“Your meat doth burn,” quoth I. “My gold,” quoth he.
“Will you come?” quoth I. “My gold,” quoth he.
“Where is the thousand marks I gave thee, villain?”
“The pig,” quoth I, “is burned.” “My gold,” quoth he.
65
“My mistress, sir,” quoth I. “Hang up thy mistress!
I know not thy mistress. Out on thy mistress!”
“My gold,” he said. “Where's the thousand marks I gave you, scoundrel?” “The pig,” I said, “is burned.” “My gold,” he said. “My mistress,” I said. “Damn your mistress! I don't know your mistress, the hell with your mistress!”
LUCIANA
Quoth who?
LUCIANA
Who said that?
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
Quoth my master.
“I know,” quoth he, “no house, no wife, no mistress.”
70
So that my errand, due unto my tongue,
I thank him, I bare home upon my shoulders,
For, in conclusion, he did beat me there.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
My master said it. “I don't know,” he said, “any house, wife, or mistress.” My message, which was supposed to be delivered with my mouth, ended up being carried back home by my shoulders. Because at the end of it all, that's where he beat me.
ADRIANA
Go back again, thou slave, and fetch him home.
ADRIANA
Go back again, slave, and bring him home.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
Go back again and be new beaten home?
75
For God's sake, send some other messenger.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
Go back again, to be beaten home again? For God's sake, send somebody else.
ADRIANA
Back, slave, or I will break thy pate across.
ADRIANA
Go back, slave, or I'll knock you one across the head.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
And he will bless that cross with other beating.
Between you, I shall have a holy head.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
And he'll add another knock across. With all these crosses, I'll have a holy head.
ADRIANA
Hence, prating peasant! Fetch thy master home.
ADRIANA
Get out of here, you blathering peasant! Bring your master home.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
80
Am I so round with you as you with me,
That like a football you do spurn me thus?
You spurn me hence, and he will spurn me hither.
If I last in this service, you must case me in leather.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
Do I treat you this roundly? You're kicking me around like I'm a football. You kick me out, he kicks me back. If I keep working for you, I'm going to end up wrapped in leather, like a football.
Exit DROMIO OF EPHESUS
DROMIO OF EPHESUS exits.
LUCIANA
Fie, how impatience loureth in your face.
LUCIANA
Look at you! You have impatience all over your face.
