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Or that or any place that harbours men. |
But here must end the story of my life; |
And happy were I in my timely death, |
Could all my travels warrant me they live. |
DUKE. Hapless, Aegeon, whom the fates have mark'd |
To bear the extremity of dire mishap! |
Now, trust me, were it not against our laws, |
Against my crown, my oath, my dignity, |
Which princes, would they, may not disannul, |
My soul should sue as advocate for thee. |
But though thou art adjudged to the death, |
And passed sentence may not be recall'd |
But to our honour's great disparagement, |
Yet will I favour thee in what I can. |
Therefore, merchant, I'll limit thee this day |
To seek thy help by beneficial hap. |
Try all the friends thou hast in Ephesus; |
Beg thou, or borrow, to make up the sum, |
And live; if no, then thou art doom'd to die. |
Gaoler, take him to thy custody. |
GAOLER. I will, my lord. |
AEGEON. Hopeless and helpless doth Aegeon wend, |
But to procrastinate his lifeless end. |
<Exeunt |
SCENE 2 |
The mart |
Enter ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE, DROMIO OF SYRACUSE, and FIRST MERCHANT |
FIRST MERCHANT. Therefore, give out you are of Epidamnum, |
Lest that your goods too soon be confiscate. |
This very day a Syracusian 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 sun set in the west. |
There is your money that I had to keep. |
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE. Go bear it to the Centaur, where we host. |
And stay there, Dromio, till I come to thee. |
Within this hour it will be dinner-time; |
Till that, I'll view the manners of the town, |
Peruse the traders, gaze upon the buildings, |
And then return and sleep within mine inn; |
For with long travel I am stiff and weary. |
Get thee away. |
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE. Many a man would take you at your word, |
And go indeed, having so good a mean. |
<Exit |
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE. A trusty villain, sir, 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? |
FIRST MERCHANT. 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 consort you till bed time. |
My present business calls me from you now. |
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE. Farewell till then. I will go lose myself, |
And wander up and down to view the city. |
FIRST MERCHANT. Sir, I commend you to your own content. |
<Exit FIRST MERCHANT |
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE. 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 seeks another drop, |
Who, falling there to find his fellow forth, |
Unseen, inquisitive, confounds himself. |
So I, to find a mother and a brother, |
In quest of them, unhappy, lose myself. |
Enter DROMIO OF EPHESUS |
Here comes the almanac of my true date. |
What now? How chance thou art return'd so soon? |
DROMIO OF EPHESUS. Return'd so soon! rather approach'd too late. |
The capon burns, the pig falls from the spit; |
The clock hath strucken twelve upon the bell- |
My mistress made it one upon my cheek; |
She is so hot because the meat is cold, |
The meat is cold because you come not home, |
You come not home because you have no stomach, |
You have no stomach, having broke your fast; |
But we, that know what 'tis to fast and pray, |
Are penitent for your default to-day. |
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE. Stop in your wind, sir; tell me this, I pray: |
Where have you left the money that I gave you? |
DROMIO OF EPHESUS. O-Sixpence that I had a Wednesday last |
To pay the saddler for my mistress' crupper? |
The saddler had it, sir; I kept it not. |
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE. I am not in a sportive humour now; |
Tell me, and dally not, where is the money? |
We being strangers here, how dar'st thou trust |
So great a charge from thine own custody? |
DROMIO OF EPHESUS. I pray you jest, sir, as you sit at dinner. |
I from my mistress come to you in post; |
If I return, I shall be post indeed, |
For she will score your fault upon my pate. |
Methinks your maw, like mine, should be your clock, |
And strike you home without a messenger. |
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE. Come, Dromio, come, these jests are out of season; |
Reserve them till a merrier hour than this. |
Where is the gold I gave in charge to thee? |
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