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He rush'd into my house, and took perforce
My ring away: this course I fittest choose,
For forty ducats is too much to lose.

SCENE IV.-The same.

Enter ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS and an Officer.

Ant. E. Fear me not, man; I will not break away:
I'll give thee, ere I leave thee, so much money
To warrant thee, as I am 'rested for.
My wife is in a wayward mood to-day;
And will not lightly trust the messenger
That I should be attach'd in Ephesus:
I tell you, 'twill sound harshly in her ears.

Enter DROMIO OF EPHESUS, with a rope's end.

[Exit.

Here comes my man: I think he brings the money.
How now, sir! have you that I sent you for?
Dro. E. Here's that, I warrant you, will pay them all.
Ant. E. But where's the money?

Dro. E. Why, sir, I gave the money for the rope.
Ant. E. Five hundred ducats, villain, for a rope?
Dro. E. I'll serve you, sir, five hundred at the rate.
Ant. E. To what end did I bid thee hie thee home?
Dro. E. To a rope's end, sir; and to that end am I

return'd.

Ant. E. And to that end, sir, I will welcome you.

Off. Good sir, be patient.

[Beating him.

Dro. E. Nay, 'tis for me to be patient; I am in adversity.
Off. Good now, hold thy tongue.

Dro. E. Nay, rather persuade him to hold his hands.
Ant. E. Thou whoreson senseless villain!

Dro. E. I would I were senseless, sir, that I might not feel your blows.

Ant. E. Thou art sensible in nothing but blows, and so is

an ass.

Dro. E. I am an ass indeed: you may prove it by my long ears. I have served him from the hour of my nativity to this instant, and have nothing at his hands for my service but blows: when I am cold he heats me with beating; when I am warm he cools me with beating. I am waked with it when I sleep; raised with it when I sit; driven out of doors with it when I go from home; welcomed home with it when I return: nay, I bear it on my shoulders

as a beggar wont her brat; and I think, when he hath lamed me, I shall beg with it from door to door.

Ant. E. Come, go along; my wife is coming yonder.

Enter ADRIANA, LUCIANA, and the Courtezan, with
PINCH, and others.

Dro. E. Mistress, respice finem, respect your end; or
rather the prophecy, like the parrot, Beware the rope's end.
Ant. E. Wilt thou still talk?
[Beats him.
Cour. How say you now? is not your husband mad?
Adr. His incivility confirms no less.—
Good Doctor Pinch, you are a conjurer;
Establish him in his true sense again,

And I will please you what you will demand.
Luc. Alas, how fiery and how sharp he looks!
Cour. Mark how he trembles in his ecstacy!

Pinch. Give me your hand, and let me feel your pulse. Ant. E. There is my hand, and let it feel your ear. Pinch. I charge thee, Satan, hous'd within this man, To yield possession to my holy prayers,

And to thy state of darkness hie thee straight:

I conjure thee by all the saints in heaven.

Ant. E. Peace, doting wizard, peace; I am not mad.
Adr. O that thou wert not, poor distressed soul!

Ant. E. You minion, you, are these your customers?
Did this companion with the saffron face

Revel and feast it at my house to-day,

Whilst upon me the guilty doors were shut,

And I denied to enter in my house?

Adr. O husband, God doth know you din'd at home, Where would you had remain'd until this time,

Free from these slanders and this open shame!

Ant. E. I din'd at home! Thou villain, what say'st thou?

Dro. E. Sir, sooth to say, you did not dine at home.
Ant. E. Were not my doors lock'd up and I shut out?
Dro. E. Perdy, your doors were lock'd and you shut out.
Ant. E. And did not she herself revile me there?
Dro. E. Sans fable, she herself revil'd you there.

Ant. E. Did not her kitchen-maid rail, taunt, and scorn

me?

Dro. E. Certes, she did: the kitchen-vestal scorn'd you. Ant. E. And did not I in rage depart from thence? Dro. E. In verity, you did;-my bones bear witness, That since have felt the vigour of his rage.

Adr. Is't good to soothe him in these contraries?

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Pinch. It is no shame: the fellow finds his vein, And, yielding to him, humours well his frenzy.

Ant. E. Thou hast suborn'd the goldsmith to arrest me. Adr. Alas! I sent you money to redeem you,

By Dromio here, who came in haste for it.

Dro. E. Money by me! heart and good-will you might, But surely, master, not a rag of money.

Ant. E. Went'st not thou to her for a purse of ducats? Adr. He came to me, and I deliver'd it.

Luc. And I am witness with her that she did.

Dro. E. God and the rope-maker, bear me witness That I was sent for nothing but a rope!

Pinch. Mistress, both man and master is possess'd;

I know it by their pale and deadly looks:

They must be bound, and laid in some dark room.

[day?

Ant. E. Say, wherefore didst thou lock me forth toAnd why dost thou deny the bag of gold? Adr. I did not, gentle husband, lock thee forth. Dro. E. And, gentle master, I receiv'd no gold;

But I confess, sir, that we were lock'd out.

Adr. Dissembling villain, thou speak'st false in both.
Ant. E. Dissembling harlot, thou art false in all;

And art confederate with a damned pack,

To make a loathsome abject scorn of me:

But with these nails I'll pluck out these false eyes,
That would behold me in this shameful sport.

[PINCH and Assistants bind ANT. E. and DRO. E. Adr. O, bind him, bind him; let him not come near me. Pinch. More company; the fiend is strong within him. Luc. Ah me, poor man! how pale and wan he looks! Ant. E. What, will you murder me? Thou gaoler, thou, I am thy prisoner: wilt thou suffer them

To make a rescue?

Off.
Masters, let him go:
He is my prisoner, and you shall not have him.
Pinch. Go, bind this man, for he is frantic too.
Adr. What wilt thou do, thou peevish officer?
Hast thou delight to see a wretched man

Do outrage and displeasure to himself?

Off. He is my prisoner: if I let him go,

The debt he owes will be requir'd of me.

it.

Adr. I will discharge thee ere I go from thee:
Bear me forthwith unto his creditor,
And, knowing how the debt grows, I will
Good master doctor, see him safe convey'd
Home to my house.-O most unhappy day!

pay

Ant. E. O most unhappy strumpet!

Dro. E. Master, I am here enter'd in bond for you. Ant. E. Out on thee, villain! wherefore dost thou mad Dro. E. Will you be bound for nothing? be mad, Good master; cry, the devil.

[me?

Luc. God help, poor souls, how idly do they talk ! Adr. Go bear him hence.-Sister, go you with me.— [Exeunt PINCH and Assistants, with ANT. E. and DRO. E.

Say now, whose suit is he arrested at?

Off. One Angelo, a goldsmith: do you know him?
Adr. I know the man: what is the sum he owes?
Off. Two hundred ducats.

Adr.

Say, how grows it due?

Off. Due for a chain your husband had of him.
Adr. He did bespeak a chain for me, but had it not.
Cour. When as your husband, all in rage, to-day
Came to my house, and took away my ring,-

The ring I saw upon his finger now,

Straight after did I meet him with a chain.

Adr. It may be so, but I did never see it:

Come, gaoler, bring me where the goldsmith is
I long to know the truth hereof at large.

Enter ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE, with his rapier drawn, and DROMIO OF SYRACUSE.

Luc. God, for thy mercy! they are loose again. Adr. And come with naked swords: let's call more help, To have them bound again.

Off.

Away, they'll kill us.

[Exeunt Off., ADR., and Luc.

Ant. S. I see these witches are afraid of swords. Dro. S. She that would be your wife now ran from you. Ant. S. Come to the Centaur; fetch our stuff from thence: I long that we were safe and sound aboard.

Dro. S. Faith, stay here this night; they will surely do us no harm: you saw they speak us fair, give us gold: methinks, they are such a gentle nation, that but for the mountain of mad flesh that claims marriage of me, I could find in my heart to stay here still and turn witch.

Ant. S. I will not stay to-night for all the town: Therefore away to get our stuff aboard.

[Exeunt.

ACT V.

SCENE I.-The same.

Enter Merchant and ANGELO.

Ang. I am sorry, sir, that I have hinder'd you; But I protest he had the chain of me,

Though most dishonestly he doth deny it.

Mer. How is the man esteem'd here in the city?
Ang. Of very reverend reputation, sir;
Of credit infinite, highly belov'd,

Second to none that lives here in the city:
His word might bear my wealth at any time.
Mer. Speak softly: yonder, as I think, he walks.

Enter ANTIPHOLUS and DROMIO OF SYRACUSE.
Ang. "Tis so; and that self chain about his neck
Which he forswore most monstrously to have.
Good sir, draw near to me, I'll speak to him.-
Signior Antipholus, I wonder much

That you would put me to this shame and trouble;
And not without some scandal to yourself,
With circumstance and oaths so to deny
This chain, which now you wear so openly:
Besides the charge, the shame, imprisonment,
You have done wrong to this my honest friend;
Who, but for staying on our controversy,
Had hoisted sail and put to sea to-day:
This chain you had of me; can you deny it?
Ant. S. I think I had: I never did deny it.

Mer. Yes, that you did, sir; and forswore it too.

Ant. S. Who heard me to deny it or forswear it?

Mer. These ears of mine, thou knowest, did hear thee.

Fie on thee, wretch! 'tis pity that thou liv'st

To walk where any honest men resort.

I'll

Ant. S. Thou art a villain to impeach me thus: prove mine honour and mine honesty

Against thee presently, if thou dar'st stand.

Mer. I dare and do defy thee for a villain. [They draw.

Enter ADRIANA, LUCIANA, Courtezan, and others.

Adr. Hold, hurt him not, for God's sake; he is mad:

Some get within him, take his sword away:

Bind Dromio too, and bear them to my house.

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