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For better times to come :

-Friar, advife him i I leave him to your hand.-What muffled fellow's that?

Prov. This is another prifoner, that I fav'd,
Who fhould have dy'd when Claudio loft his head;
As like almoft to Claudio, as himself.

Duke. If he be like your brother, for his fake
[To Ijab.

Is he pardon'd; And, for your lovely fake,
Give me your hand, and say you will be mine,
He is my brother too: But fitter time for that.
By this, lord Angelo perceives he's fafe;
Methinks I fee a quick'ning in his eye.-
Well, Angelo, your evil quits 2 you well:
Look, that you love your wife; her worth, worth
yours.-

I find an apt remiffion in myself;

And yet here's one in place I cannot pardon ;-
You, firrah, that knew me for a fool, a coward,

That perifh'd by the way: thoughts are no fubjects; One all of luxury, an afs, a madman;
Intents, but merely thoughts.

Mari. Merely, my lord.

Duke. Your fuit's unprofitable; ftand up, I fay.

I have bethought me of another fault :-
Provoft, how came it, Claudio was beheaded
At an unusual hour?

Prov. It was commanded fo.

Duke. Had you a special warrant for the deed?

Wherein have I deferved fo of you,
That you extol me thus ?

[To Lucia,

Lucio. 'Faith, my lord, I fpoke it but according to the trick 3: if you will hang me for it, you may, but I had rather it would please you, I might be whipp'd.

Duke. Whipp'd first, fir, and hang'd after.Proclaim it, provoft, round about the city;

Prov. No, my good lord; it was by private mef-If any woman's wrong'd by this lewd fellow,

fage.

Duke. For which I do discharge you of your office: Give up your keys.

Prov. Pardon me, noble lord:

I thought it was a fault, but knew it not;
Yet did repent me after more advice 1:
For teftimony whereof, one in the prifon,
That should by private order else have dy'd,
I have referv'd alive.

Duke. What's he?

Prov. His name is Barnardine.

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Duke. I would, thou had'ft done fo by Claudio.
Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him.
[Exit Provof.
Efcal. I am forry, one fo learned and fo wife
As you, lord Angelo, have still appear'd,
Should flip fo grofly, both in the heat of blood,
And lack of temper'd judgment afterward.

Ang. I am forry that such sorrow I procure :
And fo deep fticks it in my penitent heart,
That I crave death more willingly than mercy :
'Tis my deferving, and I do intreat it.

(As I have heard him fwear himself, there's one
Whom he begot with child) let her appear,
And he fhall marry her: the nuptial finifh'd,
Let him be whipp'd and hang'd.

Lucio. I befeech your highness, do not marry me to a whore! Your highnefs faid, even now, I made you a duke; good my lord, do not recompenfe me, in making me a cuckold.

Duke. Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her.
Thy flanders I forgive; and therewithal
Remit thy other forfeits 4:-Take him to prifon :
And fee our pleasure herein executed.

Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is preffing to death, whipping, and hanging.

Duke. Sland'ring a prince deferves it.-
She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore,
Joy to you, Mariana! love her, Angelo;

I have confefs'd her, and I know her virtue.--
Thanks, good friend Efcalus, for thy much goodness
There's more behind, that is more gratulate 5.-
Thanks, provoft, for thy care and fecrecy ;
We fhall employ thee in a worthier place :-

Re-enter Provost, Barnardine, Claudio, and Julietta. Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home

Duke. Which is that Barnardine ?

Prov. This, my lord.

The head of Ragozine for Claudio's : The offence pardons itself.-Dear Ifabel, :-I have a motion much imports your good; Whereto if you'll a willing ear incline, What's mine is yours, and what is yours is mine; So bring us to our palace; where we'll fhew What's yet behind, that's meet you all fhould know. [Excunt

Duke. There was a friar told me of this man
Sirrah, thou art faid to have a stubborn foul,
That apprehends no further than this world,
And fquar it thy life accordingly: Thou'rt condemn'd;
But, for thofe earthly faults, I quit them all;
1 pray thee, take this mercy to provide

1 That is, confideration. 2 That is, requites. 3 That is, according to my custom. 4 Meaning, carnal offences. 5 That is, more to be rejoiced in.

COMEDY

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

SOLINUS, Duke of Ephefus.
ÆGEON, a Merchant of Syracufe.

ANTIPHOLIS of Ephefus,
ANTIPHOLIS of Syracufe,

Tavin Brothers and
Sons to Egeon and
Emilia, but un-
known to each other.

DROMIO of Ephefus, Twin Brothers & Slaves to
DROMIO of Syracufe, S the two Antipholis's.
BALTHAZAR, a Merchant.

ANGELO, a Goldsmith.

A Merchant, Friend to Antipholis of Syracuje.
Dr. PINCH, a Schoolmaster and a Conjurer.

EMILIA, Wife to Egeon, an Abbefs at Ephef.
ADRIANA, Wife to Antipholis of Ephefus.
LUCIANA, Sister to Adriana.

LUCE, Servant to Adriana.
A Courtezan.

Jailor, Officers, and other Attendants.
SCENE, Ephefus.

SCENE I.

The Duke's Palace.

ACT I.

My woes end likewife with the evening fun.
Duke. Well, Syracufan, fay, in brief, the caufe
Why thou departedit from thy native home;

Enter the Duke of Epbelas, Ageon, Jailor, and And for what caufe thou cam'ft to Ephesus.

other Attendants.

Egeon. PROCE

ROCEED, Solinus, to procure my
fall,

And, by the doom of death, end woes and all.
Duke. Merchant of Siracufa, plead no more;
I am not partial, to infringe our Laws:
The enmity and difcord, which of late
Sprung from the rancorous outrage of your duke
To merchants, our well-dealing countrymen,--
Who, wanting gilders to redeem their lives,

[pos'd,

Ægen. A heavier task could not have been im-
Than I to fpeak my griefs unspeakable:
Yet, that the world may witness, that my end
Was wrought by nature, not by vile offence,
I'll utter what my forrow gives me leave.
In Syracufa was I born; and wed
Unto a woman, happy but for me,
And by me too, had not our hap been bad.
With her I liv'd in joy; our wealth increas'd,
By profperous voyages I often måde

Have feal'd his rigorous ftatutes with their bloods,To Epidamnum, till my factor's death;

Excludes all pity from our threat'ning looks.
For, fince the mortal and inteftine jars
"Twixt thy feditious countrymen and us,
It hath in folemn fynods been decrced,
Both by the Syracufans and ourselves,
To admit no traffick to our adverse towns:
Nay, more; If any, born at Ephefus,
Be feen at Syracufan marts and fairs,
Again, if any, Syracufan born,
Come to the bay of Ephesus, he dies,
His goods confifcate to the duke's difpofe,
Unless a thousand marks be levied,
To quit the penalty, and to ranfom him.
Thy fubftance, valu'd at the highest rate,
Cannot amount unto a hundred marks;
Therefore, by law thou art condemn'd to die..
Egeon. Yet this my comfort; when your words
are done,

And he, great care of goods at random left,
Drew me from kind embracements of my spouse;
From whom my abfence was not fix months old,
Before herself (almost at fainting, under
The pleafing punishment that women bear)
Had made provifion for her following me,
And foon, and fafe, arrived where I was.
There the had not been long, but she became
A joyful mother of two goodly fons;
And, which was ftrange, the one fo like the other,
As could not be diftinguish'd but by names.
That very hour, and in the felf-fame inn,
A poor mean woman was delivered
Of fuch a burden, male twins, both alike:
Thofe (for their parents were exceeding poor)
bought, and brought up to attend my fons.
My wife, not meanly proud of two such boys,
Made daily motions for our home return;
H 4

Unwilling

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Unwilling I agreed; alas, too foon.
We came aboard:

A league from Epidamnum had we fail'd,
Before the always-wind-obeying deep
Gave any tragic inftance of our harm:
But longer did we not retain much hope;
For what obfcured light the heavens did grant,
Did but convey unto our fearful minds
A doubtful warrant of immediate death;
Which though myself would gladly have embrac'd,
Yet the inceffant weepings of my wife,
Weeping before, for what the faw must come,
And piteous plainings of the pretty babes,
That mourn'd for fashion, ignorant what to fear,
Forc'd me to feek delays for them and me.
And this it was, for other means were none.-
The failors fought for safety by our boat,
And left the thip, then finking-ripe, to us:
My wife, more careful for the latter-born,
Had faften'd him unto a small spare maft,
Such as fea-faring men provide for storms;
To him one of the other twins was bound,
Whilft I had been like heedful of the other.
The children thus difpos'd, my wife and I,
Fixing our eyes on whom our care was fix'd,
Faften'd ourselves at either end the maft;
And floating ftraight, obedient to the stream,
Were carry'd towards Corinth, as we thought.
At length the fun, gazing upon the earth,
Difpers'd thofe vapours that offended us;
And, by the benefit of his wifh'd light,
The feas wax'd calm, and we discovered
Two thips from far making amain to us,
Of Corinth that, of Epidaurus this:
But, ere they came,-Oh, let me fay no more!
Gather the fequel by that went before.

Duke. Nay, forward, old man, do not break off fo;
For we may pity, though not pardon thee.

Egeon. Oh, had the gods done fo, I had not now
Worthily term'd them merciless to us!
For, ere the ships could meet by twice five leagues,
We were encountred by a mighty rock;
Which being violently borne upon,
Our helpful fhip was fplitted in the midft,
So that, in this unjust divorce of us,
Fortune had left to both of us alike
What to delight in, what to forrow for.
Her part, poor foul! feeming as burdened
With letter weight, but not with leffer woe,
Was carry'd with more speed before the wind;
And in our fight they three were taken up
By fishermen of Corinth, as we thought.
At length, another fhip had feiz'd on us;
And, knowing whom it was their hap to fave,
Gave helpful welcome to their fhipwreck'd guests;
And would have reft the fither of their prey,
Had not their bark been very flow of fail, [course.
And therefore homeward did they bend their
Thus have you heard me fever'd from my blifs;
That by misfortunes was my life prolong'd,
To tell fad ftories of my own mishaps.
Duke. And, for the fakes of them thou forroweft for,

Do me the favour to dilate at full

What hath befall'n of them, and thee, till now.
Egeon. My youngest boy, and yet my eldest care,
At eighteen years became inquifitive
After his brother; and importun'd me,
That his attendant (for his cafe was like,
Reft of his brother, but retain'd his name,)
Might bear him company in the queft of him:
Whom whilft I labour'd of a love to fee,
I hazarded the loss of whom I lov'd.
Five fummers have I spent in fartheft Greece,
Roaming clean through the bounds of Afia,
And, coafting homeward, came to Ephesus;
Hopelefs to find, yet loth to leave unfought,
Or that, or any place that harbours men.
But here mult end the ftory of my life;
And happy were I in my timely death,
Could all my travels warrant me they live. [mark'd
Duke. Haplefs geon, whom the fates have
To bear the extremity of dire mishap!
Now, truft me, were it not against our laws,
Againft my crown, my oath, my dignity,
Which princes, would they, may not difannul,
My foul should fue as advocate for thee.
But, though thou art adjudged to the death,
And paffed fentence may not be recall'd,
But to our honour's great difparagement,
Yet will I favour thee in what I can:
Therefore, merchant, I'll limit thee this day,
To feek thy help by beneficial help:
Try all the friends thou haft in Ephefus;
Beg thou, or borrow, to make up the fum,
And live; if not, then thou art doom'd to die:-
Jailor, take him to thy cuftody. [Ex. Duke and train.
Jail. I will, my lord.
{wend 2,
Egeon. Hopelefs, and helpless, doth geon
But to procraftinate his liveless end,

[Exeunt geen and Jailor.

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Mer. Therefore give out, you are of Epidamnum,
Left that your goods too foon be confiscate.
This very day, a Syracufan merchant
Is apprehended for arrival here;
And, not being able to buy out his life,
According to the statute of the town,
Dies ere the weary fun fet in the west.
There is your money, that I had to keep.

Ant. Go bear it to the Centaur, where we hoft,
And itay there, Dromie, till I come to thee.
Within this hour it will be dinner-time:
'Till that, I'll view the manners of the town,
Perufe the traders, gaze upon the buildings,
And then return, and fleep within mine inn;
For with long travel I am stiff and weary.
Get thee away.

Dro. Many a man would take you at your word
And go indeed, having fo good a means.
[Exit Dromi

1 Clean is ftill used in the North of England inftead of quite, fully, completely. 2 That is, go.

Art

Ant. A trufty villain, fir; that very oft, When I am dull with care and melancholy, Lightens my humour with his merry jests. What, will you walk with me about the town, And then go to my inn, and dine with me?

Mer. I am invited, fir, to certain merchants,
Of whom I hope to make much benefit,
I crave your pardon. Soon, at five o'clock,
Pleafe you, I'll meet with you upon the mart,
And afterwards confort you till bed-time;
My prefent bufinefs calls me from you now.
Ant. Farewell 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 mine own content,
Commends me to the thing I cannot get.
I to the world am like a drop of water,
That in the ocean feeks another drop;
Who, falling there, to find his fellow forth,
Uafeen, inquifitive, confounds himselfs
So I, to find a mother, and a brother,
In queft of them, unhappy, lofe myself,
Enter Dromio of Ephefus.

Here comes the almanack of my true date.
What now? How chance, thou art return'd fo foon?
E. Dro. Return'd fo foon! rather approach'd too
The capon burns, the pig falls from the fpit; [late;
The clock has ftrucken twelve upon the bell,
My mittress made it one upon my cheek:
She is fo hot, because the meat is cold;
The meat is cold, because you come not home;
You come not home, because you have no ftomach;
You have no ftomach, having broke your fast;
But we, that know what 'tis to faft and pray,
Are penitent for your default to-day.

Ant. Stop in your wind, fir: tell me this, I pray; Where have you left the money that I gave you?

E. Dro. Oh,-fix-pence, that I had o' Wednesday To pay the fadler for my mistress' crupper;- [lait, The fadler had it, fir, I kept it not.

Ant. I am not in a sportive humour now; Tell me, and dally not, whereas the money? We being strangers here, how dar'st thou trust So great a charge from thine own custody?

E. Dro. I pray you, jeft, fir, as you fit at dinner : I from my mistress come to you in post; If I return, I fhall be poft indeed,

For the will fcore your fault upon my pate.

Methinks, your maw, like mine, should be your And ftrike you home without a meifenger. [clock, 4. Come, Dromio, come, thefe jefts are out of feafon;

Referve them till a merrier hour than this:
Where is the gold I gave in charge to thee?

E. Dro. To me, fir? why you gave no gold to me. Ant. Come on, fir knave, have done your foolishness,

And tell me, how thou haft difpos'd thy charge. E. Dro. My charge was but to fetch you from the mart

Home to your houfe, the Phonix, fir, to dinners My miftrefs, and her fifter, stay for you.

Ant. Now, as I am a chriftian, answer me, In what fafe place you have difpos'd my money; Or I fhall break that merry fconce1 of yours, That ftands on tricks when I am undifpos'd; Where are the thousand marks thou had'ft of me? E. Dro. I have fome marks of yours upon my

pate,

Some of my miftrefs' marks upon my shoulders, But not a thousand marks between you both. If I should pay your worship those again, Perchance, you will not bear them patiently. Ant. Thy miftrefs' marks! what mistress, flave, haft thou? [Phoenix 3

E. Dro. Your worship's wife, my mistress at the She that doth faft, till you come home to dinner, And prays, that you will hie you home to dinner. Ant. What, wilt thou flout me thus unto my face,

Being forbid? There, take you that, fir knave.
E. Dro. What mean you, fir? for God's fake,

hold your hands;

Nay, an you will not, fir, I'll take my heels.

(Exit Dramio

Ant. Upon my life, by fome device or other, The villain is o'er-raught 2 of all my money. They fay, this town is full of cozenage; As, nimble jugglers, that deceive the eye; Dark-working forcerers, that change the mind; Soul-killing witches, that deform the body; Difguifed cheaters, prating mountebanks, And many fuch like liberties 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 fafe.

[Exit.

Air.

SCENE

I

ACT II.

The Iloufe of Antipholis of Ephefus.

Enter Adriana and Luciana.

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:

NEITHER my husband, nor the flave A man is mafter of his liberty;

That in fuch hafte I fent to feek his master !

Time is their mafter; and, when they fee time,
They'll go or come: If fo, be patient, sister.

That is, head.

That is, over-reached,

Adr.

Adr. Why should their liberty than ours be more?
Luc. Because their bufinefs ftill lies out o' door.
Adr. Look, when I ferve him fo, he takes it ill.
Luc. Oh, know he is the bridle of your will.
Adr. There's none, but affes, will be bridled fo.
Luc. Why head-ftrong liberty is lash'd with woe.
There's nothing, fituate under heaven's eye,
But hath his bound, in earth, in fea, in sky:
The beafts, the fithes, and the winged fowls,
Are their males' fubject, and at their controuls:
Men, more divine, the masters of all thefe,
Lords of the wide world, and wild watry feas,
Indu'd with intellectual fenfe and fouls,
Of more pre-eminence than fifh and fowls,
Are mafters to their females, and their lords:
Then let your will attend on their accords.

Adr. This fervitude makes you to keep unwed.
Luc. Not this, but troubles of the marriage-bed.
Adr. But, were you wedded, you would bear
fome fway.

Luc. Ere I learn love, I'll practise to obey.
Adr. How if your hufband ftart fome other
where !?

Luc. Till he come home, again, I would forbear.
dr. Patience, unmov'd, no marvel though the
paufe;

They can be meek, that have no other caufe.
A wretched foul, bruis'd with adverfity,
We bid be quiet, when we hear it cry;

But were we burden'd with like weight of pain,
As much, or more, we should ourselves complain:
So thou, that haft no unkind mate to grieve thee,
With urging helpless patience would't relieve me:
But, if thou live to fee like right bereft,
This fool-begg'd patience in thee will be left.

Luc. Well, I will marry one day, but to try;
Here comes your man, now is your husband nigh.
Enter Dromio of Ephefus.

Adr. Say, is your tardy mafter now at hand? E. Dro. Nay, he is at two hands with me, and that my two ears can witnefs.

Adr. Say, didft thou fpeak with him? know'ft thou his mind ?,

E. Dro. Ay, ay, he told his mind upon mine ear: Bethrew his hand, I fcarce could understand it. Luc. Spake he fo doubtfully, thou couldst not feel his meaning?

E. Dro. Nay, he ftruck fo plainly, I could too well feel his blows; and withal fo doubtfully, that I could fcarce understand them 2.

Adr. But fay, I pi'ythee, is he coming home? It seems, he hath great care to please his wife.

'Tis dinner-time, quoth I: My gold, quoth he:
Your meat doth burn, quoth I; My gold, quoth he:
Will you come? quoth I; My gold, quoth he:
Where is the thousand marks I gave thee, villain?
The pig, quoth I, is burn'd; My gold, quoth he:
My miftrefs, fir, quoth I; Hang up thy mifìrefs;
I know not thy mistress; out on thy miftrefs!
Luc. Quoth who?

E. Dro. Quoth my mafter:
I know, quoth he, no boufe, no wife, no mifirefs;—
So that my errand due unto my tongue,

I thank him, I bare home upon my shoulders;
For, in conclufion, he did beat me there. [home.

Adr. Go back again, thou flave, and fetch him
E. Dro. Go back again, and be new beaten home!
For God's fake, fend fome other messenger.

Adr. Back, flave, or I will break thy pate across. E. Dro. And he will blefs that crofs with other beating:

Between you I fhall have a holy head.

[home.

Adr. Hence, prating peafant; fetch thy matter
E. Dra. Am I fo rounds with you, as you with me,
That like a foot-ball you do fpurn me thus ?
You spurn me hence, and he will spurn me hither :
If I laft in this fervice, you must cafe me in leather.
[Exit.

Luc. Fye, how impatience lowreth in your face!
Adr. His company must do his minions grace,
Whilft I at home ftarve for a merry look.
Hath homely age the alluring beauty took
From my poor cheek? then, he hath wasted it ;
Are my difcourfes dull ? barren my wit?
If voluble and sharp difcourfe be marr'd,
Unkindnefs blunts it, more than marble hard.
Do their gay veftments his affections bait ?
That's not my fault, he's master of my state:
What ruins are in me, that can be found
By him not ruin'd? then is he the ground
Of my defeatures 4: My decayed fair
A funny look of his would foon repair :
But, too unruly deer, he breaks the pale,
And feeds from home; poor I am but his stale 5.
Luc. Self-harming jealousy !-fye, beat it hence.
Adr. Unfeeling fools can with fuch wrongs dif-
I know his eye doth homage other-where; [penfe.
Or elfe, what lets it but he would be here?
Sifter, you know, he promis'd me a chain ;—
Would that alone, alone he would detain,
So he would keep fair quarter with his bed!
I fee, the jewel, beft enamelled,
Will lofe his beauty; and the gold 'bides ftill,
That others touch; yet often touching will

E. Dro. Why, miftrefs, fure my master is horn-Wear gold: and fo no man, that hath a name,
Adr. Horn-mad, thou villain ?
[mad. But falfhood and corruption doth it shame 6.

E. Dro. I mean not cuckold-mad; but, fure, Since that my beauty cannot please his eye,

he's stark mad :

When I defir'd him to come home to dinner,
He afk'd me for a thousand marks in gold:

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I'll weep what's left away, and weeping die.

}

[Exeunt,

I Meaning, fome other place. 2 Meaning, and under them. 3 That is, plain, free in fpeech, 4 Meaning my change, or alteration of features. 5 That is, his pretence, his cover. See a preceding note in the Tempest. The fente 18. Gold, indeed, will long bar the handling; however, often touching will wear even gold; juft fo the greatest character, though as pure as gold itself, may, in time, be injured by the repeated attacks of falfhood and corruption.

SCENE

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