Who, but for staying on our controversy,
Had hoisted sail, and put to sea to-day.
This jewel you had of me-Can you deny it?
Ant. of Syr. I know I had-I never did deny it.
Cha. Yes, that you did, sir-and forswore it too.
Ant. of Syr. Who heard me to deny or to for-
swear it?

Cha. These ears of mine, thou knowest well, did hear thee.

Fie on thee, wretch! 'tis pity that thou livest
To walk where any honest men resort.

Ant. of Syr. Thou art a villain to impeach me thus:

I'll prove mine honour and mine honesty
Against thee with my life, if thou darest stand it.
Cha. I dare, and do defy thee for a villain !

Enter ADRIANA, LUCIANA, LESBIA, and
Dr PINCH'S Servants.

Adr. Hold! hurt him not, for Heaven's sake!he's mad!

Dro. of Syr. Run, master, run for Heaven's sake! take house!

This is some priory;-in, or we are spoil'd!

[Exeunt into the Priory-the rest following. Adr. Pursue them, I beseech ye-bring them back. Enter the ABBESS and two Sisters from the Priory. Abbess. Be quiet, people! wherefore throng ye hither?

Adr. To fetch my poor distracted husband hence.
Let us come in, that we may bind him fast,
And bear him home for his recovery.

Angelo. I knew he was not in his perfect wits.
Cha. I'm sorry now that I did draw upon him.
Abbess. How long hath this possession held the
man?

Adr. This week he hath been heavy, sour, and sad,

And much, much different from the man he was :
But, till this afternoon, his fatal passion

Ne'er broke into extremity of rage.

Abbess. Hath he not lost much wealth by wreck at sea?

Buried some dear friend? Hath not else his eye
Stray'd his affection in unlawful love?

A sin, prevailing much in youthful men,
Who give their eyes the liberty of gazing!——
Which of these sorrows is he subject to?

Adr. To none of them, except it be the last, Namely, some love, that drew him oft from home. Abbess. You should for that have reprehended him.

Adr. Why, so I did.

Abbess. Ay, but not rough enough.

Adr. As roughly as my modesty would let me.
Abbess. Haply in private.

Adr. And in assemblies too.
Abbess. Ay, but not enough.

Adr. It was the copy of our conference-
In bed, he slept not for my urging it;
At board, he fed not for my urging it;
Alone, it was the subject of my theme;
In company, I often glanced at it;
Still did I tell him, it was vile and base.

Abbess. And therefore came it that the man was mad.

The venom'd clamours of a jealous woman
Poison more deadly than a mad dog's tooth!
It seems, his sleeps were hinder'd by thy railing,
And therefore comes it, that his head is light.
Thou say'st his meat was sauced with thy up-
braidings;

Unquiet meals make ill digestions;

Thereof the raging fire of fever's bred

And what's a fever, but a fit of madness?

Thou say'st his sports were hinder'd with thy brawls;

Sweet recreation barr'd, what doth ensue
But moody, mopish, and dull melancholy,
Kinsman to grim and comfortless despair?
And at her heels, a huge, infectious troop
Of pale distemperatures, and foes to life?
The consequence is then, thy jealousies
Have scared thy husband from his better sense.
Luc. She never reprehended him but gently,
When he demean'd himself rough, rude, and wild.
Why bear you these rebukes, and answer not?

Adr. She did betray me to my own reproof.
Good people, enter, and lay hold on him.

Abbess. No, not a creature enters in my house. Adr. Then let your servants bring my husband forth.

Abbess. Neither-he took this place for sanctuary; And it shall privilege him from your hands, Till I have brought him to his wits again, Or lose my labour in essaying it.

Adr. I will attend my husband; be his nurse,
Diet his sickness; for it is my office,

And therefore let me have him home with me.
Abbess. Be patient, for I will not let him stir
Till I have used th' approved means I know,
With wholesome syrups, drugs, and holy prayers,
To bring him to his former state again.

It is a branch and parcel of my oath,

A charitable duty of my order;

Therefore depart, and leave him here with me.
Adr. I will not hence and leave my husband here.
And ill it doth beseem your holiness

To separate the husband and the wife.

Abbess. Be quiet, and depart-thou shalt not have

him.

[Exeunt ABBESS and SISTERS to the Priory. Luc. Complain unto the Duke of this indignity. Adr. Come, then, I will fall prostrate at his feet, And never rise, until my prayers and tears

F

Have won his grace to come in person hither,
And take, perforce, my husband from this Abbess.
Cha. By this I think the dial points at five.
Anon, I'm sure the Duke himself, in person,
Comes this way to the melancholy vale;
The place of death, and sorry execution,
Behind the ditches of the abbey here.
Angelo. Upon what cause?

Cha. To see a reverend Syracusan merchant,
Who put unluckily into this bay,

Against the laws and statutes of this town,

Beheaded publicly for his offence.

Angelo. See where they come! we will behold his death.

Luc. Kneel to the Duke, before he pass the abbey. Enter DUKE, ÆGEON, EXECUTIONER, OFFICERS, and GUARDS.

Duke. Yet once again proclaim it publicly,

If any friend will pay the sum for him,

He shall not die; so much we tender him.

Adr. Justice, most sacred Duke, against the Ab

bess!

Duke. She is a virtuous, and a reverend lady!

It cannot be that she has done thee

wrong.

Adr. May it please your grace, Antipholis, my husband,

Whom I made lord of me, and all I had,
At your important letters, this ill day,

A most outrageous fit of madness seized him;
That desperately he hurried through the street,
With him his bondman, all as mad as he,
Doing displeasure to the citizens,

By rushing in their houses, bearing thence
Rings, jewels, any thing his rage did like.
Once did I get him bound, and sent him home,
Whilst to take order for the wrongs, I went,
Which here and there his fury had committed.

Anon (I wot not by what strong escape)
He broke from those who had the guard of him,
And, with his mad attendant, with drawn swords,
Met us again, and madly bent on us,

Chased us away; till, raising of more aid,
We came again to bind them-then they fled
Into this abbey, whither we pursued them;
But here the abbess shuts the gates on us,
And will not suffer us to fetch him out,

Nor send him forth, that we may bear him hence. Therefore, most gracious Duke, with thy command, Let him be brought forth, and borne hence for help. Duke. Long since, thy husband served me in my

wars,

And I to thee engaged a prince's word,
When thou did'st make him master of thy bed,
To do him all the good and grace I could.
Go, some of ye, knock at the abbey gate,
And bid the lady abbess come to me.

I will determine this before I stir.

[Exit a Gentleman.

Enter BRIDget.

Bridg. Oh, mistress, mistress! haste and save yourself!

My master and his man are both broke loose! Adr. Peace, fool! thy master and his man are here,

And that is false thou dost report to us.

Bridg. Mistress, upon my life I tell you true, I have not breathed almost since I did see them. Hark! hark! I hear them, mistress-fly! begone! [Exit BRIDGET. Duke. Fear nothing; I'll protect you.

Adr. Ah, me! it is my husband! Witness all

That he is borne about invisible !

Even now we housed him in the abbey there,
And now he's here, past thought of human reason.