Most bounteous sir, Look, if it please you, on this man condemn'd, As if my brother liv'd. I partly think, A due sincerity govern'd his deeds, Till he did look on me : since it is so,
Let him not die. My brother had but justice,
In that he did the thing for which he died:
For Angelo,
His act did not o'ertake his bad intent;
And must be buried but as an intent
That perish'd by the way: thoughts are no
Intents but merely thoughts. [subjects;
Mari.
Merely, my lord.
Duke. Your suit's unprofitable; stand up, I
I have bethought me of another fault.Provost, how came it Claudio was beheaded At an unusual hour?
Prov. It was commanded so. Duke. Had you a special warrant for the deed? [message. Prov. No, my good lord; it was by private Duke. For which I do discharge you of your Give up your keys. [office; Prov. Pardon me, noble lord: I thought it was a fault, but knew it not; Yet did repent me, after more advice: For testimony whereof, one in the prison, That should by private order else have died, I have reserv'd alive.
Duke.
Prov
His name is Barnardine.
Duke. I would thou hadst done so by
Claudio.-
Go, fetch him hither; let me look upon him.
[Exit Provost.
Escal. I am sorry, one so learned and so wise
As you, lord Angelo, have still appear'd,
Should slip so grossly, both in the heat of blood,
And lack of temper'd judgment afterward.
Ang. I am sorry that such sorrow I procure:
And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart,
That I crave death more willingly than mercy;
Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it.
Re-enter Provost, with Barnardine, Claudio,
muffled, and Juliet.
Duke. Which is that Barnardine?
Prov.
This, my lord.
Duke. There was a friar told me of this
Sirrah, thou art said to have a stubborn soul, That apprehends no further than this world,
And squar'st thy life according. Thou 'rt condemned:
But, for those earthly faults, I quit them ali;
And pray thee, take this mercy to provide
For better times to come.-Friar, advise him;
I leave him to your hand.-What muffled fel-
low's that?
Prov. This is another prisoner that I sav'd, That should have died when Claudio lost his As like almost to Claudio as himself. [head; [Unmuffles Claudio. Duke. [To Isabella.] If he be like your
Is he pardon'd; and, for your lovely sake,
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 safe :
Methinks I see a quick'ning in his eye.--
Well, Angelo, your evil quits you well:
Look that you love your wife; her worth,
worth yours.—
I find an apt remission in myself; [don And yet here's one in place I cannot par[To Lucio.] You, sirrah, that knew me for a fool, a coward,
One all of luxury, an ass, a madman;
Wherein have I so deserv'd of you,
That you extol me thus.?
Lucio. 'Faith, my lord, I spoke it but according to the trick. If you will hang me for it, you may; but I had rather it would please you I might be whipped.
Duke. Whipp'd first, sir, and hang'd after. Proclaim it, provost, round about the city, If any woman's wrong'd by this lewd fellow, (As I have heard him swear, himself, there's one Whom he begot with child,) let her appear, And he shall marry her: the nuptial finish'd, Let him be whipp'd and hang'd.
Lucio. I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a whore! Your highness said even now, I made you a duke: good my lord, do not recompense me in making me a cuckold.
Duke. Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal Remit thy other forfeits.--Take him to prison; And see our pleasure herein executed.
Lucio. Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging.
Duke. Slandering a prince deserves it.She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you re
Joy to you, Mariana !-love her. Angelo:
I have confess d her, and I know her virtue.
Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much
goodness;
There's more behind that is more gratulate.—
Thanks, provost, for thy care and secrecy :
We shall employ thee in a worthier place.-
Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home
The head of Ragozine for Claudio's:
The offence pardons itself.- Dear Isabel,
I have a motion much imports your good; ̧
Whereto if you'll a willing ear incline,
So, bring us to our palace; where we'll show
What's mine is yours, and what is yours is What's yet behind, that's meet you all should
Solinus, Duke of Ephesus.
Ægeon, a Merchant of Syracuse.
DRAMATIS PERSONE.
Angelo, a Goldsmith.
Merchant, friend to Antipholus of Syracuse.
Twin Brothers, sons Pinch, a Schoolmaster and a Conjurer.
to Ægeon and Emilia, wife to Egeon, an Abbess at Ephesus.
Emilia.
Adriana, Wife to Antipholus of Ephesus.
Twin Brothers, attend- Luciana, her Sister.
ants on the two Anti-Luce, servant to Adriana.
pholuses.
A Courtezan.
Gaoler, Officers, and other Attendants.
SCENE I.-A Hall in the Duke's Palace. Enter Duke, Ægeon, Gaoler, Officers, and other Attendants.
Ege. Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall,
And by the doom of death end woes and all.
Duke. Merchant of Syracusa, plead no more.
I am not partial, to infringe our laws :
The enmity and discord which of late [duke
Sprung from the rancorous outrage of your
To merchants, our well-dealing countrymen,-
Who, wanting gilders to redeem their lives,
Have seal'd his rigorous statutes with their
bloods,
Excludes all pity from our threat'ning looks.
For, since the mortal and intestine jars
'Twixt thy seditious countrymen and us,
It hath in solemn synods been decreed,
Both by the Syracusans and ourselves,
To admit no traffic to our adverse towns:
Nay, more, if any, born at Ephesus,
Be seen at Syracusan marts and fairs;
Again, if any Syracusan born
Come to the bay of Ephesus, he dies,
His goods confiscate to the duke's dispose,
Unless a thousand marks be levied,
To quit the penalty and to ransom him.
Thy substance, valued at the highest rate,
Cannot amount unto a hundred marks;
Therefore, by law thou art condemn'd to die.
Ege. Yet this my comfort,-when your
words are done,
My woes end likewise with the evening sun.
Duke. Well, Syracusan, say, in brief, the
Why thou departedst from thy native home,
And for what cause thou cam'st to Ephesus.
Ege. A heavier task could not have been
impos'd,
Than I to speak 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 sorrow gives me leave.
In Syracusa 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 prosperous voyages I often made
To Epidamnum; till my factor's death,
And the great care of goods at random left,
Drew me from kind embracements of my
[old,
From home my absence was not six months
Before herself (almost at fainting under
The pleasing punishment that women bear)
Had made provision for her following me,
And soon and safe arrived where I was.
There had she not been long, but she became
A joyful mother of two goodly sons; [other,
And, which was strange, the one so like the
As could not be distinguish'd but by names.
That very hour, and in the self-same inn,
A poor mean woman was delivered
Of such a burden, male twins, both alike.
Those, for their parents were exceeding
poor,--
I bought, and brought up to attend my sons.
My wife, not meanly proud of two such boys,
Made daily motions for our home return;
Unwilling I agreed. Alas, too soon,
We came aboard;
A league from Epidamnum had we sail'd,
Before the always wind-obeying deep
Gave any tragic instance of our harm:
But longer did we not retain much hope;
For what obscured light the heavens did grant,
Did but convey unto our fearful minds
A doubtful warrant of immediate death;
Which, though myself would gladly have em-
brac'd,
Yet the incessant weepings of my wife,
Whom whilst I labour'd of a love to see,
I hazarded the loss of whom I lov'd.
Five summers have I spent in farthest Greece,
Roaming clean through the bounds of Asia;
And, coasting homeward, came to Ephesus,
Hopeless to find, yet loth to leave unsought
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 Egeon, whom the fates
have mark'd
To bear the extremity of dire mishap!
Weeping before for what she saw must come,
And piteous plainings of the pretty babes,
That mourn'd for fashion, ignorant what to fear,
Forc'd me to seek delays for them and me.
And this it was, -for other means was none.
The sailors sought for safety by our boat,
And left the ship, then sinking-ripe, to us:
My wife, more careful for the latter-born,
Had fasten'd him unto a small spare mast,
Such as sea-faring men provide for storms:
To him one of the other twins was bound,
Whilst I had been like heedful of the other.
The children thus dispos'd, my wife and I,
Fixing our eyes on whom our care was fix'd,Now, trust me, were it not against our laws,
Fasten'd ourselves at either end the mast;
And floating straight, obedient to the stream,
Were carried towards Corinth as we thought.
At length, the sun, gazing upon the earth,
Dispers'd those vapours that offended us;
And, by the benefit of his wish'd light,
The seas wax'd calm, and we discovered
Two ships from far making amain to us;
Of Corinth that, of Epidaurus this:
But ere they came,-Ö, let me say no more!
Gather the sequel by that went before.
Duke. Nay, forward, old man; do not
break off so;
For we may pity, though not pardon thee.
Ege. O, had the gods done so, I had not now
Worthily term'd them merciless to us!
For, ere the ships could meet by twice five
leagues,
We were encounter'd by a mighty rock;
Which being violently borne upon,
Our helpful ship was splitted in the midst;
So that, in this unjust divorce of us,
Fortune had left to both of us alike
What to delight in, what to sorrow for.
Her part, poor soul! seeming as burdened
With lesser weight, but not with lesser woe,
Was carried with more speed before the wind;
And in our sight they three were taken up
By fishermen of Corinth, as we thought.
At length, another ship had seiz'd on us;
And, knowing whom it was their hap to save,
Gave healthful welcome to their shipwreck'd
guests;
And would have reft the fishers of their prey,
Had not their bark been very slow of sail,
And therefore homeward did they bend their
Thus have you heard me sever'd from my bliss;
That by misfortunes was my life prolong'd,
To tell sad stories of my own mishaps.
Duke. And, for the sake of them thou
sorrowest for,
Do me the favour to dilate at full
What hath befall'n of them, and thee, till now.
Ege. My youngest boy, and yet my eldest
At eighteen years became inquisitive [care,
After his brother; and importun'd me,
That his attendant (for his case was like,
Reft of his brother, but retain'd his name),
Might bear him company in the quest of him:
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 life by beneficial help.
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.
[wend, Age. Hopeless, and helpless, doth Ægeon But to procrastinate his lifeless end. [Exeunt.
SCENE II.-A public Place.
Enter Antipholus of Syracuse, Dromio of
Syracuse, and a Merchant.
Mer. Therefore, give out you are of Epi-
damnum,
Lest that your goods too soon be confiscate.
This very day, a Syracusan 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.
Ant. S. Go bear it to the Centaur, where
Here comes the almanack of my true date.
What now? How chance thou art return'd so
soon?
[too late
Dro. E. Return'd so soon! rather approach'd
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.
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But not a thousand marks between you both.
If I should pay your worship those again,
Perchance you will not bear them patiently.
Ant. S. Thy mistress' marks? what mis-
tress, slave, hast thou?
Dro. E. Your worship's wife, my mistress
at the Phoenix;
She that doth fast till you come home to dinner,
And prays that you will hie you home to dinner.
Ant. S. What, wilt thou flout me thus unto
my face,
Being forbid? There, take you that, sir knave.
Dro. E. What mean you, sir? for God's
sake, hold your hands!
Nay, an you will not, sir, I'll take my heels.
[Exit.
Ant. S. Upon my life, by some device or
other,
The villain is o'er-raught of all my money. They say this town is full of cozenage; As, nimble jugglers that deceive the eye, Dark-working sorcerers that change the mind, Soul-killing witches that deform the body, [you? Disguised cheaters, prating mountebanks, Where have you left the money that I gave And many such like liberties of sin : Dro. E. O,-sixpence, that I had o' Wed-If it prove so, I will be gone the sooner. nesday last I'll to the Centaur, to go seek this slave: I greatly fear my money is not safe.
Ant. S. Stop in your wind, sir: tell me this,
I pray,
To pay the saddler for my mistress' crupper :-
The saddler had it, sir; I kept it not.
Ant, S. 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?
Dro. E. 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
SCENE I.-Antipholus's House.
Enter Adriana and Luciana.
But hath his bound, in earth, in sea, in sky:
The beasts, the fishes, and the winged fowls,
Are their males' subjects, and at their controls:
Men, more divine, the masters of all these,
Lords of the wide world, and wild wat ry seas,
Indu'd with intellectual sense and souls,
Of more pre-eminence than fish and fowls,
Are masters to their females, and their lords:
Then, let your will attend on their accords.
Adr. This servitude makes you to keep
[bed.
Luc. Not this, but troubles of the marriage-
Adr. But, were you wedded, you would
hear some sway?
Luc. Ere I learn love, I'll practise to obey. Adr. How if your husband start some other where?
[bear. Luc. Till he come home again, I would forAdr. Patience unmov'd, no marvel though
They can be meek, that have no other cause.
A wretched soul, bruis'd with adversity,
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 com-
plain :
[thee,
So thou, that hast no unkind mate to grieve
With urging helpless patience wouldst relieve
But, if thou live to see like right bereft, [me;
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 Ephesus.
Adr. Say, is your tardy master now at hand?
Dro. E. Nay, he's at two hands with me,
and that my two ears can witness.
Adr. Say, didst thou speak with him?
Know'st thou his mind?
Dr. E. Ay, ay, he told his mind upon mine ear: beshrew his hand, I scarce could understand it.
Luc. Spake he so doubtfully, thou couldst not feel his meaning?
I know not thy mistress; out on thy mistress!'
Luc. Quoth who?
Dro. E. Quoth my master: [mistress."
"I know," quoth he, "no house, no wife, no
So that my errand, due unto my tongue,
I thank him, I bear home upon my shoulders;
For, in conclusion, he did beat me there.
Adr. Go back again, thou slave, and fetch
him home.
[home?
Dro. E. Go back again, and be new beaten
For God's sake, send some other messenger!
Adr. Back, slave, or I will break thy pate
[other beating:
Dro. E. And he will bless that cross with
Between you, I shall have a holy head.
Adr. Hence, prating peasant! fetch thy
master home.
[with me,
Dro. E. Am I so round with you, as you
That like a football you do spurn me thus?
You spurn me hence, and he will spurn me
hither:
If I last in this service, you must case me in
leather.
[Exit.
[grace,
Luc. Fie, how impatience loureth in your
face!
Adr. His company must do his minions
Whilst I at home starve for a merry look.
Hath homely age th' alluring beauty took
From my poor cheek? then, he hath wasted it:
Are my discourses dull? barren my wit?
If voluble and sharp discourse be marr'd,
Unkindness blunts it more than marble hard :
Do their gay vestments 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 rot ruin'd? then is he the ground
Of my defeatures. My decayed fair
A sunny look of his would soon repair ;
But, too unruly deer, he breaks the pale,
And feeds from home: poor I am but his stale.
Luc. Self-harming jealousy !-fie, beat it
[dispense.
Adr. Unfeeling fools can with such wrongs I know his eye doth homage other where, Dre. E. Nay, he struck so plainly, I could Or else, what lets it but he would be here? too well feel his blows; and withal so doubt-Sister, you know he promis'd me a chain : fully, that I could scarce understand them. Would that alone, alone he would detain, Adr. But say, I pr'ythee, is he coming home? So he would keep fair quarter with his bed! It seems, he hath great care to please his wife. I see, the jewel best enamelled [still Dro. E. Why, mistress, sure my master is Will lose his beauty; and though gold bides Adr. Horn-mad, thou villain! [horn-mad. That others touch, yet often touching will I mean not cuckold-mad; Wear gold: and no man that hath a name, By falsehood and corruption doth it shame. Since that my beauty cannot please his eye, I'll weep what's left away, and weeping die. Luc. How many fond fools serve mad jealousy! [Exeunt.
But, sure, he is stark mad.
When I desir'd him to come home to dinner,
He ask'd me for a thousand marks in gold:
"Tis dinner time," quoth I; "My gold," |
quoth he:
[quoth he:
Your meat doth burn," quoth I; "My gold,"
"Will you come home?" quoth I:
"Where is the thousand marks I gave thee,
SCENE II.-A public Place.
Enter Antipholus of Syracuse.
Ant. S. The gold I gave to Dromio is laid
"The pig," quoth I, "is burn'd;' "My Safe at the Centaur : and the heedful slave [up [mistress! Is wander'd forth, in care to seek me out.
"My mistress, sir," quoth I: "Hang up thy By computation and mine host's report,
|