The place of death and forry execution,
Behind the ditches of the abbey here.
Ang. Upon what cause?

Mer. To fee a reverend Syracufan merchant,
Who put unluckily into this bay
Against the laws and ftatutes of this town,
Beheaded publickly for his offence.

Ang. See, where they come; we will behold his death.

Luc. Kneel to the Duke, before he pafs the abbey.

SCENE HII.

Enter the Duke, and Egeon bare-headed; with the Headfman, and other Officers.

Duke. Yet once again proclaim it publickly,
If any friend will pay the fum for him,
He fhall not die, fo much we tender him.

Adr. Juftice, moft facred Duke, against the Abbefs. Duke. She is a virtuous and a reverend Lady; It cannot be, that the hath done thee wrong.

Adr. May it please your Grace, Antipholis my husband,

(Whom I made lord of me and all I had,
At your important letters) this ill day
A moft outrageous fit of madnefs took him;
That defp'rately he hurry'd through the ftreet,
With him his bondman all as mad as he,
Doing displeasure to the citizens,
By rufhing in their houses; bearing thence
Rings, jewels, any thing his rage did like.
Once did I get him bound, and fent him home,
Whilft to take order for the wrongs I went,
That here and there his fury had committed:
Anon, I wot not by what ftrong efcape,
He broke from those that had the guard of him:

And,

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201

And, with his mad attendant? mad himself,
Each one with ireful paffion, with drawn fwords, t
Met us again, and, madly bent on us,
Chas'd us away; 'till, raifing of more aid,
We came again to bind them; then they fled
Into this abbey, whither we purfu'd them;
And here the Abbess fhuts the gates on us,
And will not fuffer us to fetch him out,
Nor fend him forth, that we may bear him hence.
Therefore, moft gracious Duke, with thy command,
Let him be brought forth, and borne hence for help.

Duke. Long fince thy husband ferv'd me in my wars.
And I to thee engag'd a Prince's word,
(When thou didst make him mafter of thy bed,)
To do him all the grace and good I could.
Go, fome of you, knock at the abbey-gate;
And bid the lady Abbefs come to me.
I will determine this, before I ftir.

J

J 107

SCENE IV. Clav

q

Enter a Meffenger.

;

Mell. O miftrefs, mistress, shift and fave yourself; My mafter and his man are both broke loose, Beaten the maids a-row, and bound the doctor, Whose beard they have fing'd off with brands of fire And ever as it blaz'd, they threw on him Great pails of puddled mire to quench the hair; My mafter preaches patience to him, and the while His man with fciffars nicks him like a fool: And, fure, unless you fend fome prefent help, Between them they will kill the conjurer.

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Adr. Peace, fool, thy mafter and his man are here, And that is falfe, thou doft report to us.

↓

And, with his mad attendant AND bimfelf] We should VOL. III.

read,

M

MAD himself.

WARBURTON.

Mel

Mell. Miftrefs, upon my life, I tell you true; I have not breath'd almost, fince I did fee it. He cries for you, and vows if he can take you, To fcorch your face, and to disfigure you.

1

[Cry within."

Hark, hark, I hear him, mistress; fly be gone. Duke. Come, itand by me, fear nothing: guard with halberds

Adr. Ay me, it is my husband; witness you, That he is borne about invisible!

9

Ev'n now we hous'd him in the abbey here,
And now he's there, paft thought of human reason.

SCENE V.

.....

Enter Antipholis, and Dromio of Ephefus.

E. Ant. Juftice, most gracious Duke, oh, grant me justice.

Even for the service that long fince I did thee,
When I beftrid thee in the wars, and took
Deep fears to fave thy life; even for the blood
That then I loft for thee, now grant me juftice.

Egeon. Unless the fear of death doth make me dote, I feel my fon Antipholis, and Dromio.

E. Ant. Juftice, fweet Prince, against that woman
there :

She whom thou gav'ft to me to be my wife;
That hath abused and dishonour'd me,
Ev'n in the ftrength and height of injury.
Beyond imagination is the wrong,

That the this day hath fhamelefs thrown on me.
Duke. Discover how, and thou fhalt find me juft.
E. Ant. This day, great Duke, fhe fhut the doors
upon me;

1 To SCORCH jour face,-] We should read scoтCH, ́¡. e. hack, cut. WARBURTON.

Whilft fhe with harlots feafted in' my houfe.

Duke. A grievous fault; fay, woman, didft thou fo? Adr. No, my good Lord-myself, he, and my fifter, To-day did dine together: fo befal my foul, As this is falfe, he burdens me withal!

Cr

Luc. Ne'er may I look on day, nor fleep on night, But he tells to your highness fimple truth!

Ang. O perjur'd woman! they are both forfworn. In this the mad-man juftly chargeth them.

E. Ant. My Liege, I am advised, what I fay. Neither disturb'd with the effect of wine, Nor, heady-rafh, provok'd with raging ire; Albeit, my wrongs might make one wifer mad. This woman lock'd me out this day from dinner; That goldfmith there, were he not pack'd with her, Could witness it; for he was with me then; Who parted with me to go fetch a chain, Promifing to bring it to the Porcupine, Where Balthazar and I did dine together. Our dinner done, and he not coming thither, I went to seek him; in the ftreet I met him, And in his company that gentleman.. There did this perjur'd goldfmith fwear me down, That I this day from him receiv'd the chain; Which, God he knows, I faw not; for the which, He did arreft me with an officer.

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I did obey, and fent my peafant home

For certain ducats; he with none return'd.
Then fairly I bespoke the officer,
To go in perfon with me to my house.
By th' way we met my wife, her fifter, and
A rabble more of vile confederates;

They brought one Pinch, a hungry lean-fac'd villain,
A meer anatomy, a mountebank,

A thread-bare juggler, and a fortune-teller,
A needy, hollow-ey'd, fharp-looking wretch.
A living dead man. This pernicious slave,
Forfooth, took on him as a conjurer;

M 2

And,

And, gazing in my eyes, feeling my pulfe,
And with no-face, as it were, out-facing me,
Cries out, I was poffeft. Then all together
They fell upon me, bound me, bore me thence;
And in a dark and dankish vault at home
They left me and my man, both bound together;
'Till, gnawing with my teeth my bonds afunder,
I gain'd my freedom, and immediately

Ran hither to your Grace; whom I befeech
To give me ample fatisfaction

For thefe deep thames and great indignities.

Ang. My Lord, in truth, thus far I witness with him; That he din'd not at home, but was lock'd out.

Duke. But he had fuch a chain of thee, or no? Ang. He had, my Lord; and when he ran in here, Thefe people faw the chain about his neck.

Mer. Befides, I will be fworn, these ears of mine Heard you confefs, you had the chain of him After you first forfwore it on the mart; And thereupon I drew my fword on you; And then you fled into this abbey here, From whence, I think, you're come by miracle. E. Ant. I never came within these abbey-wali Nor ever didft thou draw thy fword on me; I never faw the chain, fo help me heav'n! And this is falfe, you burden me withal.

Duke. Why, what an intricate impeach is this?
I think, you all have drunk of Circe's cup:
If here you hous'd him, here he would have been
If he were mad, he would not plead fo coldly :
You fay, he din'd at home; the goldsmith here
Denies that faying. Sirrah, what fay you?

E. Dro. Sir, he din'd with her there, at the Porcu
pine.

Cour. He did, and from my finger fnatc'd that ring.
E. Ant. 'Tis true, my Liege, this ring I had of her.
Duke. Saw'ft thou him enter at the abbey here?
Cour. As fure, my Liege, as I do fee your
your Grace.

Duke.