Enter Adriana, Luciana, Gurtezan, and Pinch.

E. Ant. Come, go along; my wife is coming yonder: (19) E. Dro. Mistress, refpice finem, refpect your end; or rather the prophecie, like the parrot, beware the rope's-end.

E. Ant. Wilt thou ftill talk?

[Beats Dro. Cur. How fay you now? is not your husband mad? Adr. His incivility confirms no less.

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 fharp he looks!
Cur. Mark, how he trembles in his ecftafie!
Pinch. Give me your hand, and let me feel your pulfe.
E. Ant. There is my hand, and let it feel your ear.
Pinch. I charge thee, Satan, hous'd within this man,

(19) Miftrefs, refpice finem, refpect your End, or rather the Prophecy, like the Parrot, beware the rope's End.] We will endeavour to explain thefe Words, as they lie in Order. Refpice finem feems to come in here oddly enough to make a Joke. But I am of Opinion, that Shakespeare might here allude to the laft Words of a famous fatirical Pamphlet, wrote at that time by Buchanan againft the Lord of Liddington in Scotch, ending with these Latine Words, Refpice finem, refpice funem.Our Author, perhaps, would fhew, he could punn as well in English as the Other had done in Latine; and therefore tranflates, Refpect your End, or beware the Rope's End. As for the Phrafe, the Prophecy like the Parrot, We are to remember, the London Tradefmen of that time were very fond of this new exotic Bird, because he could speak; and, perhaps, almoft as well as fome grave Citizens. In teaching him the Lingua, 'twas no Wonder they should delight themselves in giving him many knavish Words, as rope, Scot, &c. to the Offence of many of his Majefty's Northern Subjects, of whom there are fuch a Number of merry Stories on record. However the Word Rope, by the bye, was the most common Word in his Language, and, no doubt, the most offenfive. And the Joke was this; when the Parrot had befpatter'd any One with it, for the wife Owner to fay to the offended Paffenger, Sir, take care; my Parrot prophefies. Butler hints at this, Canto I. Part 1. ver. 549, speaking of Ralpho's Knowledge in Augury.

Could tell what fubtleft Parrots mean,

That speak and think contrary clean;
What Member 'tis of whom they talk,

When they cry, Rope! and walk, Knave, walk.

For by this Time they had made many Party Parrots, we may well fup

pose.

Mr. Warburton.

To

To yield poffeffion to my holy prayers;
And to thy ftate of darkness hie thee ftrait,
I conjure thee by all the Saints in heav'n.

E. Ant. Peace, doating wizard, peace; I am not mad. Adr. Oh, that thou wert pot, poor diftreffed foul! E. Ant. You minion, you, are these your customers? Did this companion with the faffron face

Revel and feaft it at my houfe to day,

Whilst upon me the guilty doors were fhut,
And I deny'd to enter in my house?

Adr. Oh, husband, God doth know, you din'd at home,

Where, would you had remain'd until this time,
Free from these flanders and this open fhame!

E. Ant. Din'd I at home? thou villain, what say'st thou?

E. Dro. Sir, footh to say, you did not dine at home. E. Ant. Were not my doors lock'd up, and I fhut out? E. Dro. Perdie, your doors were lock'd, and you

fhut out.

E. Ant. And did not the her felf revile me there?
E. Dro. Sans fable, the her self revil'd
you there.
E. Ant. Did not her kitchen-maid rail, taunt, and

fcorn me?

E. Dro. Certes, fhe did, the kitchen-veftal fcorn'd

you.

E. Ant. And did not I in rage depart from thence? E. Dro. In verity, you did; my bones bear witness, That fince have felt the vigour of your rage.

Adr. Is't good to footh him in these contraries? Pinch. It is no fhame; the fellow finds his vein, And, yielding to him, humours well his frenzy.

E. Ant. Thou haft fuborn'd the goldfmith to arreft me.

Adr. Alas, I fent you mony to redeem you, By Dromio here, who came in hafte for it.

E. Dro. Mony by me? heart and good will you might, But, furely, mafter, not a rag of money.

E. Ant. Went'ft not thou to her for a purfe of ducats? Adr. He came to me, and I deliver'd it.

Luc.

Luc. And I am witness with her, that she did. E. Dro. God and the rope-maker do bear me witnefs That I was fent for nothing but a rope.

Pinch. Miftrefs, both man and mafter are poffeft; I know it by their pale and deadly looks;

They must be bound, and laid in fome dark room. E. Ant. Say, wherefore didft thou lock me forth to day,

And why doft thou deny the bag of gold?

Adr. I did not, gentle husband, lock thee forth. E. Dro. And gentle mafter, I receiv'd no gold, But I confefs, Sir, that we were lock'd out.

Adr. Diffembling villain, thou fpeak'ft falfe in both. E. Ant. Diffembling harlot, thou art falfe in all; And art confederate with a damned pack, To make a loathfome abject fcorn of me: But with these nails I'll pluck out thofe falfe eyes, That would behold in me this fhameful sport.

Enter three or four, and offer to bind him: he ftrives. Adr. Oh, bind him, bind him, let him not come

near me.

Pinch. More company;

him.

the fiend is ftrong within

Luc. Ay me, poor man, how pale and wan he looks! E. Ant. What, will you murther me? thou jailor, thou,

I am thy prifoner, wilt thou fuffer them

To make a rescue?

Offi. Mafters; let him go:

He is my prifoner, and you fhall not have him.
Pinch. Go, bind this man, for he is frantick too.
Adr. What wilt thou do, thou peevish officer?
Haft thou delight to fee a wretched man
Do outrage and displeasure to himself?
Offi. He is my prifoner; 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,

[They bind Ant. and Dro.

And,

And, knowing how the debt grows,
I will pay it.
Good mafter Doctor, fee him fafe convey'd

Home to my house. Oh, most unhappy day!
E. Ant. Oh, most unhappy ftrumpet!

.

E. Dro. Master, I'm here enter'd in bond for you. E. Ant. Out on thee, villain! wherefore doft thou mad me?

E. Dro. Will you be bound for nothing? be mad, good mafter; cry, the devil.

Luc. God help, poor fouls, how idly do they talk! Adr. Go bear him hence; fifter, ftay you with me. [Exeunt Pinch, Ant. and Dro. Say now, whofe fuit is he arrested at?

Manent Officer, Adri. Luci. and Curtezan.

Offi. One Angelo, a goldfmith; do you know him? Adr. I know the man; what is the fum he owes? Offi. Two hundred ducats.

Adr. Say, how grows it due?

Offi. Due for a Chain, your husband had of him. Adr. He did bespeak a Chain for me, but had it not. Cur. When as your husband all in rage to day Came to my houfe, and took away my ring, (The ring I faw upon his finger now) Strait after, did I meet him with a Chain. Adr. It may be fo, but I did never fee it. Come, jailor, bring me where the goldsmith is, I long to know the truth hereof at large.

Enter Antipholis Syracufan with his rapier drawn, and
Dromio Syrac.

Luc. God, for thy mercy! they are loose again.
Adr. And come with naked fwords;

Let's call more help to have them bound again.
Offi. Away, they'll kill us.

Manent Ant. and Dro.

[They run out.

S. Ant. I fee, these witches are afraid of fwords.

S. Dro. She, that would be your wife, now ran from

you.

S. Ant.

S. Ant. Come to the Centaur, fetch our stuff from thence:

I long, that we were fafe and found aboard.

S. Dro. Faith, ftay here this night; they will furely do us no harm; you faw, they (pake us fair, gave us gold; methinks, they are fuch a gentle nation, that but for the mountain of mad flesh that claims marriage of me, I could find in my heart to ftay here still, and turn witch.

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

[Exeunt.

I

SCENE, a Street, before a Priory.

Enter the Merchant and Angelo.

ANGEL 0.

Am forry, Sir, that I have hinder'd you;
But, I proteft, he had the Chain of me,

Tho' most dishonestly he doth deny it.

Mer. How is the man efteem'd here in the city?
Ang. Of very reverent reputation, Sir,
Of credit infinite, highly belov'd,

Second to none that lives here in the city;
His word might bear my wealth at any time.
Mer. Speak foftly: yonder, as I think, he walks.

Enter Antipholis and Dromio of Syracufe.

Ang. 'Tis fo; and that self-chain about his neck,
Which he forfwore moft monftrouЛly to have.
Good Sir, draw near to me, I'll speak to him.
Signior Antipholis, I wonder much

That you would put me to this fhame and trouble;
And not without fome scandal to your self,

VOL. III.

E

With