix
E. Dro. Your worship's wife, my mistress at the
She that doth faft, till you come home to dinner,
And prays, that you will hie you home to dinner.
Ant. What, wilt thou flout me thus unto my
face,

Being forbid? There, take you that, fir knave.
E. Dro. What mean you, fir? for God's fake,
hold your hands;

Nay, an you will not, fir, I'll take my heels.
[Exit Dromio,

Ant. Upon my life, by fome device or other,
The villain is o'er-raught 2 of all my money.
They fay, this town is full of cozenage;
As, nimble jugglers, that deceive the eye;
Dark-working forcerers, that change the mind;
Soul-killing witches, that deform the body;
Difguifed cheaters, prating mountebanks,
And many fuch like liberties of fin:
If it prove fo, I will be gone the fooner.
I'll to the Centaur, to go feek this flave;
I greatly fear, my money is not fafe.

[Exit.

Adr.

SCENE

ACT

I.

The House of Antipholis of Ephefus.

N

II.

Sure, Luciana, it is two o'clock.

Luc. Perhaps, fome merchant hath invited him,
And from the mart he's fomewhere gone to dinner.

Enter Adriana and Luciana.
EITHER my husband, nor the slave A man is mafter of his liberty;

Good fifter, let us dine, and never fret:

return'd,

That in fuch haste I sent to seek his master !

Time is their master; and, when they fee time,

They'll go or come: If so, be patient, fifter.

That is, head.

That is, over-reached,

Adr.

Adr. Why should their liberty than ours be more?
Luc. Because their business still lies out o' door.
Adr. Look, when I ferve him fo, he takes it ill.
Luc. Oh, know he is the bridle of your will.
Adr. There's none, but asses, will be bridled fo.
Luc. Why head-ftrong liberty is lash'd with woe.

There's nothing, fituate under heaven's eye,
But hath his bound, in earth, in fea, in sky:
The beafts, the fithes, and the winged fowls,
Are their males' fubject, and at their controuls:
Men, more divine, the masters of all these,
Lords of the wide world, and wild watry feas,
Indu'd with intellectual fenfe and fouls,
Of more pre-eminence than fish and fowls,
Are mafters to their females, and their lords:
Then let your will attend on their accords.

Adr. This fervitude makes you to keep unwed.
Luc. Not this, but troubles of the marriage-bed.
Adr. But, were you wedded, you would bear
fome fway.

Luc. Ere I learn love, I'll practise to obey.

Adr. How if your husband ftart fome other where?

Luc. Till he come home, again, I would forbear. Adr. Patience, unmov'd, no marvel though the paufe;

They can be meek, that have no other caufe.
A wretched foul, bruis'd with adverfity,
We bid be quiet, when we hear it cry;

But were we burden'd with like weight of pain,
As much, or more, we should ourselves complain:
So thou, that haft no unkind mate to grieve thee,
With urging helplefs patience would'it relieve me:
But, if thou live to fee like right bereft,
This fool-begg'd patience in thee will be left.

Luc. Well, I will marry one day, but to try; Here comes your man, now is your husband nigh.

Enter Dromio of Ephesus.

Adr. Say, is your tardy master now at hand? E. Dro. Nay, he is at two hands with me, and that my two ears can witness.

Adr. Say, didft thou speak with him? know'ist thou his mind?

E. Dro. Ay, ay, he told his mind upon mine ear: Beshrew his hand, I scarce could understand it. Luc. Spake he so doubtfully, thou couldst not feel his meaning?

E. Dro. Nay, he struck so plainly, I could too well feel his blows; and withal so doubtfully, that I could scarce underitand them 2.

Adr. But fay, I prythee, is he coming home? It feems, he hath great care to please his wife. E. Dro. Why, mistress, fure my master is hornAdr. Horn-mad, thou villain?

[mad.

E. Dro. I mean not cuckold-mad; but, fure,

he's stark mad :

When I defir'd him to come home to dinner, He aik'd me for a thoufand marks in gold:

'Tis dinner-time, quoth I: My gold, quoth he:
Your meat doth burn, quoth I; My gold, quoth he:
Will you come? quoth I; My gold, quoth he:
W'here is the thousand marks I gave thee, villain?
The pig, quoth I, is burn'd; My gold, quoth he:
My mistress, fir, quoth I; Hang up thy mistress;
I know not thy mistress; out on thy mistress!

Luc. Quoth who?

E. Dro. Quoth my mafter:

I know, quoth he, no boufe, no wife, no mistress;-
So that my errand due unto my tongue,
I thank him, I bare home upon my shoulders;
For, in conclufion, he did beat me there. [home.
Adr. Go back again, thou flave, and fetch him
E. Dro. Go back again, and be new beaten home!
For God's fake, send some other messenger.

Adr. Back, flave, or I will break thy pate acrofs. E. Dro. And he will bless that cross with other beating:

Between you I shall have a holy head.
[home.
Adr. Hence, prating peafant; fetch thy master
E. Dro. Am I fo round with you, as you with me,
That like a foot-ball you do spurn me thus?
You spurn me hence, and he will spurn me hither:
If I laft in this service, you muft cafe me in leather.

[Exit.

Luc. Fye, how impatience lowreth in your face! Adr. His company must do his minions grace, Whilft I at home starve for a merry look. Hath homely age the alluring beauty took From my poor cheek? then, he hath wafted it; Are my difcourses dull? barren my wit? If voluble and sharp difcourse be marr'd, Unkindness blunts it, more than marble hard. Do their gay vestments his affections bait? That's not my fault, he's master of my state : What ruins are in me, that can be found By him not ruin'd? then is he the ground Of my defeatures 4: My decayed fair A funny look of his would foon repair: But, too unruly deer, he breaks the pale, And feeds from home; poor I am but his ftale 5.

Luc. Self-harming jealousy !-fye, beat it hence.
Adr. Unfeeling fools can with fuch wrongs dif-
I know his eye doth homage other-where; [penfe.
Or else, what lets it but he would be here?
Sifter, you know, he promis'd me a chain;-
Would that alone, alone he would detain,
So he would keep fair quarter with his bed!
I fee, the jewel, best enamelled,

Will lose his beauty; and the gold 'bides ftill,
That others touch; yet often touching will
Wear gold: and fo no man, that hath a name,
But falfhood and corruption doth it shame 6.
Since that my beauty cannot please his eye,
I'll weep what's left away, and weeping die.
Luc. How many fond fools ferve mad jealoufy! S
[Excunt

}

I Meaning, some other place. 2 Meaning, stand under them. 3 That is, plain, free in speech, 4 Meaning. my change, or alteration of features. 5 That is, his pretence, his cover. See a preceding note in the Tempel. 6 The fenfe 18, Gold, indeed, will long bear the handling; however, often touching will wear even gold; just so the greatest character, though as pure as gold itself, may, in time, be injured by the repeated attacks of falfhood and corruption.

SCENE

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