As this is false he burthens me withal!

Luc. Ne'er may I look on day, nor sleep on night, 210 But she tells to your Highness simple truth!

Ang. O perjured woman! They are both forsworn: In this the madman justly chargeth them.

Ant. E. My liege, I am advised what I say;
Neither disturbed with the effect of wine,
Nor heady-rash, provoked with raging ire,
Albeit my wrongs might make one wiser mad.
This woman lock'd me out this day from dinner :
That goldsmith there, were he not pack'd with her,
Could witness it, for he was with me then;
Who parted with me to go fetch a chain,
Promising to bring it to the Porpentine,
Where Balthazar and I did dine together.
Our dinner done, and he not coming thither,
I went to seek him in the street I met him,
And in his company that gentleman.

215

220

225

There did this perjured goldsmith swear me down
That I this day of him received the chain,

Which, God he knows, I saw not: for the which

He did arrest me with an officer.

I did obey; and sent my peasant home

For certain ducats: he with none return'd.
Then fairly I bespoke the officer

To go in person with me to my house.

230

By the way we met my wife, her sister, and a rabble more Of vile confederates. Along with them

209 burthens] burdens Johnson. 212, 213 [To Mer. Capell.

222 Porpentine] Porcupine Rowe.

228 of] F1. from F2F3F4.

235 By the way] To which he yielded: by the way Capell, making two verses of 235. See note (x).

more] om. Long MS.

236

235, 236 Pope ends these lines and...

confederates.

236 vile] Rowe (ed. 2). vilde F1F2F3. vild F4

Along with them] om. Pope.

They brought one Pinch, a hungry lean-faced villain,
A mere anatomy, a mountebank,

A threadbare juggler, and a fortune-teller,
A needy, hollow-eyed, sharp-looking wretch,
A living dead man: this pernicious slave,
Forsooth, took on him as a conjurer;
And, gazing in mine eyes, feeling my pulse,
And with no face, as 'twere, outfacing me,
Cries out, I was possess'd. Then all together
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

240

245

250

Ran hither to your Grace; whom I beseech
To give me ample satisfaction

For these deep shames and great indignities.

Ang. My lord, in truth, thus far I witness with him, That he dined not at home, but was lock'd out.

255

Duke. But had he such a chain of thee or no?

Ang. He had, my lord: and when he ran in here, These people saw the chain about his neck.

260

Sec. Mer. Besides, I will be sworn these ears of mine Heard confess you 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.

Ant. E. I never came within these abbey-walls;
Nor ever didst thou draw thy sword on me:

245 all together] Rowe. altogether Ff.
247 And in] Into Lettsom conj.
248 There] They Dyce, ed. 2 (Collier
MS.).

249 in sunder] F1. asunder FFF4. 251 hither] hether F1.

264 come] come out Long MS.

265

I never saw the chain, so help me Heaven!
And this is false you burthen me withal.

Duke. Why, what an intricate impeach is this!
I think you all have drunk of Circe's cup.

If here you housed him, here he would have been;
If he were mad, he would not plead so coldly:
You say he dined at home; the goldsmith here
Denies that saying. Sirrah, what say you?

270

Dro. E. Sir, he dined with her there, at the Porpentine. Cour. He did; and from my finger snatch'd that ring. Ant. E. 'Tis true, my liege; this ring I had of her. Duke. Saw'st thou him enter at the abbey here? 278 Cour. 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.

281

[Exit one to the Abbess. Ege. 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. 285 Æge. Is not your name, sir, call'd Antipholus?

And is not that your bondman, Dromio?

Dro. E. 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.

Æge. I am sure you both of you remember me.
Dro. E. 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?

290

Ege. Why look you strange on me? you know me well.

Ant. E. I never saw you 267, 268 chain,so...Heaven! And] chain. So...heaven As Dyce.

269 burthen] burden Johnson. 281 mad] made F2.

in my life till now.

[Exit...] FF. Enter...F3F4.
287 that] om. Singer (ed. 1).
291 you both] F1 both FF3F4.

296

Ege. O, grief hath changed 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? Ant. E. Neither.

Ege. Dromio, nor thou?
Dro. E.

No, trust me, sir, nor I.

Ege. I am sure thou dost.

300

305

310

Dro. E. Ay, sir, but I am sure I do not; and whatso-
ever 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
In seven short years, that here my only son
Knows not my feeble key of untuned 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.

Ant. E. I never saw my father in my life.
Ege. But seven years since, in Syracusa, boy,

298 deformed] deforming Capell.

302, 303 No...dost.] One line in Steevens

(1793).

304 Ay, sir,] Capell. I sir, Ff. I, sir,

Rowe. I, sir? Pope. om. Hanmer, reading as verse. Ay, sir? Malone. 304, 305 Printed as verse by Capell: But...whatsoever A...him.

307 crack'd and splitted] crack'd my voice split Collier MS.

309 of untuned cares] untuned of cares Anon. conj.

315

cares] care S. Walker conj. ears
Anon. conj.

314 lamps] lamp Rowe (ed. 2)
316 All] And all Rowe.

old] hold Warburton.

witnesses-I cannot err— -] witnesses, I cannot err, Rowe. witnesses, I cannot erre. Ff. witnesses that (or which) cannot err so quoted by Dodd. 319 Syracusa, boy] Capell. Siracusa boy Ff. Syracusa bay Rowe. Syracusa's bay Hanmer.

Thou know'st we parted: but perhaps, my son,
Thou shamest to acknowledge me in misery.

320

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.

Re-enter Abbess, with ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse and DROMIO of

Syracuse.

325

Abb. Most mighty Duke, behold a man much wrong'd. [All gather to see them. Adr. I see two husbands, or mine eyes deceive me. 330 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. E. I, sir, am Dromio; pray, let me stay. Ant. S. Egeon art thou not? or else his ghost? Dro. S. O, my old master! who hath bound him here? Abb. Whoever bound him, I will loose his bonds,

And gain a husband by his liberty.

Speak, old Ægeon, if thou be'st the man
That hadst a wife once call'd Æmilia,
That bore thee at a burthen two fair sons:
O, if thou be'st the same Ægeon, speak,
And speak unto the same Emilia !

327 Syracusa] Syracuse Collier MS.
328 Re-enter...] Dyce. Enter the Ab-

besse with Antipholus Siracusa (Siracusan FF4. Syracusan F3), and Dromio Sir. (Sirac. F2F3F4). Ff. 329 SCENE VII. Pope.

VOL, I.

335

340

[All...them.] All...him. Warbur

ton.

332 these. Which] these, which Ff.
338 loose] lose F1.

342 burthen] burden Warburton.

33