SCENE II.

A Street.

Enter ANTIPHOLIS OF SYRACUSE, DROVIO OF

SYRACUSE, and First MERCHANT.

1 Mer. Therefore, give out you are of Epidam

num, Lest that your goods be forfeit to the state. This very day, a Syracusan merchant Is apprehended for arrival here; And, not being able to buy out his life, Dies ere the weary sun sets in the west. There is your money, which I had to keep. Ant. of Syr. Go, bear it to the Centaur, where we

host, And stay there, Dromio, till I come to thee. Within this hour it will be dinner-time; Till then I'll view the manners of the town, Peruse the traders, gaze upon the buildings, And then return, and sleep within mine inn; For, with long travel, I am sick and weary. Get thee away! Dro. of Syr. Many a man would take you at your

word, And go away, indeed, having so great A treasure in his charge. Of what strength do You conceive my honesty, good master, That you dare put it to such temptation? Ant. of Syr. Of proof against a greater charge than

this:

Were it remiss, thy love would strengthen it:
I think thou wouldst not wrong me if thou couldst.
Dro. of Syr. I hope I should not, sir; but there is

such
A thing as trusting too far.-Odds heart! 'tis
A weighty matter, and, if balanc'd in
A steelyard against my honesty,
I doubt-

Ant. of Syr. That very doubt is my security.---
No further argument, but speed away.
Dro. of Syr. Ay, but master, you know the old

saying Ant. of Syr. Then thou hast no occasion to tell it

me.--

Begone, I say.- [Exit Dromio Or SYRACUSE.
A trusty villain, sir, that very oft,
When I am dull with care and melancholy,
Lightens my humour, with his merry jests.-
What, will you walk with me about the town,
And then go to the inn, and dine with me?

1 Mer. I am invited, sir, to certain merchants,
Of whom I hope to make much benefit.
I crave your pardon-but, at five o'clock,
Please you, I'll meet you

here
upon

the mart,
And afterwards consort with you till bed-time.
My present business calls me from you now.
Ant. of Syr. Farewell till then. I will lose

myself, Ani? ander

up

and down to view the city. 1 Mer. Sir, I commend you to your own content.

[Exit. Ant. of Syr. He, that commends me to my own

content,
Commends me to the thing I cannot get.
I, to the world, am like a drop of water,
That in the ocean seeks another drop;
Who, failing there, to find his fellow out,
Unseen, inquisitive, confounds himself:

go

So I, to find a mother, and a brother,
In search of them, unhappy, lose myself.-

Enter DROMIO OF EPH ESUS.

How now! How chance thou art return'd so soon? Dro. of Eph. Return'd so soon ! Rather approach'd

too late 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. Ant. of Syr. Stop in your wind, sir;~tell me this,

I

pray, Where have you left the money,

that I gave you? Dro. of Eph. Money !- Oh, the money that I

had on

Wednesday last, to pay for mending my
Mistress's saddle. The sadler had it, sir;
I kept it not.

Ant. of Syr. 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. of Eph. I pray you, jest, sir, as you sit at

dinnerI, from my mistress, come to you in haste. Methinks your stomach, like mine, should be your

clock, And send you home without a messenger. Ant. of Syr. Come, Dromio, come, these jests are out of season;

Reserve them till a merrier hour than this.
Where is the gold, I gave in charge to thee?

Dro. of Eph. To me, sir !-why, you gave no gold

to me!

Ant. of Syr. Come, come, have done your foolish

ness, And tell me how thou hast dispos'd my charge. Dro. of Eph. My charge was but to fetch you from

the mart, Home to your house, the Phænix, sir, to dinner; My mistress and her sister stay for you.

Ant. of Syr. Now, as I am a christian, answer me, In what safe place you have bestow'd my money; Or I shall break that merry sconce of yours, That stands on tricks when I am undispos’d. Where are the thousand marks thou had'st of me? Dro. of Eph. I have some marks of yours upon my

pate, Some of my mistress' marks upon my shoulders; Between you both, they make, perhaps, a thousand : If I should pay your worship these again, Perchance

you

will not take it patiently. Ant. of Syr. Thy mistress' marks!--What mistress,

slave, hast ihou ? Dro. of Eph. Your worship’s wife, my mistress, at

the Phænix, She, that doth fast till you come home to dinner. And prays that you

will haste you. Ant. of Syr. What, wilt thou flout me thus unto Being forbid ?-There, take you that, sir knave! Dro. of Eph. What mean you, sir —for Heaven's

sake, hold your handsNay, an you will not, sir, I'll take my heels. [Exit. Ant. of Syr. Upon my life, by some device or

other, The villain has been trick'd of all my money,

my face,

They say, this town is full of cozenage ;
If it prove so,
I will be gone

the sooner.
Misguided by my hopes, in doubt I stray,
To seek what I, perchance, may never find.
May not the cruel hand of destiny,
Ere this, have render'd all my searches vain ?
If so, how wretched has my folly made me !
In luckless hour, alas ! I left my home,
And the fond comforts of a father's love,
That only bliss my fortune had in store,
For dubious pleasures on a foreign shore.

[Exit.

ACT THE SECOND.

SCENE I,

A Chamber in AntỊPHOLIS OF EPHESUS's House.

Enter ADRIANA and LUCIANA. Adr. Neither my husband, nor the slave return'd, That, in such haste, I sent to seek his master? Sure, Luciana, it is two o'clock.

Luc. Perhaps some merchant has invited him, And, from the mart, he's somewhere gone to dinner. Good sister, let us dine, and never fret; A man is master of his liberty, Will come, or go-therefore, be patient, sister.

Adr. Why should their liberty be more than ours ? Luc. Because their bus'ness still lies out of door. Adr. Look, when I serve him so, he takes it ill. Luc. He is the bridle of your actions, sister.