OFF. Due for a chain your husband had of him.
ADR. He did bespeak a chain for me, but had it not.
COUR. Whenas 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.

140

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 omnes, as fast as may be, frighted.

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 stuff1 from

thence:

149

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 IV
Sc. IV

ACT V

SCENE I. A Street before a Priory.

Enter Second 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.

1 movables.

ACT V

Sc. I

SEC. 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.

SEC. 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 with 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.

SEC. MER. Yes; that you did, Sir; and forswore it too.
ANT. S. Who heard me to deny it, or forswear it?

ΤΟ

20

SEC. MER. These ears of mine, thou know'st, did hear thee:
Fie on thee, wretch! 'tis pity that thou liv'st
To walk where any honest men resort.

ANT. S. Thou art a villain to impeach me thus:
I'll prove mine honour and mine honesty
Against thee presently, if thou dar'st stand.
SEC. MER. I dare, and do defy thee for a villain.

30

[They draw.

Enter ADRIANA, LUCIANA, the Courtezan, and others. ADR. Hold, hurt him not, for God's sake! he is mad! 7!

Some get within1 him! take his sword away

Bind Dromio too, and bear them to my house.

DRO. S. Run, Master, run! for God's sake take a house!

This is some Priory-in, or we are spoil'd.

[Exeunt ANT. S. and DRO. S. to the Priory.

1 at close quarters with.

Enter the Lady Abbess.

ABB. Be quiet, people. Wherefore throng you hither?
ADR. To fetch my poor distracted husband hence!

Let us come in that we may bind him fast,
And bear him home for his recovery.

ANG. I knew he was not in his perfect wits.

SEC. MER. I am sorry now that I did draw on him.
ABB. How long hath this possession held the man?
ADR. This week he hath been heavy, sour, sad,
And much different from the man he was;

But till this afternoon his passion

Ne'er brake into extremity of rage.

ABB. Hath he not lost much wealth by wrack of sea?
Buried some dear friend? Hath not else his eye
Stray'd his affection in unlawful love?

A sin prevailing much in youthful men,
Who give their eyes the liberty of gazing!
Which of these sorrows is he subject to?
ADR. To none of these, except it be the last:

Namely, some love that drew him oft from home. ABB. You should for that have reprehended him. ADR. Why, so I did.

Авв.

Ay, but not rough enough.

ADR. As roughly as my modesty would let me.

ABB. Haply in private.

ADR.

ABB. Ay, but not enough.

40

50

ADR. It was the copy1 of our conference:2

In bed he slept not for my urging it;
At board he fed not for my urging it;
Alone, it was the subject of my theme;
In company, I often glanced it;

Still did I tell him it was vile and bad.

ABB. And therefore came it that the man was mad :
The venom clamours of a jealous woman
Poisons more deadly than a mad dog's tooth.
It seems his sleeps were hinder'd by thy railing:
And therefore comes it that his head is light.
Thou say'st his meat was sauc'd with thy upbraidings:

70

ACT V

Sc. I

ACT V

Sc. I

Unquiet meals make ill digestions;

Thereof the raging fire of fever bred;

And what's a fever but a fit of madness?

Thou say'st his sports were hinder'd by thy brawls:
Sweet recreation barr'd, what doth ensue

But moody and dull Melancholy,
Kinsman to grim and comfortless Despair;
And at their heels a huge infectious troop
Of pale Distemperatures and foes to life?
In food, in sport, and life-preserving rest
To be disturb'd would mad or man or beast;
The consequence is, then, thy jealous fits
Have scar'd thy husband from the use of wits.
Luc. She never reprehended him but mildly,

When he demean'd himself rough, rude, and wildly.

80

[to ADR.] Why bear you these rebukes, and answer not?

ADR. She did betray me to my own reproof.

Good people, enter, and lay hold on him!
ABB. No; not a creature enters in my house.

ADR. Then let your servants bring my husband forth.
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 attorney1 but myself;
And therefore let me have him home with me.

ABB. Be patient; for I will not let him stir
Till I have us'd 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;

90

100

IIO

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.
SEC. 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 sorry1 execution
Behind the ditches of the Abbey here.

ANG. Upon what cause?

SEC. MER. To see a reverend Syracusian merchant,
Who put unluckily into this Bay

Against the laws and statutes of this Town,

Beheaded publicly for his offence.

ANG. See, where they come: we will behold his death.
Luc. Kneel to the Duke, before he pass the Abbey.

120

Enter DUKE attended; ÆGEON, the Merchant of Syracuse, bare-headed; with the Headsman and other Officers.

DUKE. Yet once again proclaim it publicly :

If any friend will pay the sum for him,
He shall not die-so much we tender2 him.
ADR. Justice, most sacred Duke, against the Abbess!
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,

At your important letters-this ill day
A most outrageous fit of madness took him;
That desp❜rately he hurried through the street
(With him his bondman all as mad as he)
Doing displeasure to the citizens

By rushing in their houses, bearing thence
Rings, jewels, any thing his rage did like.
Once did I get him bound, and sent him home,

130

140

ACT V

Sc. I