But ere they came-Oh, let me fay no more! Duke. Nay, forward, old man, do not break off so; For we may pity, tho' not pardon thee. Egeon. Oh, had the gods done fo, I had not now Worthily term'd them mercilefs to us. For ere the ships could meet by twice five leagues, Our helpless fhip was fplitted in the midft: And therefore homeward did they bend their course.- Duke. And, for the fakes of them thou forrow'ft for, Do me the favour to dilate at full What hath befall'n of them, and thee, till now. Or that, or any place that harbours men. Duke. Haplefs Egeon, whom the fates have mark'd To bear th' extremity of dire mifhap; Now, truft me, were it not against our laws, Jail. I will, my Lord. [Exeunt Duke, and train. Egeon. Hopelefs and helplefs doth Ægeon wend, But to procraftinate his lifelefs end. [Exeunt Egeon and Jailor. SCENE II. Changes to the street. Enter Antipholis of Syracufe, a Merchant, and Dromio. Mer. Therefore give out, you are of Epidamnum, Left that your goods too foon be confifcate. This very day, a Syracufan merchant Is apprehended for arrival here; And, not being able to buy out his life, Ant. Go bear it to the Centaur, where we hoft, And then return, and fleep within mine inn; Dro. Many a man would take you at your word, And go indeed, having fo good a means. [Exit Dromio. Ant. A trufty villain, Sir, that very oft, When I am dull with care and melancholy, Lightens my humour with his merry jefts. What, will you walk with me about the town, And then go to the 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, Please you, I'll meet with you upon the mart, And afterward confort you till bed-time: My prefent bufinefs calls me from you now. Ant. Farewel till then; I will go lofe myself, And wander up and down to view the city. Mer. Sir, I commend you to your own content. [Exit Merchant, Ant. He that commends me to my own content, Enter Dromio of Ephefus. Here comes the almanack of my true date. What now? how chance thou art return'd fo foon! late: The capon burns, the pig falls from the fpit, You come not home, because you have no ftomach: Ant. Stop in your wind, Sir; tell me this, I pray, Where you have left the money that I gave you ? E. Dro. Oh,-fixpence that I had a Wednesday laft, To pay the faddler för miftrefs' crupper The faddler had it, Sir; I kept it not. my ? ? Ant. I am not in a sportive humour now; Tell me and dally not, where is the money We being ftrangers here, how dart thou truft So great a charge from thine own cuftody? E. Dro. I pray you, jeft, Sir, as you fit at dinner : I from my miftrefs come to you in post; If I return, I fhall be poft indeed; For she will score your fault upon my pate. Methinks your maw, like mine, fhould be your clock, And ftrike you home without a messenger. Ant. Come, Dromio, come, these jefts are out of feafon ; Referve them till a merrier hour than this. E. Dro. To me, Sir? why, you gave no gold to me. E. Dro. My charge was but to fetch you from the mart Home to your house, the Phoenix, Sir, to dinner ; Ant. Now, as I am a Chriftian answer me, s; E. Dro. I have fome marks of your's upon my pate; Some of my mistress' marks upon my fhoulders But not a thousand marks between you both.If I should pay your Worship thofe again, Perchance you will not bear them patiently. Ant. Thy miftrefs' marks; what mistress, flave, hast thou? E. Dro. Your Worship's wife, my miftrefs at the Phoenix; She that doth faft till you come home to dinner; Nay, an you will not, Sir, I'll take my heels. [Exit Dromio. Ant. Upon my life, by fome device or other, The villain is o'er-wrought of all my money. They fay, this town is full of cozenage; As nimble jugglers that deceive the eye; Drug-working forcerers that change the mind; Soul-killing witches that deform the body; Difguifed cheaters, prating mountebanks, And many fuch like libertines of fin: If it prove fo, I will be gone the fooner. I'll to the Centaur, to go feek this flave: I greatly fear my money is not safe. ACT II. [Exit. SCENE I. The house of Antipholis of Ephefus. · Adr. N Enter Adriana and Luciana. Either my husband, nor the slave return'd, That in fuch hafte I fent to seek his mafter! Sure, Luciana, it is two o'clock. Luc. Perhaps fome merchant hath invited him, And from the mart he 's fomewhere gone to dinner : Good fifter, let us dine, and never fret. A man is mafter of his liberty: Time is their mafter; and when they fee time, Adr. Why fhould their liberty than ours be more? |