Can witness with me that it is not so:
I ne'er saw Syracusa in my life.
Duke. I tell thee, Syracusan, twenty years
Have I been patron to Antipholis ;
During which time he ne'er saw Syracusa.
I see, thy age and dangers make thee dote.
Enter Gentlemen, Abbess, Antipholis of Syracuse, and Dromio of Syracuse, from the Abbey.
Abbess. Most mighty duke, behold a man much
wrong'd. Adr. I see two husbands, or my eyes deceive me
Duke. One of these men is genius to the other !
But of the two, which is the natural man,
And which the spirit? who decyphers them?
Ant. of Syr. Ægeon art thou not? ?
O, my dear father! who hast bound him thus ?
Abbess. Whoever bound him, I will loose his bonds,
And gain a husband by his liberty.
Speak, old Ægeon, if thou be'st the man
That hadst a wife once call'd Æmilia,
Who bore thee, at a burden, two fair sons,—
O! if thou be’st the same Ægeon, speak,
And speak unto the same Æmilia.
Ægeon. Æmilia! O, support thyself, my soul, 'Till I once more, have caught within my arnis Their long-lost happiness!
Æmilia. Thou art Ægeon, then : I do not dream. My husband, take, take my reviving heart,
Spotless and pure as when it first was thine;
Which from the cloister of religious solitude
No voice, but thiné, could ever have recallid,
Ant. of Syr. If I not interrupt such sacred feelings,
Thus let me bend, and mingle tears of rapture.
O, raise, my father, raise your reverend hands,
And bless your truant son.
Ægeon, My dearest boy!
This is too much :-0, curb thy joys a moment,
And have compassion on thy father's weakness.
But, if ту
feeble brain deceive me not,
One anxious question yet remains to ask:
Heart of my heart, resolve me; where's that son,
Who floated with thee on the fatal raft?
Æmilia. By men of Epidamnum he and I,
And the twin Dromio, all were taken up:
But, by and by, rude fishermen of Corinth
By force took Dromio and my son from them,
And me they left with those of Epidamnum.
What then became of them I cannot tell ;
I, to this fortune which you see me in,
Ant. of Eph. And he reserv'd, to share the hap:
pier hours
Of his dear parents, whom, till now unknown,
He greets with nature's best and fondest feelings,
Another tie my fortune yet allots,
And thus I claim it!
Ant. of Syr, Welcome, dearest brother!
[They embrace.] Both Drom. Welcome, dearest brother !
[They embrace.] M
Ant. of Syr. Ne'er may we feel a separation more.
Duke. Why here begins his morning story right:
These plainly are the parents to these children,
Who thus amazingly are met together.
Æmilia. Most gracious duke,
Duke. One moment's pause, and all your griefs
shall end. Antipholis, thou cam’st from Corinth first? Ant. of Syr. Not I, my lord; I came from
Syracuse. Dro. of Syr. And I with him. Duke. Stay, stand apart: I know not which is
which. Ant. of Eph. I came from Corinth, my most
gracious lord. Dr. of Eph. And I with him. Ang. And I—why that's the bracelet, sir, you
had of me. Ant. of Syr. I think it be, sir; I deny it not. Ant. of Eph. And you, sir, for the same ar
rested me.
Adr. I sent you money, sir, to be your bail,
By Dromio: but, I think, he brought it not.
Dr. of Eph. No, none by me.
Ant. of Syr. This purse of ducats I receiv'd for
Dr. of Syr. Really, brother, I think not.
Ant. of Eph. These ducats pawn I for my
fa-
ther here.
Duke. It shall not need—thy father hath his life.
Adr. Which of you two did dine with me to-day?
Ant of Syr. I, gentle mistress.
Adr. Are you not my husband ?
Ant. of Eph. No; I say, nay to that.
Ant. of Syr. And so do I.
Æmilia. Renowned duke, vouchsafe to take the
pains
To
go
with us into the abbey here,
And hear, at large discoursed, all our fortunes;
And all that are assembled in this place,
Who've suffered wrong, go, keep us company,
And you shall have full satisfaction.
The duke, my husband, and my children both,
And you, the kalendars of their nativity,
Go to a gossip's feast; go all with me:
After so long grief, such festivity!
Duke. With all my heart; I'll gossip at this feast,
And be à cheerful witness of the blessings,
Your pious faith and virtuous resignation
Have drawn upon you from relenting heaven.
Come.
[Flourish, and exeunt into the Abbey, all but
the two Dromios. Dr. of Eph. Methinks you are my glass and not
my brother.
I see by you I am a sweet-faced youth !
Will
you
walk in and see their gossipping?
Dr. of Syr. Not I, sir, —you are my elder.
,
Dr. of Eph. That's a question-how shall we
Dr. of Syr. We will draw cuts for the senior Till then, lead thou first.
Dr of Eph. Nay, then thus :We came into the world like brother and brother, And now let's go hand in hand, not one before the other.
[Exeunt hand in hand into the Abbey.
All the Characters discovered.
Æmilia. Such is our history--and now The joys that gild the evening of our days Let all partake.
Ant. of Syr. (Turning to Luciana.)
Ay, all-say you not so, fair gentlewoman !
And what I told you, when you calld me brother
I
The time, the place incites me to make good
May I not hope that a more tender name -
Luciana. Should I find thee
Worthy and constant, as my mind suggests,
The general joy that smiles around, shall not
Be damp'd by any vain reserve of mine.
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