Straight after did I meet him with a chain.

Adr. It may be so, but I did never see it.— Come, jailer, bring me where the goldsmith is; I long to know the truth hereof at large.

Enter ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE, with his rapier drawn, and DROMIO OF SYRACUSE.

Luc. God, for thy mercy! they are loose again. Adr. And come with naked swords: let's call more help,

To have them bound again.

Off.

Away; they'll kill us. [Exeunt Officer, Adr. and Luc. Ant. S. I see, these witches are afraid of swords. Dro. S. She, that would be your wife, now ran

from you.

Ant. S. Come to the Centaur; fetch our stuff 1 from thence:

I long, that we were safe and sound aboard.

Dro. S. Faith, stay here this night: they will surely do us no harm; you saw, they speak us fair, give us gold methinks, they are such a gentle nation, that but for the mountain of mad flesh that claims marriage of me, I could find in my heart to stay here still, and turn witch.

Ant. S. I will not stay to-night for all the town; Therefore away, to get our stuff aboard. [Exeunt.

1 Baggage.

ACT V.

SCENE 1.

The same. Before an abbey.

Enter MERCHANT and ANGELO.

Ang. I am sorry, sir, that I have hinder'd you; But, I protest, he had the chain of me, Though most dishonestly he doth deny it.

Mer. How is the man esteem'd here in the city?
Ang. Of very reverent reputation, sir;

Of credit infinite; highly beloved;
Second to none that lives here in the city.

His word might bear my wealth at any time.
Mer. Speak softly: yonder, as I think, he walks.

Enter ANTIPHOLUS and DROMIO OF SYRACUSE.

Ang. 'Tis so; and that self chain about his neck, Which he forswore, most monstrously, to have. Good sir, draw near to me, I'll speak to him. Signior Antipholus, I wonder much

That you would put me to this shame and trouble;
And, not without some scandal to yourself,
With circumstance, and oaths, so to deny
This chain, which now you wear so openly:
Beside the charge, the shame, imprisonment,
You have done wrong to this my honest friend;
Who, but for staying on our controversy,
Had hoisted sail, and put to sea to-day.

This chain you had of me; can you deny it?
Ant. S. I think, I had; I never did deny it.
Mer. Yes, that you did, sir; and forswore it too.
Ant. S. Who heard me to deny it, or forswear it?
Mer. These ears of mine, thou knowest, did hear
thee.

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

Ant. S. Thou art a villain, to impeach me thus:
I'll prove mine honor and mine honesty
Against thee presently, if thou darest stand.
Mer. I dare, and do defy thee for a villain.

[they draw.

Enter ADRIANA, LUCIANA, COURTEZAN, and others.

Adr. Hold, hurt him not, for God's sake; he is

mad :

Some get within him,1 take his sword away :
Bind Dromio too, and bear them to my house.
Dro. S. Run, master, run; for God's sake, take
a house.2

This is some priory.-In, or we are spoil'd.

[Exeunt Ant. S. and Dro. S. to the abbey.

Enter ABBESS.

Abb. Be quiet, people. Wherefore throng you hither?

1 Close, grapple with him.

2 Go into a house.

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.

Ang. I knew, he was not in his perfect wits.
Mer. I am sorry now that I did draw on him.

Abb. How long hath this possession held the man?

Adr. This week he hath been heavy, sour, sad, And much different from the man he was;

But, till this afternoon, his passion

Ne'er brake into extremity of rage.

Abb. Hath he not lost much wealth by wreck of sea?

Buried some dear friend? Hath not else his
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?

eye

Adr. To none of these, except it be the last; Namely, some love, that drew him oft from home. Abb. You should for that have reprehended him. Adr. Why, so I did.

Abb.

Ay, but not rough enough.
Adr. As roughly as my modesty would let me.

Abb. Haply, in private.

Adr.

And in assemblies too.

Abb. Ay, but not enough.

1

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 it;

Still did I tell him it was vile and bad.

Abb. And thereof came it that the man was mad. The venom clamors of a jealous woman

Poison more deadly than a mad dog's tooth.

It seems, his sleeps were hinder'd by thy railing ;
And thereof comes it that his head is light.

Thou say'st, his meat was sauced with thy upbraidings:

Unquiet meals make ill digestions,

Thereof the raging fire of fever bred;

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

Thou say'st, his sports were hinder'd by thy brawls :
Sweet recreation barr'd, what doth ensue,
But moody and dull melancholy,
Kinsman to grim and comfortless despair;
And, at their heels, a huge infectious troop
Of pale distemperatures, and foes to life?
In food, in sport, and life-preserving rest
To be disturb'd, would mad or man or beast:
The consequence is then, thy jealous fits
Have scared thy husband from the use of wits.

Luc. She never reprehended him but mildly,

When he demean'd himself rough, rude, and

wildly.

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.