go to dinner with you, do you remember? To him, I say. Men. Hold thy peace, Peniculus. Pen. Ha, hold my peace; looke ye he beckons on me to hold my peace. Men. I neither becken nor winke on him. 55 Mul. Out, out, what a wretched life this is that I live. 60 Men. Why what aile ye, woman? Mul. Are ye not ashamed to deny so confidently, that which is apparant? Men. I protest unto before all the Goddes (is not this inough) that I beckond not on him. Pen. O Sir, this is another matter: touch him in the 65 former cause. Men. What former cause? Pen. The cloake, man, the cloake: fetch the cloake againe from the Dyars. Men. What cloake? 70 Mul. Nay Ile say no more, sith ye know nothing of your owne doings. Men. Tell me wife, hath any of your servants abused you? Let me know. Mul. Tush, tush. 75 Men. I would not have you to be thus disquietted. Mul. Tush, tush. Men. You are fallen out with some of your friends. Mul. Tush, tush. Men. Sure I am, I have not offended you. 80 Mul. No, you have dealt verie honestly. Men. Indeed wife, I have deserved none of these words. Tell me, are ye not well? Pen. What, shall he flatter ye now? Men. I speak not to thee, knave. Good wife, come hither. Mul. Away, away; keep your hands off. 85 Pen. So, bid me to dinner with you againe, then slip away from me; when you have done, come forth bravely in your garland, to flout me. Alas you 90 knew not me even now. Men. Why asse, I neither have yet dined, nor came I there, since we were there together. Pen. Who ever heard one so impudent? Did yee not meete me here even now, and would make me 95 Men. Of a truth, since we went togither to the Sessions Pen. Go too, go too, I know ye well inough. Did ye think I would not cry quittance with you: yes faith: I have told your wife all. 100 Men. What hast thou told her? Pen. I cannot tell: ask her? Men. Tell me, wife, what hath he told ye of me? Tell me, I say; what was it? Mul. As though you knew not my cloake is stolne from me? Men. Is your cloake stolne from ye? Mul. Do ye aske me? Men. If I knew, I would not aske. Pen. O craftie companion! how he would shift the matter? Come, come, deny it not: I tell ye. I have bewrayed all. Men. What hast thou bewrayed? Mul. Seeing ye will yield to nothing, be it never so 105 IIO 115 manifest, heare mee, and ye shall know in fewe he hath told me. I say my cloake is stolne from 120 me. Men. My cloake is stolne from me? Pen. Looke how he cavils: she saith it is stolne from her. Men. I have nothing to say to thee; I say wife tell me. 125 Mul. I tell ye, my cloake is stolne out of my house. Men. Who stole it? Mul. He knowes best that carried it away. Men. Who was that? Mul. Menechmus. Men. 'Twas very ill done of him. What Menechmus was that? Mul. You. Men. I, who will say so? Mul. I will. 130 135 Pen. And I, that you gave it to Erotium. Men. I gave it? Mul. You. Pen. You, you, you shall we fetch a kennell of Beagles that may cry nothing but you, you, you. are wearie of it. For we 140 Men. Heare me one word, wife. I protest unto you by all the Gods, I gave it her not: indeed I lent it her to use a while. Mul. Faith Sir, I never give nor lend your apparell 145 out of doores. Methinkes ye might let mee dispose of mine owne garments as you do of yours. I pray Men. You shall have it againe without faile. Mul. 'Tis best for you that I have: otherwise thinke 150 not to roost within these doores againe. Pen. Hark ye, what say ye to me now, for bringing these matters to your knowledge? Mul. I say, when thou hast anie thing stolne from thee, come to me, and I will helpe thee to seek it. 155 And so farewell. Pen. God a mercy for nothing, that can never be, for I have nothing in the world worth the stealing. So now with husband, wife and all, I am cleane out of favour. A mischiefe on ye all. [Exit. 160 Men. My wife thinks she is notably reveng'd on me, now she shuttes me out of doores, as though I had not a better place to be welcome too. me out, I know who wil shut me in. If she shut Now will I entreate Erotium to let me have the cloake againe 165 to stop my wives mouth withal; and then will I provide a better for her. Ho, who is within there? Some bodie tell Erotium I must speake with her. Erot. Who calls? Enter EROTIUM. Men. Your friend more then his owne. 170 Erot. ○ Menechmus, why stand ye here? pray come in. Ero. Say your minde. Men. Wot ye what? my wife knowes all the matter now, and my comming is, to request you that I 175 Erot. Why I gave it you to carry to your Dyars; and 180 Men. Gave mee the cloake and your chaine? In truth I never sawe ye since I left it heere with you, and so went to the Sessions, from whence I am but now returned. Erot. Ah then, Sir, I see you wrought a device to 185 defraude mee of them both. Did I therefore put yee in trust? Well, well. Men. To defraude ye? No: but I say, my wife hath intelligence of the matter. Erot. Why, Sir, I asked them not; ye brought them me 190 Men. What so angry with mee, sweete Erotium? Staie, * Erot. Staie? Faith no Sir: thinke yee I will staie at 195 Men. What gone in chafing, and clapt to the doores? 200 now I am everie way shut out for a very benchwhistler neither shall I have entertainment heere nor at home. I were best go trie some other friends, and ask counsaile what to do. ACT 5. Enter MENECHMUS the Traveller, MULIER. Men. Most foolishly was I overseene in giving my where find. I feare he is fallen into some lewd |
