Thou say'st, his meat was sauc'd with thy upbraid ings: 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: (Kinsman to grim and comfortless despair;) 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. Abb. No, not a creature enters in my house. Adr. Then, let your servants bring my husband forth. Abb. Neither; he took this place for sanctuary, And it shall privilege him from your hands, Till I have brought him to his wits again, Adr. I will attend my husband, be his nurse, And will have no attorney but myself; And therefore let me have him home with me. Till I have used the approved means I have, It is a branch and parcel of mine oath, 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. him. Abb. Be quiet, and depart, thou shalt not have [Exit Abbess. Luc. Complain unto the duke of this indignity. Adr. Come, go; I will fall prostrate at his feet, And never rise until my tears and prayers Have won his grace to come in person hither, And take perforce my husband from the abbess. Mer. By this, I think, the dial points at five: Anon, I am 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. Ang. Upon what cause? Mer. To see a reverend Syracusan merchant, Who put unluckily into this bay Against the laws and statutes of this town, Beheaded publickly for his offence. Ang. See, where they come; we will behold his death. Luc. Kneel to the duke before he pass the abbey. Enter Duke attended; Egeon bare-headed; with the Headsman and other Officers. Duke. Yet once again proclaim it publickly, 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 abbess ! Whom I made lord of me and all I had, By rushing in their houses, bearing thence He broke from those that had the guard of him; Chased us away; till, raising of more aid, And will not suffer us to fetch him out, wars; And I to thee engag'd a prince's word, When thou didst make him master of thy bed, Enter a Sercant. Sero. O mistress, mistress, shift and save your self! My master and his man are both broke loose, Whose beard they have singed off with brands of fire; And ever as it blazed, they threw on him Great pails of puddled mire to quench the hair: Adr. Peace, fool, thy master and his man are here; And that is false, thou dost report to us. Sero. Mistress, upon my life, I tell you true; I have not breath'd almost, since I did see it. He cries for you, and vows, if he can take you, To scorch your face, and to disfigure you: [Cry within. Hark, hark, I hear him, mistress; fly, be gone. Duke. Come, stand by me, fear nothing: Guard with halberds! Adr. Ah me, it is my husband! Witness you, Even now we hous'd him in the abbey here; Enter Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus. Ant. E. Justice, most gracious duke, oh, grant me justice! Even for the service that long since I did thee, Deep scars to save thy life; even for the blood I see my son Antipholus, and Dromio. Ant. E. Justice, sweet prince, against that woman there. She whom thou gav'st to me to be my wife; 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. Ant. E. This day, great duke, she shut the doors upon me, While she with harlots feasted in my house. |