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A hall in DUKE SOLINUS’S palace.
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Enter DUKE SOLINUS, AEGEON, Gaoler, Officers, and other] [p]Attendants]
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Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall
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And by the doom of death end woes and all.
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Merchant of Syracuse, plead no more;
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I am not partial to infringe our laws:
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The enmity and discord which of late
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Sprung from the rancorous outrage of your duke
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To merchants, our well-dealing countrymen,
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Who wanting guilders to redeem their lives
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Have seal'd his rigorous statutes with their bloods,
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Excludes all pity from our threatening looks.
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For, since the mortal and intestine jars
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'Twixt thy seditious countrymen and us,
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It hath in solemn synods been decreed
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Both by the Syracusians and ourselves,
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To admit no traffic to our adverse towns Nay, more,
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If any born at Ephesus be seen
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At any Syracusian marts and fairs;
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Again: if any Syracusian born
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Come to the bay of Ephesus, he dies,
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His goods confiscate to the duke's dispose,
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Unless a thousand marks be levied,
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To quit the penalty and to ransom him.
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Thy substance, valued at the highest rate,
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Cannot amount unto a hundred marks;
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Therefore by law thou art condemned to die.
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Yet this my comfort: when your words are done,
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My woes end likewise with the evening sun.
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Well, Syracusian, say in brief the cause
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Why thou departed'st from thy native home
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And for what cause thou camest to Ephesus.
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A heavier task could not have been imposed
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Than I to speak my griefs unspeakable:
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Yet, that the world may witness that my end
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Was wrought by nature, not by vile offence,
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I'll utter what my sorrows give me leave.
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In Syracusa was I born, and wed
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Unto a woman, happy but for me,
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And by me, had not our hap been bad.
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With her I lived in joy; our wealth increased
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By prosperous voyages I often made
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To Epidamnum; till my factor's death
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And the great care of goods at random left
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Drew me from kind embracements of my spouse:
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From whom my absence was not six months old
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Before herself, almost at fainting under
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The pleasing punishment that women bear,
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Had made provision for her following me
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And soon and safe arrived where I was.
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There had she not been long, but she became
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A joyful mother of two goodly sons;
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And, which was strange, the one so like the other,
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As could not be distinguish'd but by names.
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That very hour, and in the self-same inn,
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A meaner woman was delivered
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Of such a burden, male twins, both alike:
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Those,—for their parents were exceeding poor,—
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I bought and brought up to attend my sons.
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My wife, not meanly proud of two such boys,
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Made daily motions for our home return:
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Unwilling I agreed. Alas! too soon,
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A league from Epidamnum had we sail'd,
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Before the always wind-obeying deep
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Gave any tragic instance of our harm:
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But longer did we not retain much hope;
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For what obscured light the heavens did grant
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Did but convey unto our fearful minds
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A doubtful warrant of immediate death;
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Which though myself would gladly have embraced,
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Yet the incessant weepings of my wife,
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Weeping before for what she saw must come,
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And piteous plainings of the pretty babes,
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That mourn'd for fashion, ignorant what to fear,
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Forced me to seek delays for them and me.
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And this it was, for other means was none:
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The sailors sought for safety by our boat,
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And left the ship, then sinking-ripe, to us:
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My wife, more careful for the latter-born,
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Had fasten'd him unto a small spare mast,
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Such as seafaring men provide for storms;
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To him one of the other twins was bound,
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Whilst I had been like heedful of the other:
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The children thus disposed, my wife and I,
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Fixing our eyes on whom our care was fix'd,
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Fasten'd ourselves at either end the mast;
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And floating straight, obedient to the stream,
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Was carried towards Corinth, as we thought.
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At length the sun, gazing upon the earth,
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Dispersed those vapours that offended us;
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And by the benefit of his wished light,
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The seas wax'd calm, and we discovered
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Two ships from far making amain to us,
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Of Corinth that, of Epidaurus this:
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But ere they came,—O, let me say no more!
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Gather the sequel by that went before.
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Nay, forward, old man; do not break off so;
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For we may pity, though not pardon thee.
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O, had the gods done so, I had not now
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Worthily term'd them merciless to us!
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For, ere the ships could meet by twice five leagues,
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We were encounterd by a mighty rock;
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Which being violently borne upon,
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Our helpful ship was splitted in the midst;
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So that, in this unjust divorce of us,
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Fortune had left to both of us alike
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What to delight in, what to sorrow for.
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Her part, poor soul! seeming as burdened
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With lesser weight but not with lesser woe,
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Was carried with more speed before the wind;
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And in our sight they three were taken up
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By fishermen of Corinth, as we thought.
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At length, another ship had seized on us;
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And, knowing whom it was their hap to save,
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Gave healthful welcome to their shipwreck'd guests;
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And would have reft the fishers of their prey,
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Had not their bark been very slow of sail;
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And therefore homeward did they bend their course.
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Thus have you heard me sever'd from my bliss;
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That by misfortunes was my life prolong'd,
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To tell sad stories of my own mishaps.
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And for the sake of them thou sorrowest for,
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Do me the favour to dilate at full
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What hath befall'n of them and thee till now.
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My youngest boy, and yet my eldest care,
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At eighteen years became inquisitive
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After his brother: and importuned me
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That his attendant—so his case was like,
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Reft of his brother, but retain'd his name—
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Might bear him company in the quest of him:
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Whom whilst I labour'd of a love to see,
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I hazarded the loss of whom I loved.
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Five summers have I spent in furthest Greece,
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Roaming clean through the bounds of Asia,
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And, coasting homeward, came to Ephesus;
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Hopeless to find, yet loath to leave unsought
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Or that or any place that harbours men.
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But here must end the story of my life;
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And happy were I in my timely death,
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Could all my travels warrant me they live.
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Hapless AEgeon, whom the fates have mark'd
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To bear the extremity of dire mishap!
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Now, trust me, were it not against our laws,
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Against my crown, my oath, my dignity,
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Which princes, would they, may not disannul,
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My soul would sue as advocate for thee.
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But, though thou art adjudged to the death
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And passed sentence may not be recall'd
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But to our honour's great disparagement,
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Yet I will favour thee in what I can.
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Therefore, merchant, I'll limit thee this day
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To seek thy life by beneficial help:
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Try all the friends thou hast in Ephesus;
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Beg thou, or borrow, to make up the sum,
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And live; if no, then thou art doom'd to die.
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Gaoler, take him to thy custody.
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Hopeless and helpless doth AEgeon wend,
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But to procrastinate his lifeless end.
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Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse, DROMIO of Syracuse, and First Merchant]
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Therefore give out you are of Epidamnum,
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Lest that your goods too soon be confiscate.
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This very day a Syracusian merchant
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Is apprehended for arrival here;
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And not being able to buy out his life
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According to the statute of the town,
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Dies ere the weary sun set in the west.
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There is your money that I had to keep.
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Antipholus of Syracuse.
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Go bear it to the Centaur, where we host,
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And stay there, Dromio, till I come to thee.
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Within this hour it will be dinner-time:
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Till that, I'll view the manners of the town,
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Peruse the traders, gaze upon the buildings,
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And then return and sleep within mine inn,
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For with long travel I am stiff and weary.
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Many a man would take you at your word,
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And go indeed, having so good a mean.
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Antipholus of Syracuse.
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A trusty villain, sir, that very oft,
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When I am dull with care and melancholy,
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Lightens my humour with his merry jests.
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What, will you walk with me about the town,
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And then go to my inn and dine with me?
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I am invited, sir, to certain merchants,
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Of whom I hope to make much benefit;
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I crave your pardon. Soon at five o'clock,
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Please you, I'll meet with you upon the mart
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And afterward consort you till bed-time:
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My present business calls me from you now.
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Antipholus of Syracuse.
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Farewell till then: I will go lose myself
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And wander up and down to view the city.
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Sir, I commend you to your own content.
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Antipholus of Syracuse.
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He that commends me to mine own content
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Commends me to the thing I cannot get.
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I to the world am like a drop of water
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That in the ocean seeks another drop,
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Who, falling there to find his fellow forth,
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Unseen, inquisitive, confounds himself:
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So I, to find a mother and a brother,
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In quest of them, unhappy, lose myself.
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[Enter DROMIO of Ephesus]
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Here comes the almanac of my true date.
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What now? how chance thou art return'd so soon?
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Return'd so soon! rather approach'd too late:
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The capon burns, the pig falls from the spit,
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The clock hath strucken twelve upon the bell;
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My mistress made it one upon my cheek:
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She is so hot because the meat is cold;
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The meat is cold because you come not home;
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You come not home because you have no stomach;
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You have no stomach having broke your fast;
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But we that know what 'tis to fast and pray
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Are penitent for your default to-day.
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Antipholus of Syracuse.
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Stop in your wind, sir: tell me this, I pray:
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Where have you left the money that I gave you?
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O,—sixpence, that I had o' Wednesday last
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To pay the saddler for my mistress' crupper?
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The saddler had it, sir; I kept it not.
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Antipholus of Syracuse.
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I am not in a sportive humour now:
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Tell me, and dally not, where is the money?
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We being strangers here, how darest thou trust
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So great a charge from thine own custody?
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I pray you, air, as you sit at dinner:
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I from my mistress come to you in post;
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If I return, I shall be post indeed,
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For she will score your fault upon my pate.
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Methinks your maw, like mine, should be your clock,
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And strike you home without a messenger.
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Antipholus of Syracuse.
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Come, Dromio, come, these jests are out of season;
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Reserve them till a merrier hour than this.
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Where is the gold I gave in charge to thee?
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To me, sir? why, you gave no gold to me.
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Antipholus of Syracuse.
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Come on, sir knave, have done your foolishness,
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And tell me how thou hast disposed thy charge.
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My charge was but to fetch you from the mart
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Home to your house, the Phoenix, sir, to dinner:
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My mistress and her sister stays for you.
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Antipholus of Syracuse.
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In what safe place you have bestow'd my money,
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Or I shall break that merry sconce of yours
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That stands on tricks when I am undisposed:
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Where is the thousand marks thou hadst of me?
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I have some marks of yours upon my pate,
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Some of my mistress' marks upon my shoulders,
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But not a thousand marks between you both.
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If I should pay your worship those again,
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Perchance you will not bear them patiently.
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Antipholus of Syracuse.
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Thy mistress' marks? what mistress, slave, hast thou?
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Your worship's wife, my mistress at the Phoenix;
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She that doth fast till you come home to dinner,
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And prays that you will hie you home to dinner.
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Antipholus of Syracuse.
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What, wilt thou flout me thus unto my face,
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Being forbid? There, take you that, sir knave.
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What mean you, sir? for God's sake, hold your hands!
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Nay, and you will not, sir, I'll take my heels.
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Antipholus of Syracuse.
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Upon my life, by some device or other
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The villain is o'er-raught of all my money.
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They say this town is full of cozenage,
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As, nimble jugglers that deceive the eye,
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Dark-working sorcerers that change the mind,
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Soul-killing witches that deform the body,
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Disguised cheaters, prating mountebanks,
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And many such-like liberties of sin:
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If it prove so, I will be gone the sooner.
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I'll to the Centaur, to go seek this slave:
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I greatly fear my money is not safe.
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