Good doctor Pinch, you are a conjurer;
Establish him in his true sense again,
And I will please you what you will demand.

Luc. Alas, how fiery and how sharp he looks!
Cour. Mark, how he trembles in his extacy!
Pinch. Give me your hand, and let me feel your

pulse. Ant. E. There is my hand, and let it feel your

ear.

Pinch. I charge thee, Satan, hous'd within this

man, To yield possession to my holy prayers, And to thy state of darkness hie thee straight; I conjure thee by all the saints in heaven. Ant. E. Peace, doting wizard, peace; I am not

mad. Adr. O, that thou wert not, poor distressed

O

soul! Ant. E. You minion, you, are these your cus

tomers? Did this companion with the saffron face Revel and feast it at my house to-day, Whilst upon ine the guilty doors were shut, And I denied to enter in my house? Adr. O, husband, God doth know, you din'd at

home, Where 'would you had remain'd until this time, Free from these slanders, and this open shame! Ant. E. I din’d at home! Thou villain, what

say'st thou? Dro. E. Sir, sooth to say, you did not dine at

home. Ant. E. Were not my doors lock'd up, and I shut

8

Dro. E. Perdy, your doors were lock’d, and you

shut out. Ant. E. And did not she herself revile me there? Dro. E. Sans fable, she herself revil'd you there, . Ant. E. Did not her kitchen maid rail, taunt,

and scorn me? Dro. E. Certes, she did; the kitchen-vestalo

scorn'd you. Ant. E. And did not I in rage depart from

thence? Dro. E. In verity, you did ;-my bones bear wit

ness, That since have felt the vigour of his rage.

Adr. Is't good, to sooth him in these contraries?

Pinch. It is no shame; the fellow finds his vein, And, yielding to him, humours well his frenzy. Ant. E. Thou hast suborn'd the goldsmith to

arrest me. Adr. Alas, I sent you money to redeem you, By Dromio here, who came in haste for it. Dro. E. Money by me? heart and good-will you

might, But, surely, master, not a rag

of

money. Ant. E. Went'st not thou to her for a purse of

ducats? Adr. He came to me, and I deliver'd it. Luc. And I am witness with her, that she did. Dro. E. God and the rope-maker, bear me wit

ness, That I was sent for nothing but a rope! Pinch. Mistress, both man and master is pos

sess'd;

a

7 Perdy,] A corruption of the common French oath-Pardieu. Chaucer's personages are frequent in their use of it. 8 Çertes,] i. e. certainly.

kitchen-vestal - 1 Her charge being like that of the vestal virgins, to keep the fire burning. Johnson.

9

I know it by their pale and deadly looks:
They must be bound, and laid in some dark room.
Ant. E. Say, wherefore didst thou lock me forth

to-day,
And why dost thou deny the bag of gold?

Adr. I did not, gentle husband, lock thee forth.

Dro. E. And, gentle master, I receiv'd no gold; But I confess, sir, that we were lock'd out. Adr. Dissembling villain, thou speak’st false in

both. Ant. E. Dissembling harlot, thou art false in all; And art confederate with a damned pack, To make a loathsome abject scorn of me: But with these nails I'll pluck out these false eyes, That would behold me in this shameful sport.

(Pinch and his Assistants bind Ant. E. and

DRO. E. Adr. O, bind him, bind him, let him not come

a

near me.

Pinch. More company ;--the fiend is strong

within him. Luc. Ah me, poor man! how pale and wan he

looks!
Ant. E. What, will you murder me? Thou

gaoler, thou,
I am thy prisoner: wilt thou suffer them
To make a rescue?
Off

Masters, let him go:
He is my prisoner, and you shall not have him.

Pinch. Go, bind this man, for he is frantick too:

Adr. What wilt thou do, thou peevish officer? Hast thou delight to see a wretched man Do outrage and displeasure to himself? Of. He is my prisoner;- if I let him go,

, The debt he owes, will be requir'd of me.

Adr. I will discharge thee, ere I go from thee: Bear me forthwith unto his creditor,

And, knowing how the debt grows, I will рау

ito Good master doctor, see him safe convey'd Home to my house.-0 most unhappy day!

Ant. E. O most unhappy strumpet !! Dro. E. Master, I am here enter'd in bond for

you. Ant. E. Out on thee, villain! wherefore dost

thou mad me? Dro. E. Will you be bound for nothing? be mad, Good master; cry, the devil.-Luc. God help, poor souls, how idly do they

talk! Adr. Go bear him hence.- Sisters go you with

me.

[Exeunt Pinch and Assistants, with ANT. E.

and DRO. E. Say now, whose suit is he arrested at? Off. One Angelo, a goldsmith; Do you know

him? Adr. I know the man: What is the sum he

owes ? Off. Two hundred ducats. Adr.

Say, how grows it due? Off. Due for a chain, your husband had of him. Adr. He did bespeak a chain for me, but had it

not. Cour. When as your husband, all in rage, to-day Came to my house, and took away my ring, (The ring I saw upon his finger now,) Straight after, did I meet him with a chain. Adr. It

but I did never see it: Come, gaoler, bring me where the goldsmith is, I long to know the truth hereof at large.

a

Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse, with his Rapier

drawn, and Dromio of Syracuse. Luc. God, for thy mercy! they are loose again. Adr. And come with naked swords; let's call

more help, To have them bound again. Off.

Away, they'll kill us.

[Exeunt Officer, ADR. and Luc. Ant. S. I see, these witches are afraid of swords. Dro. S. She, that would be your wife, now ran

from you.

Ant. S. Come to the Centaur; fetch our stuff

from thence: I long, that we were safe and sound aboard.

Dro. S. Faith, stay here this night, they will surely do us no harm; you saw, they speak us fair, give us gold: methinks, they are such a gentle nation, that but for the mountain of mad flesh that claims marriage of me, I could find in my heart to stay here still, and turn witch.

Ant. S. I will not stay to-night for all the town; Therefore away, to get our stuff aboard.

[Exeunt.