Adr. I will not hence, and leave my husband

here;

And ill it doth beseem your holiness,

To separate the husband and the wife.

Abb. Be quiet, and depart, thou shalt not have

him. [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?

8

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; ÆGEON bare-headed; with the Headsman and other Officers.

If

Duke. Yet once again proclaim it publickly,

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!

sorry execution,] So, in Macbeth:

"Of sorriest fancies your companions making."

Sorry had anciently a stronger meaning than at present, and seems to have meant sorrowful.

Sweet recreation barr'd, what doth ensue,
But moody and dull melancholy,

(Kinsman to grim and comfortless despair;)"
And, at her 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.

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,
Or lose my labour in assaying it.

Adr. I will attend my husband, be his nurse,

Diet his sickness, for it is my office,

And will have no attorney but myself;

And therefore let me have him home with me.
Abb. Be patient; for I will not let him stir,
Till I have used the approved means I have,
With wholesome syrups, drugs, and holy prayers,
To make of him a formal man again:7

It is a branch and parcel of mine oath,
A charitable duty of my order;

Therefore depart, and leave him here with me.

6

(Kinsman to grim and comfortless despair;)] Kinsman means near relation. Many words are used by Shakspeare with much greater latitude.

7 a formal man again:] i. e. to bring him back to his senses, and the forms of sober behaviour.

Adr. I will not hence, and leave my husband

here;

And ill it doth beseem your holiness,

To separate the husband and the wife.

Abb. Be quiet, and depart, thou shalt not have

him. [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; ÆGEON bare-headed; with the Headsman and other Officers.

If

Duke. Yet once again proclaim it publickly,

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!

sorry execution,] So, in Macbeth:

"Of sorriest fancies your companions making."

Sorry had anciently a stronger meaning than at present, and seems to have meant sorrowful.

To scorch your face, and to disfigure you :

[Cry within. Hark, hark, I hear him, mistress; fily, be gone. Duke. Come, stand by me, fear nothing: Guard with halberds.

Adr. Ah me, it is my

husband! Witness you,

That he is borne about invisible:

Even now we hous'd him in the abbey here;
And now he's there, past thought of human reason.

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,
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.
Ege. Unless the fear of death doth make me
dote,

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;
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.

Ant. E. 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?

with harlots - ] Harlot was a term of reproach applied to cheats among men, as well as to wantons among women.

Adr. No, my good lord;-myself, he, and my sister,

To-day did dine together: So befal my soul,
As this is false, he burdens me withal!

Luc. Ne'er may I look on day, nor sleep on night, But she tells to your highness simple truth!

Ang. O perjur'd woman! they are both forsworn. In this the madman justly chargeth them.

Ant. E. 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 vil

lain,

I am advised-] i. e. I am not going to speak precipi

tately or rashly, but on reflection and consideration.