On purpose fhut the doors against his way.
My way is now to hie home to his house,
And tell his wife, that, being lunatic,
He rush'd into my houfe, and took perforce
My ring away. This courfe 1 fitteft chuse;
For forty ducats is too much to lofe.

[Exit.

SCENE VIII. Changes to the street.
Enter Antipholis of Ephefus, with a Jailor.

E. Ant. Fear me not, man; I will not break away;
I'll give thee, ere I leave thee, fo much money,
To warrant thee, as I am 'refted for.
My wife is in a wayward mood to-day,
And will not lightly truft the meffenger.
That I fhould be attach'd in Ephefus,

I tell you 'twould found harshly in her ears.

Enter Dromio of Ephefus, with a rope's-end. Here comes my man; I think he brings the money. How now, Sir; have you that I fent you for?

E. Dro. Here's that, I warrant you, will pay them E. Ant But where's the money?

[all. E. Dro. Why, Sir, I gave the money for the rope. E. Ant. Five hundred ducats, villain, for a rope? E. Dra. I'll ferve you, Sir, five hundred at the rate. E. Ant. To what end did I bid thee hie thee home? E. Dro. To a rope's-end, Sir; and to that end am I return'd.

E. Ant. And to that end, Sir, I will welcome you. [Beats Dromio.

Off. Good Sir, be patient.

E. Dro. Nay, 'tis for me to be patient; I am in Adverfity.

Off. Good now, hold thy tongue.

E. Dro. Nay, rather perfuade him to hold his hands.

E. Ant. Thou whorefon, senseless villain !

E. Dro. I would I were fenfelefs, Sir, that I might not feel your blows.

E. Ant. Thou art fenfible in nothing but blows, and fo is an afs.

for

E. Dro. I am an afs, indeed; you may prove it by my long ears. I have ferv'd him from the hour of my nativity to this inftant, and have nothing at his hands my fervice 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 fleep; rais'd with it, when I fit; driven out of doors with it, when I go from home; welcom'd home with it, when I return; nay, I bear it on my fhoulders, as a beggar wont her brat; and I think, when he hath lam'd me, I shall beg with it from door to door.

Enter Adriana, Luciana, Courtezan, and Pinch. E. Ant. Come, go along; my wife is coming yonder.

E. Dro. Mistress, refpice finem, refpect your end; or rather the prophecy, like the parrot *, beware the rope's-end.

E. Ant. Wilt thou ftill talk?

[Beats Dromio. Cour. How fay you now? is not your husband

mad?

Adr. His incivility confirms no less.

Good Doctor Pinch, you are a conjurer,
Establish him in his true fenfe again,

And I will please you what you will demand.
Luc. Alas, how fiery and how fharp he looks!
Cour. Mark, how he trembles in his ecftafy!
Pinch. Give me your hand, and let me feel your
pulfe.

E. Ant. There is my hand, and let it feel your ear. Pinch. I charge thee, Satan, hous'd within this man, To yield poffeffion to my holy prayers;

And to thy ftate of darkneís hie thee ftraight,

I conjure thee by all the faints in heav'n.

E. Ant. Peace, doating wizard, peace; I am not

mad.

Adr. Oh that thou wert not, poor diftreffed foul!

*This alludes to people's teaching that bird unlucky words; with which when any paffenger was offended, it was the standing joke of the wife owner to fay, Take heed, Sir, my parrot prophesies.

E. Ant. You minion, you, are these your customers? Did this companion with the faffron face Revel and feaft it at my houfe to-day, Whilft upon me the guilty doors were fhut, And I deny'd to enter in my houfe?

Adr. Oh, husband, God doth know, you din'd ar home,

Where 'would you had remain'd until this time,
Free from thefe flanders and this open fhame!

E. Ant. Din'd I at home? thou villain, what say'ft

thou?

E. Dro. Sir, footh to fay, you did not dine at home. E. Ant. Were not my doors lock'd up, and I fhut

out?

E. Dro. Perdie, your doors were lock'd, and you fhut out.

E. Ant. And did not fhe herfelf revile me there? E. Dro. Sans fable, the herself revil'd you there. E. Ant. Did not her kitchen-maid rail, taunt, and fcorn me?

E. Dro. Certes, fhe did, the kitchen-veftal fcorn'd

you.

E. Ant. And did I not in rage depart from thence? E. Dro. In verity, you did; my bones bear witness, That fince have felt the vigour of your rage.

Adr. Is't good to footh him in thefe contraries? Pinch. It is no fhame; the fellow finds his vein, And, yielding to him, humours well his frenzy. E. Ant. Thou haft fuborn'd the goldfinith to arrest

me.

Adr. Alas, I fent you money to redeem you,

By Dromio here, who came in hafte for it.

E. Dro. Money by me? heart and good-will you might,

But furely, Mafter, not a rag of money.

E. Ant. Went'ft not thou to her for a purfe of ducats?

Adr. He came to me, and I deliver'd it.

Luc. And I am witnefs with her, that he did.

E. Dro. God and the rope-maker do bear me witness, That I was fent for nothing but a rope.

Pinch, Miftrefs, both man and maiter arc poffefs'd;

I know it by their pale and deadly looks;

They must be bound, and laid in fome dark room.

E. Ant. Say, wherefore didst thou lock me forth today,

And why doft thou deny the bag of gold!

Adr. I did not, gentle hufband, lock thee forth. E. Dro. And, gentle mafter, I receiv'd no gold; But I confefs, Sir, that we were lock'd out.

Adr. Diffembling villain, thou fpeak'it falfe in both. E. Ant. Diffembling harlot, thou art falfe in all; And art confederate with a damned pack,

To make a lothfome abject fcorn of me:

But with these nails I'll pluck out thofe falfe eyes,
That would behold in me this fhameful fport.

Enter three or four, and offer to bind him he ftrives.

Adr. Oh, bind him, bind him, let him not come

near me.

Pinch. More company;-the fiend is ftrong within

him.

Luc. Ay me, poor man, how pale and wan he looks!

E. Ant. What, will you murther me? thou jailor, thou,

I am thy prifoner, wilt thou fuffer them

To make a rescue ?

Of. Mafters; let him go:

He is my prifoner, and you fhall not have him.

Pinch. Go, bind this man, for he is frantic too.
Adr. What wilt thou do, thou peevish officer?
Haft thou delight to fee a wretched man
Do outrage and difpleafure to himself?
Of. He is my prifoner; if I let him go,
The debt he owes will be requir'd of me.
Adr. I will difcharge thee ere I go from thee;
Bear me forthwith unto his creditor,

[They bind Antipholis and Dromio. grows, I will pay it. Good Mafter Doctor, fee him fafe convey'd

And, knowing how the debt

Home to my houfe. Oh, most unhappy day!
E. Ant. Oh, moft unhappy ftrumpet!

E. Dro. Mafter, I'm here enter'd in bond for you.

E. Ant. Out on thee, villain! wherefore doft thou

mad me?

E. Dro. Will you be bound for nothing? be mad, good mafter; cry, the devil..

Luc. God help, poor fouls, how idly do they talk! Adr. Go bear him hence; fifter, ftay you with me. [Exeunt Pinch, Antipholis, and Dromio. Say now, whofe fuit is he arrested at ?

Manent Officer, Adriana, Luciana, and Courtezan.

Off. One Angelo, a goldfmith; do you know him? Adr. I know the man; what is the fum he owes ? Off. Two hundred ducats.

Adr. Say, how grows it due?

Off. Due for a chain your husband had of him. Adr. He did bespeak a chain for me, but had it not. Cour. When as your husband all in Came to my houfe, and took away my ring, rage to-day (The ring I faw upon his finger now), Straight after did I meet him with a chain. Adr. It may be fo, but I did never fee it. Come, jailor, bring me where the goldfmith is, I long to know the truth hereof at large.

Enter Antipholis of Syracufe, with his rapier drawn, and Dromio of Syracufe.

Luc. God, for thy mercy, they are loofe again.
Adr. And come with naked fwords;

Let's call more help to have them bound again.
Off. Away, they'll kill us.

[They run out.

Manent Antipholis, and Dromio.

S. Ant. I fee, thefe witches are afraid of fwords. S. Dro. She that would be your wife, now ran from

you.

S. Ant. Come to the Centaur, fetch our ftuff from

thence:

I long that we were fafe and found aboard.