Ant. of Eph.
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 will sound harshly in her ears.
Here comes my man; I think he brings the money,

Enter Dromio of Ephesus with a Rope.

Ant. of Eph.
How now, sir, have you that I sent you for?

Dr. of Eph.
Here's that, I'll warrant you, will pay them all.

Ant. of Eph.
But, where's the money?

Dr. of Eph.
Why, sir, I gave the money for the rope.

Ant. of Eph.
Five hundred ducats, villain, for a rope?

Dr. of Eph.
I'll serve you, sir, five thousand at that rate.

Ant. of Eph.
To what end did I bid thee hie thee hence?

Dr. of Eph.
To a rope's end, sir; and to that end am I return'd.

Ant. of Eph.
And to that end, sir, will I welcome you. [Beats him.

Off.
Good sir, be patient.

Dr. of Eph.
Nay, 'tis for me to be patient; I am in adversity.

Off.
Good now, hold thy tongue.

Dr. of Eph.
Nay, rather persuade him to hold his hands.

Ant. of Eph.

Thou stupid senseless villain!

Dr. of Eph.

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

Ant. of Eph.

Thou art sensible in nothing, but blows, and so is an ass.

Dr. of Eph.

I am an ass, indeed; you may prove it by my endurance. I have serv'd him from the hour of my nativity to this instant, and have had 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 wak'd with it, when I sleep; rais'd with it, when I sit; driven out of doors with it, when I go abroad; welcom'd home with it when I return; nay, I bear it on my shoulders, as a beggar does her brat: and, I think, when he hath lamed me, I shall beg with it from door to door.

Ant. of Eph.

Well, we'll along.—My wife is coming yonder.

Dr. of Eph.

Mistress, respice finem, respect your end:—or rather, the prophecy, like the parrot, beware of the rope's end.

Ant. of Eph.
Wilt thou still prate? art thou not quieted?
Then take thou that, and that. [Beats him.

Off.
Good sir, be patient.

Les.
How say you now? Is not your husband mad?

Adr.
His incivility confirms no less.
Good Doctor Pinch, you are a skilful man;
Establish him in his true sense again,
And I will pay you what I have i' the world.

Luc.
Alas! how fiery and fierce he looks!

Les.
Mark, how he trembles in his ecstacy!

Pinch.
Give me your hand, and let me feel your pulse.

Ant. of Eph.
There is my hand, and let it feel your ear. [Strikes him.

Pinch.
I charge thee, devil, hous'd within this man,
Civilly yield possession of my patient:
Or I shall play the devil with thee strait.

Ant. of Eph.
Peace, doting wizard, Peace! I am not mad.

Adr.
Oh, that thou wert not, poor distracted soul!

Ant. of Eph.
You minion you, are these your customers?
Did this companion, with the saffron face,
Revel and feast it at my board to-day,
While upon me the guilty doors were shut,
And I denied to enter in my house?

Adr.
O, husband, heaven 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. of Eph.
I din'd at home!—Thou villain, what say'st thou?

Dr. of Eph.
Sir, sooth to say, you did not dine at home.

Ant. of Eph.
Were not my doors lock'd up, and I shut out?

Dr. of Eph.
In sooth, your doors were lock'd, and you shut out.

Ant. of Eph.
And did not she herself revile me there?

Dr. of Eph.
Sans fable, she herself revil'd you there.

Ant. of Eph.
And did not I, in rage depart from thence?

Dr. of Eph.
In verity you did: my bones bear witness,
That since have felt the vigour of your rage.

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

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

Ant. of Eph.
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.

Dr. of Eph.
Money by me!—Love and goodwill you might;
But surely, master, not a doit of money.

Ant. of Eph.
Went'st thou not to her for a purse of ducats?

Adr.
He came to me, and I delivered it.

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

Dr. of Eph.
Heaven, and the rope-maker, can bear me witness
That I was sent for nothing but a rope.

Ant. of Eph.
Liar! slave;—but thou (Turning to Adriana)

Say, wherefore did'st thou lock me forth to-day?
And why dost thou deny the bag of gold?

Adr.
I did not, gentle husband, lock thee forth.

Dr. of Eph.
And gentle master, I received no gold:
But I can swear, sir, that we were lock'd out.

Adr.
Dissembling villain, thou speak'st false in both.

Ant. of Eph.
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 those false eyes
That would behold me in this shameful sort.

Adr.
O! hold him, hold him, let him not come near me. [Servants seize him.]

Pinch.
More company!—the fiend is strong within him.

Ant. of Eph.
What, will you murder me?—Thou officer,
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 seize that man, for he is frantic too.

Dr. of Eph. (Rubbing his hands with joy.)
Good seize the gaoler! the shoulder slapper.

Pinch.
And him! (Pointing to Dromio.)
Seize on that varlet—they are all possess'd,
And must be bound and laid in some dark room.

Dr. of Eph.
I! I bound in a dark room.

Off. (To Doctor's servants.)
Stand off—he is my prisoner; if I let him go,
The debt he owes will be required of me.

Adr.
What wilt thou do thou peevish officer?
Good master doctor see him safe convey'd
Home to thy house.—O most unhappy day!

Ant. of Eph.
Oh! most unhappy wanton!

Dr. of Eph.
Oh! most unhappy Dromio!

Pinch.
Away—bear them all to my strong room. [Exeunt Servants, forcing off Antipholis of Ephesus and Dromio of Ephesus, followed by Dr. Pinch.

Adr.
I will discharge thee;— (to officer)
Lead me forthwith unto his creditor.
But say, whose suit is he arrested at?

Off.
One Angelo, a goldsmith.

Adr.
I know the man. What is the sum he owes?

Off.
Two hundred ducats.
Due for a bracelet which your husband had.

Adr.
He did bespeak 't for me, but had it not.

Les.
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,—
Strait after did I meet him with the bracelet.

Adr.
It may be so; but I did never see it.
Officer, bring me where the goldsmith is;
I long to know the truth hereof at large. [Noise without.

Luc.
Heaven, for thy mercy! they are loose again!

Adr.
And come with naked swords.
Let's call more help, to have 'em bound again.

Off.
Away! they'll kill us! [Exeunt. Enter Antipholis of Syracuse and Dromio of Syracuse, with drawn swords.

Dr. of Syr.
She that would be your wife, now ran from you.

Ant. of Syr.
Come to the Centaur; fetch your stuff from thence:
I long that we were safe and sound on board.
I will not stay to-night for all the town. [Night-roll and Drum without.
Hark! the cry is up—on ev'ry side they come.
'Tis madness all: and I begin to doubt
That even love and beauty are but snares
To plunge my soul in yet severer cares. [Exeunt. [Night-roll and Drum continued.

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