text stringlengths 1 3.08k |
|---|
They fell upon me, bound me, bore me thence, |
And in a dark and dankish vault at home |
There left me and my man, both bound together; |
Till, gnawing with my teeth my bonds in sunder, |
I gain'd my freedom, and immediately |
Ran hither to your Grace; whom I beseech |
To give me ample satisfaction |
For these deep shames and great indignities. |
ANGELO. My lord, in truth, thus far I witness with him, |
That he din'd not at home, but was lock'd out. |
DUKE. But had he such a chain of thee, or no? |
ANGELO. He had, my lord, and when he ran in here, |
These people saw the chain about his neck. |
SECOND MERCHANT. Besides, I will be sworn these ears of mine |
Heard you confess you had the chain of him, |
After you first forswore it on the mart; |
And thereupon I drew my sword on you, |
And then you fled into this abbey here, |
From whence, I think, you are come by miracle. |
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS. I never came within these abbey walls, |
Nor ever didst thou draw thy sword on me; |
I never saw the chain, so help me Heaven! |
And this is false you burden me withal. |
DUKE. Why, what an intricate impeach is this! |
I think you all have drunk of Circe's cup. |
If here you hous'd him, here he would have been; |
If he were mad, he would not plead so coldly. |
You say he din'd at home: the goldsmith here |
Denies that saying. Sirrah, what say you? |
DROMIO OF EPHESUS. Sir, he din'd with her there, at the Porpentine. |
COURTEZAN. He did; and from my finger snatch'd that ring. |
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS. 'Tis true, my liege; this ring I had of her. |
DUKE. Saw'st thou him enter at the abbey here? |
COURTEZAN. As sure, my liege, as I do see your Grace. |
DUKE. Why, this is strange. Go call the Abbess hither. |
I think you are all mated or stark mad. |
<Exit one to the ABBESS |
AEGEON. Most mighty Duke, vouchsafe me speak a word: |
Haply I see a friend will save my life |
And pay the sum that may deliver me. |
DUKE. Speak freely, Syracusian, what thou wilt. |
AEGEON. Is not your name, sir, call'd Antipholus? |
And is not that your bondman Dromio? |
DROMIO OF EPHESUS. Within this hour I was his bondman, sir, |
But he, I thank him, gnaw'd in two my cords |
Now am I Dromio and his man unbound. |
AEGEON. I am sure you both of you remember me. |
DROMIO OF EPHESUS. Ourselves we do remember, sir, by you; |
For lately we were bound as you are now. |
You are not Pinch's patient, are you, sir? |
AEGEON. Why look you strange on me? You know me well. |
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS. I never saw you in my life till now. |
AEGEON. O! grief hath chang'd me since you saw me last; |
And careful hours with time's deformed hand |
Have written strange defeatures in my face. |
But tell me yet, dost thou not know my voice? |
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS. Neither. |
AEGEON. Dromio, nor thou? |
DROMIO OF EPHESUS. No, trust me, sir, nor I. |
AEGEON. I am sure thou dost. |
DROMIO OF EPHESUS. Ay, sir, but I am sure I do not; and |
whatsoever a man denies, you are now bound to believe him. |
AEGEON. Not know my voice! O time's extremity, |
Hast thou so crack'd and splitted my poor tongue |
In seven short years that here my only son |
Knows not my feeble key of untun'd cares? |
Though now this grained face of mine be hid |
In sap-consuming winter's drizzled snow, |
And all the conduits of my blood froze up, |
Yet hath my night of life some memory, |
My wasting lamps some fading glimmer left, |
My dull deaf ears a little use to hear; |
All these old witnesses-I cannot err- |
Tell me thou art my son Antipholus. |
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS. I never saw my father in my life. |
AEGEON. But seven years since, in Syracuse, boy, |
Thou know'st we parted; but perhaps, my son, |
Thou sham'st to acknowledge me in misery. |
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS. The Duke and all that know me in |
the city Can witness with me that it is not so: |
I ne'er saw Syracuse in my life. |
DUKE. I tell thee, Syracusian, twenty years |
Have I been patron to Antipholus, |
During which time he ne'er saw Syracuse. |
I see thy age and dangers make thee dote. |
Re-enter the ABBESS, with ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE and DROMIO OF SYRACUSE |
ABBESS. Most mighty Duke, behold a man much wrong'd. |
[All gather to see them] |
ADRIANA. 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? |
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE. I, sir, am Dromio; command him away. |
DROMIO OF EPHESUS. I, Sir, am Dromio; pray let me stay. |
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE. Aegeon, art thou not? or else his |
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE. O, my old master! who hath bound |
ABBESS. Whoever bound him, I will loose his bonds, |
And gain a husband by his liberty. |
Speak, old Aegeon, if thou be'st the man |
That hadst a wife once call'd Aemilia, |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.