Thou know’st we parted: but perhaps, my son,
Thou shamest to acknowledge me in misery.
OF EPHESUS The duke and all that know me in the city
Can witness with me that it is not so
I ne’er saw Syracusa in my life.
DUKE SOLINUS I tell thee, Syracusian, twenty years
Have I been patron to Antipholus,
During which time he ne’er saw Syracusa:
I see thy age and dangers make thee dote.
Re-enter AEMILIA, with ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse and DROMIO of Syracuse
AEMELIA Most mighty duke, behold a man much wrong’d.
All gather to see them
ADRIANA I see two husbands, or mine eyes deceive me.
DUKE SOLINUS One of these men is Genius to the other;
And so of these. Which is the natural man,
And which the spirit? who deciphers them?
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE I, sir, am Dromio; command him away.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS I, sir, am Dromio; pray, let me stay.
OF SYRACUSE AEgeon art thou not? or else his ghost?
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE O, my old master! who hath bound him here?
AEMELIA Whoever bound him, I will loose his bonds
And gain a husband by his liberty.
Speak, old AEgeon, if thou be’st the man
That hadst a wife once call’d AEmilia
That bore thee at a burden two fair sons:
O, if thou be’st the same AEgeon, speak,
And speak unto the same AEmilia!
AEGEON If I dream not, thou art AEmilia:
If thou art she, tell me where is that son
That floated with thee on the fatal raft?
AEMELIA 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 that you see me in.
DUKE SOLINUS Why, here begins his morning story right;
These two Antipholuses, these two so like,
And these two Dromios, one in semblance,–
Besides her urging of her wreck at sea,–
These are the parents to these children,
Which accidentally are met together.
Antipholus, thou camest from Corinth first?
OF SYRACUSE No, sir, not I; I came from Syracuse.
DUKE SOLINUS Stay, stand apart; I know not which is which.
OF EPHESUS I came from Corinth, my most gracious lord,–
DROMIO OF EPHESUS And I with him.
OF EPHESUS Brought to this town by that most famous warrior,
Duke Menaphon, your most renowned uncle.
ADRIANA Which of you two did dine with me to-day?
OF SYRACUSE I, gentle mistress.
ADRIANA And are not you my husband?
OF EPHESUS No; I say nay to that.
OF SYRACUSE And so do I; yet did she call me so:
And this fair gentlewoman, her sister here,
Did call me brother.
To Luciana
What I told you then,
I hope I shall have leisure to make good;
If this be not a dream I see and hear.
ANGELO That is the chain, sir, which you had of me.
OF SYRACUSE I think it be, sir; I deny it not.
OF EPHESUS And you, sir, for this chain arrested me.
ANGELO I think I did, sir; I deny it not.
ADRIANA I sent you money, sir, to be your bail,
By Dromio; but I think he brought it not.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS No, none by me.
OF SYRACUSE This purse of ducats I received from you,
And Dromio, my man, did bring them me.
I see we still did meet each other’s man,
And I was ta’en for him, and he for me,
And thereupon these errors are arose.
OF EPHESUS These ducats pawn I for my father here.
DUKE SOLINUS It shall not need; thy father hath his life.
Courtezan Sir, I must have that diamond from you.
OF EPHESUS There, take it; and much thanks for my good cheer.
AEMELIA 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,
That by this sympathized one day’s error
Have suffer’d wrong, go keep us company,
And we shall make full satisfaction.
Thirty-three years have I but gone in travail
Of you, my sons; and till this present hour
My heavy burden ne’er delivered.
The duke, my husband and my children both,
And you the calendars of their nativity,
Go to a gossips’ feast and go with me;
After so long grief, such festivity!
DUKE SOLINUS With all my heart, I’ll gossip at this feast.
Exeunt all but Antipholus of Syracuse, Antipholus of Ephesus, Dromio of Syracuse and Dromio of Ephesus
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Master, shall I fetch your stuff from shipboard?
OF EPHESUS Dromio, what stuff of mine hast thou embark’d?
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Your goods that lay at host, sir, in the Centaur.
OF SYRACUSE He speaks to me. I am your master, Dromio:
Come, go with us; we’ll look to that anon:
Embrace thy brother there; rejoice with him.
Exeunt Antipholus of Syracuse and Antipholus of Ephesus
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE There is a fat friend at your master’s house,
That kitchen’d me for you to-day at dinner:
She now shall be my sister, not my wife.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS Methinks you are my glass, and not my brother:
I see by you I am a sweet-faced youth.
Will you walk in to see their gossiping?
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Not I, sir; you are my elder.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS That’s a question: how shall we try it?
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE We’ll draw cuts for the senior: till then lead thou first.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS Nay, then, thus:
We came into the world like brother and brother;
And now let’s go hand in hand, not one before another.
Exeunt