And this is false you burden me withal. Duke. Why, what an intricate impeach is this! If here you housed him, here he would have been ; 270 Dro. E. Sir, he dined with her there, at the Porpentine. And pay the sum that may deliver me. Duke. Speak freely, Syracusian, what thou wilt. Dro. E. Within this hour I was his bondman, sir, 290 Ege. I am sure you both of you remember me. For lately we were bound, as you are now. Ege. Why look you strange on me? you know me well. Ege. O, grief hath changed me since you saw me last, Have written strange defeatures in my face: But tell me yet, dost thou not know my voice? Ege. Dromio, nor thou? No, trust me, sir, nor I. Ege. I am sure thou dost. 300 Dro. E. Ay, sir, but I am sure I do not; and whatsoever a man denies, you are now bound to believe him. Ege. Not know my voice! O time's extremity, Hast thou so crack'd and splitted my poor tongue 310 My wasting lamps some fading glimmer left, Ant. E. I never saw my father in my life. ge. But seven years since, in Syracusa, boy, Thou know'st we parted but perhaps, my son, Thou shamest to acknowledge me in misery. Ant. E. The duke and all that know me in the city Can witness with me that it is not so: I ne'er saw Syracusa in my life. Duke. I tell thee, Syracusian, twenty years Have I been patron to Antipholus, During which time he ne'er saw Syracusa : I see thy age and dangers make thee dote. 320 Re-enter Abbess, with ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse and DROMIC of Syracuse. Abb. Most mighty duke, behold a man much wrong'd. [All gather to see them. 330 Adr. I see two husbands, or mine eyes deceive me. Duke. One of these men is Genius to the other; And so of these. Which is the natural man, And which the spirit? who deciphers them? Dro. S. I, sir, am Dromio: command him away. Dro. S. O, my old master! who hath bound him here? And gain a husband by his liberty. Ege. If I dream not, thou art Æmilia: Abb. By men of Epidamnum he and I By force took Dromio and my son from them I to this fortune that you see me in. Duke. Why, here begins his morning story right 340 350 And these two Dromios, one in semblance,- Ant. S. No, sir, not I; I came from Syracuse. Duke. Stay, stand apart; I know not which is which. 360 Ant. E. I came from Corinth, my most gracious lord,Dro. E. And I with him. Ant. E. Brought to this town by that most famous warrior, Duke Menaphon, your most renowned uncle. Adr. Which of you two did dine with me to-day? Adr. And are not you my husband ? Ant. E. No; I say nay to that. Ant. S. And so do I; yet did she call me so: And this fair gentlewoman, her sister here, Did call me brother. [To Luc.] What I told you then, If this be not a dream I see and hear. Ang. That is the chain, sir, which you had of me. Ant. E. And you, sir, for this chain arrested me. Dro. E. No, none by me. Ant. S. This purse of ducats I received from you I see we still did meet each other's man, 371 380 390 Ant. E. These ducats pawn I for my father here. cheer. Abb. Renowned duke, vouchsafe to take the pains To go with us into the abbey here And hear at large discoursed all our fortunes: And all that are assembled in this place, 400 My heavy burthen ne'er delivered. The duke, my husband and my children both, Duke. With all my heart, I'll gossip at this feast. [Exeunt all but Ant. S., Ant. E., Dro. S., and Dro. E. Dro. S. Master, shall I fetch your stuff from shipboard? Ant. E. Dromio, what stuff of mine hast thou embark'd? Dro. S. Your goods that lay at host, sir, in the Centaur. Ant. S. He speaks to me. I am your master, Dromio : Come, go with us; we'll look to that anon: Embrace thy brother there; rejoice with him. [Exeunt Ant. S. and Ant. E. Dro. S. There is a fat friend at your master's house, That kitchen'd me for you to-day at dinner: She now shall be my sister, not my wife. Dro. E. Methinks you are my glass, and not my brother: I see by you I am a sweet-faced youth. Will you walk in to see their gossiping? Dro. S. Not I, sir; you are my elder. Dro. E. That's a question: how shall we try it? 420 Dro. S. We'll draw cuts for the senior: till then lead thou first. Dro. E. Nay, then, thus: We came into the world like brother and brother; And now let's go hand in hand, not one before another. SHAK. I.-10 [Exeunt. SCENE I. Before LEONATO's house. Enter LEONATO, HERO, and BEATRICE, with a Messenger. Leon. I learn in this letter that Don Peter of Arragon comes this night to Messina. Mess. He is very near by this: he was not three leagues off when I left him. Leon. How many gentlemen have you lost in this action? Mess. But few of any sort, and none of name. Leon. A victory is twice itself when the achiever brings home full numbers. I find here that Don Peter hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine called Claudio. Mess. Much deserved ou his part and equally remembered by Don Pedro: he hath borne himself beyond the promise of his age, doing, in the figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion he hath indeed better bettered expectation than you must expect of me to tell you how. Leon. He hath an uncle here in Messina will be very much glad of it. Mess. I have already delivered him letters, and there ap( 290 ) |