[Enter ANTIPHOLUS and DROMIO OF EPHESUS.]
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS.
Justice, most gracious duke; oh, grant me justice!
Even for the service that long since I did thee,
When I bestrid thee in the wars, and took
Deep scars to save thy life; even for the blood
That then I lost for thee, now grant me justice.
AEGEON.
Unless the fear of death doth make me dote,
I see my son Antipholus, and Dromio.
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS.
Justice, sweet prince, against that woman there.
She whom thou gav’st to me to be my wife;
That hath abused and dishonour’d me
Even in the strength and height of injury!
Beyond imagination is the wrong
That she this day hath shameless thrown on me.
DUKE.
Discover how, and thou shalt find me just.
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS.
This day, great duke, she shut the doors upon me,
While she with harlots feasted in my house.
DUKE.
A grievous fault. Say, woman, didst thou so?
ADRIANA.
No, my good lord;—myself, he, and my sister,
To-day did dine together. So befall my soul
As this is false he burdens me withal!
LUCIANA.
Ne’er may I look on day nor sleep on night
But she tells to your highness simple truth!
ANGELO.
O peflur’d woman! they are both forsworn.
In this the madman justly chargeth them.
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS.
My liege, I am advised what I say;
Neither disturb’d with the effect of wine,
Nor, heady-rash, provok’d 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 Porcupine,
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.
There did this perjur’d goldsmith swear me down,
That I this day of him receiv’d 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.
By the way we met
My wife, her sister, and a rabble more
Of vile confederates: along with them
They brought one Pinch; a hungry lean-faced villain,
A mere anatomy, a mountebank,
A threadbare juggler, and a fortune-teller;
A needy, hollow-ey’d, 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 altogether
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.
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.
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 dined with her there, at the Porcupine.
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 an Attendant.]
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