Or that or any place that harbours men.
But here must end the story of my life;
And happy were I in my timely death,
Could all my travels warrant me they live.

Duke. Hapless Egeon, whom the fates have marked
To bear the extremity of dire mishap!

Now, trust me, were it not against our laws,
Against my crown, my oath, my dignity,
Which princes, would they,2 may not disannul,
My soul should sue as advocate for thee.
But, though thou art adjudged to the death.
And passed sentence may not be recalled
But to our honour's great disparagement;
Yet will I favour thee in what I can :
Therefore, merchant, I'll limit thee this day,
To seek thy hope3 by beneficial help;
Try all the friends thou hast in Ephesus;
Beg thou, or borrow, to make up the sum,
And live; if no, then thou art doomed to die:
Gaoler, take him to thy custody.

Gaol.

I will, my lord.

Ege. Hopeless and helpless doth Ægeon wend, But to procrastinate his liveless end.

SCENE II. -A Public Place.

[Exeunt.

Enter ANTIPHOLUS and DROMIO of Syracuse, and a Merchant.

Mer. Therefore, give out you are of Epidamnum, Lest that your goods too soon be confiscate.

1 Or] Either.

2 Would they] If they would.

3 Hope] In the first folio, help. But the first line of Egeon's next speech indicates, as Staunton argues, that hope must have been here intended,

This

very day a Syracusan 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 sun set in the west.
There is your money that I had to keep.

Ant. S. Go bear it to the Centaur, where we host,
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,
Peruse the traders, gaze upon the buildings,
And then return, and sleep within mine inn;
For with long travel I am stiff and weary.

Get thee away.1

Dro. S. Many a man would take you at your word,2 And go indeed, having so good a mear.3 [Exit DRO. S.

4

3

Ant. S. A trusty villain, sir; that very oft,

When I am dull with care and melancholy,
Lightens my humour with his merry jests.
What, will
you walk with me about the town,
And then go to my inn, and dine with me?

Mer. I am invited, sir, to certain merchants,
Of whom I hope to make much benefit;

I crave your pardon. Soon at five o'clock,"

1 Get thee away] Thee is here used for thou, as in the phrases haste thee, hie thee, fare-thee-well.

2 Would take you at your word] This is in jesting reference to the words 'Get thee away.'

3 So good a mean] Dromio refers to the money which he bears. 4 Villain] Servant.

5 Soon at five o'clock] That is, about five o'clock. So in the Merry Wives, i. 4, 'We'll have a posset for't soon at night;' and in King Richard III., iv. 3, ' Come to me, Tyrrel, soon at after-supper;' that is, about the time of the after-supper, which was a kind of dessert.

Please you, I'll meet with you upon the mart,
And afterward consort you till bed-time :
My present business calls me from you now.
Ant. S. Farewell till then; I will go lose myself,
And wander up and down to view the city.

Mer. S. Sir, I commend you to your own content. Exit MERCHANT. Ant. S. 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 seeks another drop; Who, falling there to find his fellow forth, Unseen inquisitive! confounds himself: So I, to find a mother and a brother, In quest of them, unhappy, lose myself.

Enter DROMIO of Ephesus.

Here comes the almanack of my true date.1

What now? how chance 2 thou art returned so soon?

Dro. E. Returned so soon! rather approached too late.

The capon burns, the pig falls from the spit;
The clock hath strucken twelve upon the bell;
My mistress made it one upon my cheek:
She is so hot, because the meat is cold;
The meat is cold, because you come not home;
You come not home, because you have no stomach;
You have no stomach, having broke your fast;

1 The almanack, &c.] Antipholus refers to the coincidence of his

birth-hour with that of Dromio.

2 How chance] How chances it. A common expression in the old writers. So in the Merry Wives, v. 5, 'How chance you went not with Master Slender?' And in Milton's Comus, 508, How chance she is not in your company?'

But we, that know what 't is to fast and pray,
Are penitent1 for your default to-day.

Ant. S. Stop in 2 your wind, sir: tell me this, I pray,Where have you left the money that I gave you? Dro. E. O sixpence, that I had o' Wednesday last, pay the saddler for my mistress' crupper,―

To

The saddler had it, sir; I kept it not.

?

Ant. S. I am not in a sportive humour now :
Tell me, and dally not, where is the money
We being strangers here, how darest thou trust
So great a charge from thine own custody?

Dro. E. I pray you, jest, sir, as you sit at dinner:
I from my mistress come to you in post;

If I return, I shall be post indeed,3

For she will score your fault upon my pate.

Methinks your maw, like mine, should be your clock,

And strike home without a messenger.

you

Ant. S. Come, Dromio, come, these jests are out of

season;

Reserve them till a merrier hour than this.

Where is the gold I gave in charge to thee?

Dro. E. To me, sir? Why, you gave no gold to me.

Ant. S. Come on, sir knave; have done your foolish

ness,

And tell me how thou hast disposed thy charge.

Dro. E. My charge was but to fetch you from the mart, Home to your house, the Phoenix, sir, to dinner;

My mistress and her sister stay for you.

Ant. S. Now, as I am a Christian, answer me

1 Penitent] In penance.

2 Stop in] Keep in; restrain.

3 I shall be post indeed] This alludes to the practice of chalking up tavern scores on a post.

In what safe place you have bestowed1 my money;
Or I shall break that merry sconce of yours,

That stands on tricks when I am indisposed:
Where is the thousand marks thou hadst of me?

Dro. E. I have some marks of yours upon my pate;
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. S. Thy mistress' marks? What mistress, slave, hast thou?.

Dro. E. Your worship's wife, my mistress, at the Phoenix;

She that doth fast2 till you come home to dinner,

And prays that you will hie you home to dinner.

Ant. S. What! wilt thou flout me thus unto my face, Being forbid? There, take you that, sir knave.

Dro. E. What mean you, sir? for God's sake, hold your hands;

Nay, an you will not, sir,

I'll take my heels.

[Exit DRO. E.

Ant. S. Upon my life, by some device or other, The villain is o'erraught3 of all my money.

They say this town is full of cozenage;

eye,

As nimble jugglers, that deceive the
Dark-working sorcerers, that change the mind,
Soul-killing witches, that deform the body,

1 Bestowed] Disposed of; placed. A frequent meaning of the word in Shakspeare. See the Editor's Two Gentlemen of Verona, p. 50.

2 Doth fast, &c.] There is word-play here, pointing at the religious observance of fasting and prayer.

3

O'erraught] Overreached; cozened.

As] Such as; namely.