163Mer. Therefore giue out you are of Epidamium,

164Lest that your goods too soone be confiscate:

165This very day a Syracusian Marchant

166Is apprehended for a riuall here,

167And not being able to buy out his life,

168According to the statute of the towne,

169Dies ere the wearie sunne set in the West:

170There is your monie that I had to keepe.

171Ant. Goe beare it to the Centaure, where we host,

172And stay there Dromio, till I come to thee;

173Within this houre it will be dinner time,

174Till that Ile view the manners of the towne,

175Peruse the traders, gaze vpon the buildings,

176And then returne and sleepe within mine Inne,

177For with long trauaile I am stiffe and wearie.

178Get thee away.

179Dro. Many a man would take you at your word,

180And goe indeede, hauing so good a meane.

182Ant. A trustie villaine sir, that very oft,

183When I am dull with care and melancholly,

184Lightens my humour with his merry iests:

185What will you walke with me about the towne,

186And then goe to my Inne and dine with me?

187E.Mar. I am inuited sir to certaine Marchants,

188Of whom I hope to make much benefit:

189I craue your pardon, soone at fiue a clocke,

190Please you, Ile meete with you vpon the Mart,

191And afterward consort you till bed time:

192My present businesse cals me from you now.

193Ant. Farewell till then: I will goe loose my selfe,

194And wander vp and downe to view the Citie.

195E.Mar. Sir, I commend you to your owne content.

197Ant. He that commends me to mine owne content,

198Commends me to the thing I cannot get:

199I to the world am like a drop of water,

200That in the Ocean seekes another drop,

201Who falling there to finde his fellow forth,

202(Vnseene, inquisitiue) confounds himselfe.

203So I, to finde a Mother and a Brother,

204In quest of them (vnhappie a) loose my selfe.

206Here comes the almanacke of my true date:

207What now? How chance thou art return'd so soone.

208E.Dro. Return'd so soone, rather approacht too late:

209The Capon burnes, the Pig fals from the spit;

210The clocke hath strucken twelue vpon the bell:

211My Mistris made it one vpon my cheeke:

212She is so hot because the meate is colde:

213The meate is colde, because you come not home:

214You come not home, because you haue no stomacke:

215You haue no stomacke, hauing broke your fast:

216But we that know what 'tis to fast and pray,

217Are penitent for your default to day.

218Ant. Stop in your winde sir, tell me this I pray?

219Where haue you left the mony that I gaue you.

220E.Dro. Oh sixe pence that I had a wensday last,

221To pay the Sadler for my Mistris crupper:

222The Sadler had it Sir, I kept it not.

223Ant. I am not in a sportiue humor now:

224Tell me, and dally not, where is the monie?

225We being strangers here, how dar'st thou trust

226So great a charge from thine owne custodie.

227E.Dro. I pray you iest sir as you sit at dinner:

228I from my Mistris come to you in post:

229If I returne I shall be post indeede.

230For she will scoure your fault vpon my pate:

231Me thinkes your maw, like mine, should be your cooke,

232And strike you home without a messenger.

233Ant. Come Dromio, come, these iests are out of season,

234Reserue them till a merrier houre then this:

235Where is the gold I gaue in charge to thee?

236E.Dro. To me sir? why you gaue no gold to me?

237Ant. Come on sir knaue, haue done your foolishnes,

238And tell me how thou hast dispos'd thy charge.

239E.Dro. My charge was but to fetch you frõ the Mart

240Home to your house, the Phoenix sir, to dinner;

241My Mistris and her sister staies for you.

242Ant. Now as I am a Christian answer me,

243In what safe place you haue bestow'd my monie;

244Or I shall breake that merrie sconce of yours

245That stands on tricks, when I am vndispos'd:

246Where is the thousand Markes thou hadst of me?

247E.Dro. I haue some markes of yours vpon my pate:

248Some of my Mistris markes vpon my shoulders:

249But not a thousand markes betweene you both.

250If I should pay your worship those againe,

251Perchance you will not beare them patiently.

252Ant. Thy Mistris markes? what Mistris slaue hast thou?

253E.Dro. Your worships wife, my Mistris at the Phoenix;

254She that doth fast till you come home to dinner:

255And praies that you will hie you home to dinner.

256Ant. What wilt thou flout me thus vnto my face

257Being forbid? There take you that sir knaue.

258E.Dro. What meane you sir, for God sake hold your (hands:

259Nay, and you will not sir, Ile take my heeles.

261Ant. Vpon my life by some deuise or other,

262The villaine is ore-wrought of all my monie.

263They say this towne is full of cosenage:

264As nimble Iuglers that deceiue the eie:

265Darke working Sorcerers that change the minde:

266Soule-killing Witches, that deforme the bodie:

267Disguised Cheaters, prating Mountebankes;

268And manie such like liberties of sinne:

269If it proue so, I will be gone the sooner:

270Ile to the Centaur to goe seeke this slaue,

271I greatly feare my monie is not safe. Exit.