Adr. Why fhould their liberty than ours be more?
Luc. Because their bufinefs ftill lies out o' door.
dr. Look, when I ferve him fo, he takes it ill.
Luc. Oh, know he is the bridle of your will.

dr. There's none, but affes, will be bridled fo.
Luc. Why head-ftrong liberty is lath'd with woe.
There's nothing, fituate under heaven's eye,
But hath his bound, in earth, in fea, in fky:
The beafts, the fishes, and the winged fowls,
Are their males' fubject, and at their controuls:
Men, more divine, the mafters of all these,
Lords of the wide world, and wild watry feas,
Indu'd with intellectual fenfe and fouls,
Of more pre-eminence than fifh and fowls,
Are matters to their females, and their lords:
Then let your will attend on their accords.

Adr. This fervitude makes you to keep unwed.]
Luc. Not this, but troubles of the marriage-bed.
Adr. But, were you wedded, you would bear
fome sway.

Luc. Ere I learn love, I'll practife to obey.
Adr. How if your hufband start fome other
where !?

Luc. Till he come home, again, I would forbear.
dr. Patience, unmov'd, no marvel though the
paufe;

They can be meek, that have no other cause.
A wretched foul, bruis'd with adversity,
We bid be quiet, when we hear it cry;

But were we burden'd with like weight of pain,
As much, or more, we should ourselves complain
So thou, that haft no unkind mate to grieve thee,
With urging helpless patience would't relieve me
But, if thou live to fee like right bereft,
This fool-begg'd patience in thee will be left.

:

:

Luc. Well, I will marry one day, but to try; Here comes your man, now is your hutband nigh. Enter Dromio of Ephefus.

Adr. Say, is your tardy mafter now at hand? E. Dro. Nay, he is at two hands with me, and that my two ears can witness.

E. Dro. Quoth my master:

I know, quoth he, no boufe, no wife, no mifirefs ;-
So that my errand due unto my tongue,

I thank him, I bare home upon my thoulders;
For, in conclufion, he did beat me there. [home.
Adr. Go back again, thou flave, and fetch him
E. Dro. Go back again, and be new beaten home?
For God's fake, fend fome, other messenger.
Adr. Back, flave, or I will break thy pate across.
E. Dro. And he will bless that cross with other
beating:

Between you I shall have a holy head.

[home.

Adr. Hence, prating peafant; fetch thy mafter
E. Dro. Am I fo rounds with you, as you with me,
That like a foot-ball you do fpurn me thus ?
You fpurn me hence, and he will fpurn me hither:
If I last in this service, you must cafe me in leather,
[Exit.

Luc. Fye, how impatience lowreth in your face!
Adr. His company muft do his minions grace,
Whilft I at home ftarve for a merry look.

Hath homely age the alluring beauty took

From my poor cheek? then, he hath wasted it :
Are my difcourfes dull? barren my wit?

If voluble and fharp discourse be marr'd,
Unkindness blunts it, more than marble hard.
Do their gay vestments his affections bait ?
That's not my fault, he's matter of my state:
What ruins are in me, that can be found
By him not ruin'd? then is he the ground
Of my defeatures: My decayed fair
A funny look of his would foon repair :
But, too unruly deer, he breaks the pale,

Adr. Say, didft thou speak with him? know'ft | And feeds from home; poor I am but his stale 5. thou his mind?

E. Dr. Ay, ay, he told his mind upon mine| ear: Beshrew his hand, I scarce could understand it. Luc. Spake he fo doubtfully, thou couldft not feel his meaning?

E. Dio. Nay, he struck fo plainly, I could too well feel his blows; and withal fo doubtfully, that I could fearce understand them 2.

Adr. But fay, I pr'ythee, is he coming home? It feeins, he hath great care to please his wife.

Luc. Self-harming jealoufy !-fye, beat it hence.
Adr. Unfeeling fools can with fuch wrongs dif

I know his eye doth homage other-where; [pente.
Or elfe, what lets it but he would be here?
Sifter, you know, he promis'd me a chain ;—
Would that alone, alone he would detain,
So he would keep fair quarter with his bed !
I fee, the jewel, bett enamelled,
Will lofe his beauty; and the gold 'bides still,
That others touch; yet often touching will

E. Dro. Why, miftreis, fare my mafter is horn-Wear gold: and fo no man, that hath a name,
Adr. Horn-mad, thou villain?
[mad. But falfhood and corruption doth it shame 6.

E. Dro. I mean not cuckold-mad; but, fure, Since that my beauty cannot please his eye,

he's ftark mad :

When I defir'd him to come home to dinner,
He alk'd me for a thousand marks in gold :

I'll weep what's left away, and weeping die.
Luc. How many fond fools ferve mad jealousy!
[Exeunt

I Meaning, fome other place. 2 Meaning, ftand under them. 3 That is, plain, free in fpeech. 4 Meaning, my change, or alteration of icatures. 5 That is, his pretence, his cover. See a preceding note in the Tempe. The fente is," Gold, indeed, will long bear the handling; however, often touching will wear even gold; juft fo the greatest character, though as pure as gold itfelf, may, in time, be injured by the repeated attacks of falfhood and corruption.

SCENE

Enter Antipholis of Syracufe.

At. The gold, I gave to Dromio, is laid up
Set the Centaur; and the heedful flave
I wander'd forth, in care to feek me out.
by computation, and mine hoft's report,
I could not ípeak with Dromio, fince at firft
1 fent him from the mart: See, here he comes.
Fatir Dramic of Syracufe.

How now, fir? is your merly humour alter'd ?
As voz love ftroke, fo jeit with me again.

7

1 know no Centaur ? you receiv'd no gold ?
Your mfruf fent to have me home to dinner?
My house was at the Phonix? Waft thou mad,
That thus to midly thou didst answer me?

3. Dra. What anfwer, fir? when fpake I fuch
a word?

At. Even now, even here, not half an hour fince.
S. Drs. I did not fee you fince you fent me hence,
Home to the Centaur, with the gold you gave me.
Her. Villin, thou didft deny the gold's receipt ;
And tut me of a miftrefs, and a dinner;
For which, I hope, thou felt it I was difpleas'd.
3. Dra. I am glad to fee you in this merry vein :
Whr meins this jeft I pray you, mafter, tell me.
der. Yea, dott thou jeur and flout me in the teeth?
Takit thou I jeft? Hold, take thou that, and that.
[Beats Dro.
S.D. Hold, fir, for God's fake, now your jeft
Tea what bargain do you give it me? [is earneft:
4. Betaufe that I familiarly fometimes
Do are you for my fool, and chat with you,
Your tune's will jett upon my love,
And make a common of my ferious hours 1.
When the fun fhines, let foolish gnats make fport,
Bx creep in crannies, when he hides his bears.
If you will oft with me, know my aspect,
And fashion your demeanor to my looks,
Or I will beat this method in your fconce.

S. Dr. Sconce, call you it? fo you would leave bettering, I had rather have it a head: an you ufe these blows long, I muft get a fconce for my head, #infconce2 it too, or elfe I shall feek my wit in my shoulders. But, I pray, fir, why am I beaten? Art. Duft thou not know?

5. Drs. Nothing, fir, but that I am beaten. Art. Shall I tell you why?

5. Dra. Ay, fir, and wherefore; for, they fay,

every why hath a wherefore.

S. Dr. There's no time for a man to recover his hair, that grows bald by nature.

Int. May he not do it by fine and recovery? S. Dro. Yes, to pay a fine for a peruke, and recover the loft hair of another man.

Ant. Why is Time fuch a niggard of hair, being, as it is, fo plentiful an excrement ?

S. D. Because it is a blefling that he bestows on beafts: and what he hath fcanted men in hair, he hath given them in wit.

Ant. Why, but there's many a man hath more hair than wit.

S. Dro. Not a man of thofe but he hath the wit to lofe his hair 3.

Ant. Why, thou didst conclude hairy men plain dealers without wit.

S. Dro. The plainer dealer, the fooner loft: Yet he lofeth it in a kind of jollity.

int. For what reafon ?

S. Dro. For two; and found ones too.
Ant. Nay, not found, I pray you.

S. Dro. Sure ones then.

Ant. Nay, not fure, in a thing falfing.
S. Dro. Certain ones then.
Ant. Name them.

S. Dro. The one, to fave the money that he spends in tiring; the other, that at dinner they should not drop in his porridge.

Ant. You would all this time have prov'd, there is no time for all things.

S. Dro. Marry, and did, fir; namely, no time to recover hair loft by nature.

[fore,- Ant. But your reason was not fubftantial, why 4. Why, first, for flouting me; and then, where-there is no time to recover.

Fur arging it the fecond time to me. [of feafon, S. Dro. Thus I mend it: Time himself is bald, and therefore to the world's end, will have bald followers.

5. Dr. Was there ever any man thus beaten out When, in the why, and the wherefore, is neither rhime nor reafon ?———•

Wel', fir, I thank you.

A. Thank me, fir? for what?

5. D. Marry, fir, for this fomething that you

gave me for nothing.

dr. I'll make you amends next, to give you no

Ant. I knew, 'twould be a bald conclufion: But foft! who wafts us yonder?

Enter Adriana and Luciana.

Adr. Ay, ay, Antipholis, look strange, and frown; Some other miftrefs hath thy fweet afpects, [I am not Adriana, nor thy wife.

I Meaning. And break in, or intrude upon them when you pleafe. The allufion is to thofe tracts of ground called commons. 2 That is, fortify it. 3 This alludes to the effects of the venereal disease, one of which, on its first appearance in Europe, was the loss of hair.

The

The time was once, when thou, unurg'd, wouldst
That never words were musick to thine ear, [vow
That never object pleafing in thine eye,
That never touch well-welcome to thy hand,
That never meat sweet-favour'd in thy tafte, [thee.
Unless I fpake, or look'd, or touch'd, or carv'd, to
How comes it now, my husband, oh, how comes it,
That thou art then eftranged from thyfelf?
Thyfelf I call it, being strange to me,
That, undividable, incorporate,
Am better than thy dear felf's better part.
Ah, do not tear away thyfelf from me;
For know, my love, as easy may'st thou fall
A drop of water in the breaking gulph,
And take unmingled thence that drop again,
Without addition, or diminishing,

As take from me thyfelf, and not me too.
How dearly would it touch thee to the quick,
Shouldst thou but hear, I were licentious?
And that this body, confecrate to thee,
By ruffian luft fhould be contaminate?
Wouldst thou not fpit at me, and fpurn at me,
And hurl the name of hufband in my face,
And tear the ftain'd skin off my harlot-brow,
And from my falfe hand cut the wedding-ring,
And break it with a deep-divorcing vow?

I know thou canft, and therefore fee, thou do it.
I am poffefs'd with an adulterate blot;
My blood is mingled with the crime of luft:
For, if we two be one, and thou play false,
I do digeft the poifon of thy fleth,
Being ftrumpeted by thy contagion.

Keep then fair league and truce with thy true bed:
I live dif-ftain'd, thou undifhonoured.

Amt. Plead you to me, fair dame? I know you not:
In Ephefus I am but two hours old,

As ftrange unto your town, as to your talk;
Who, every word by all my wit being scann'd,
Want wit in all one word to understand,

Luc. Fie,brother! how the world is chang'd with
When were you wont to use my fifter thus? [you;
She fent for you by Dromio home to dinner,
Ant. By Dromio?

S. Dro. By me?

Adr.Bythee; and thus thou didst return from him,-
That he did buffet thee, and, in his blows
Deny'd my houfe for his, me for his wife.
Ant. Did you converfe, fir, with this gentlewoman?
What is the course and drift of your compact?

S. Dro. I, fir? I never faw her till this time,
Ant. Villain, thou lieft; for even her very words
Didft thou deliver to me on the mart,

S. Dro. I never spake with her in all my life,
Ant. How can fhe thus then call us by our names,
Unless it be by inspiration?

Adr. How ill agrees it with your gravity,
To counterfeit thus grofly with your flave,
Abetting him to thwart me in my mood ?
Be it my wrong, you are from me exempt',
But wrong not that wrong with a more contempt.
Come, I will faften on this fleeve of thine:
Thou art an elm, my husband, I a vine;
Whose weaknefs, marry'd to thy stronger stare,
Makes me with thy ftrength to communicate:
If ought poffefs thee from me, it is drofs,
Ufurping ivy, briar, or idle 2 mofs;
Who, all for want of pruning, with intrusion
Infect thy fap, and live on thy confufion. [theme:
Ant. To me the speaks; the moves me for her
What, was I marry'd to her in my dream?
Or fleep I now, and think I hear all this?
What error drives our eyes and ears amifs?
Until I know this fure uncertainty,
I'll entertain the favour'd fallacy.

Luc. Dromio, go bid the fervants fpread for dinner.
S. Dro. Oh, for my beads! I crofs me for a finner,
This is the fairy land;-oh, fpight of spights !——
We talk with goblins, owls 3, and elvish fprights;
If we obey them not, this will enfue, [blue.
They'll fuck our breath, and pinch us black and
Luc. Why pratit thou to thyself, and answer'st

not?
[fot!
Dromio, thou drone, thou fnail, thou flug, thou
S. Dro. I am transform'd, mafter, am 1 not?
Ant. I think, thou art, in mind, and fo am 1.
S. Dro. Nay, matter, both in mind, and in my
Ant. Thou haft thine own form. [thape
S. Dro. No, I am an ape.

Luc. If thou art chang'd to ought, 'tis to an afs.

S. Dro. 'Tis true, fhe rides me, and I long for 'Tis fo, I am an afs; elfe it could never be, [grafs. But I fhould know her as well as the knows me.

Adr. Come, come, no longer will I be a fool,
To put the finger in the eye and weep,
Whilst man, and master, laugh my woes to fcom.
Come, fir, to dinner; Dromio, keep the gate :
Hufband, I'll dine above with you to-day,
And fhrive 4 you of a thousand idle pranks:
Sirrah, if any ask you for your master,
Say, he dines forth, and let no creature enter.-
Come, fifter: Dromio, play the porter well.

Ant. Am I in earth, in heaven, or in hell?
Sleeping or waking? mad, or well-advis'd?
Known unto thefe, and to myfelf difguis'd!
I'll fay as they fay, and perfever fo,
And in this nift at all adventures go.

S. Dro. Mafter, fhall I be porter at the gate
Adr. Ay, let none enter, left I break your pate.
Luc. Come, come, Antipholis, we dine too late,
[Exeunt.

That is, feparated. That is, unfertile, and therefore ufelefs or idle. 3 Dr. Warburton fays, it was an old popular fuperftition, that the ferietch-owl fucked out the breath and blood of infants in the cradle. On this account, the Italians called witches, who were fuppofed to be in like manner mifchievously bent against children, frega, from ftrix, the ferietch-owl,"4 That is, conțeis.

ACT

ACT

"A cerfanet is faid to have been a necklace fet with ftones, or ftrung with pearls. rad, ftock, poft. Sir T. Hanmer fays, Mome owes its original to the French word Momon, which the gaming at dice in masquerade, the cuftom and rule of which is, that a ftriét filence is to ved: whatever fum one stakes, another covers, but not a word is to be spoken: from hence Lumes our word mum! for filence. 3 That is, fool. 4 That is, I own. To trow fignifies

Ang. Here is neither cheer, fir, nor welcome; Hath oftentimes upbraided me withal; we would fain have either.

Bal. In debating which was beft, we fhall part with neither 1.

To her, will we to dinner.-Get you home,
And fetch the chain; by this, I know, 'tis made
Bring it, I pray you, to the Porcupine;

E. Dro. They ftand at the door, mafter; bid For there's the houfe; that chain will I bestow

them welcome hither.

E. Ant. There is fomething in the wind, that we cannot get in. [ments were thin. E. Dro. You would fay fo, mafter, if your garYour cake here is warm within; you ftand here in the cold: [bought and fold 2. It would make a man mad as a buck, to be fo E. Ant. Go, fetch me fomething, I'll break ope [knave's pate.

the gate. S. Dro. Break any thing here, and I'll break your E. Dro. A man may break a word with you, fir; and words are but wind;

[behind.

Ay, and break it in your face, fo he break it not S. Dro. It feems, thou wanteft breaking: Out upon thee, hind!

crow.

E. Dro. Here's too much, out upon thee! I pray thee, let me in. [fifh have no fin. S. D. Ay, when fowls have no feathers, and E. Ant. Well, I'll break in; Go borrow me a [you fo? E. Dra. A crow without feather; mafter, mean For a fish without a fin, there's a fowl without a feather; [gether. If a a crow help us in, firrah, we'll pluck a crow toE. Ant. Go, get thee gone, fetch me an iron

crow.

Bal. Have patience, fir; oh, let it not be fo;
Herein you war against your reputation,
And draw within the compafs of fufpect
The unviolated honour of your wife.
Once this, Your long experience of her wifdom,|
Her fober virtue, years, and modefty,
Plead on her part fome caufe to you unknown;
And doubt not, fir, but the will well excufe,
Why at this time the doors are made 3 against you.
Be rul'd by me; depart in patience,
And let us to the Tyger all to dinner :
And, about evening, come yourself alone,
To know the reafon of this ftrange reftraint.
If by ftrong hand you offer to break in,
Now in the stirring paffage of the day,
A vulgar comment will be made of it;
And that fuppofed by the common rout
Againft your yet ungalled estimation,
That may with foul intrusion enter in,
And dwell upon your grave when you are dead:
For flander lives upon fucceflion;

For ever hous'd, where 't gets poffeffion.

E. Ant. You have prevail'd; I will depart in
quiet,

And, in defpight of mirth 4, mean to be merry.
1.know a wench of excellent difcourfe,-
Pretty and witty; wild, and, yet too, gentle,-
There will we dine: this woman that I mean,
My wife (but, I proteft, without defert)

(Be it for nothing but to fpight my wife)
Upon mine hoftefs there: good fir, make hafte :
Since my own doors refufe to entertain me,
I'll knock elfewhere, to fee if they'll difdain me.
Ang. I'll meet you at that place, fome hour, fir,
hence.

E. Ant. Do fo; this jeft fhall coft me fome ex-
pence.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

The boufe of Antipholis of Ephefus.
Enter Luciana with Intiphalis of Syracufe.
Luc. And may it be that you have quite forgot
A husband's office? fhall, Antipholis, hate,
Even in the fpring of love, thy love-springs rot?
Shall love, in building, grow fo ruinate?
If you did wed my fitter for her wealth,

Then, for her wealth's fake, ufe her with
more kindness;

Or, if you like elfewhere, do it by stealth; [ness:
Mute your faife love with fome thew of bland-
Let not my fifter read it in your eye;

Be not thy tongue thy own fhame's orator;
Look fweet, fpeak fair, become difloyalty;
Apparel vice like virtue's harbinger:
Bear a fair prefence, though your heart be tainted;
Teach fin the carriage of a holy faint;

Be fecret falfe; What need the be acquainted?
What fimple thief brags of his own attaint?
'Tis double wrong, to truant with your bed,

And let her read it in thy looks at board :
Shame hath a baftard fame, well manag'd;

Ili deeds are doubled with an evil word.
Alas, poor women! make us but believe,

Being compact 5 of credit, that you love us ;
Though others have the arm, thew us the fleeve;

We in your motion turn, and you may move us. Then, gentle brother, get you in again;

Comfort my filter, chear her, call her wife : 'Tis holy fport, to be a little vain“,

When the fweet breath of flattery conquers ftrife. S. Ant.Sweet miftrefs, (what your name is elfe, 1 know not,

Nor by what wonder you do hit of mine)
Lefs, in your knowledge, and your grace, you
fhow not,
[divine

Than, our earth's wonder; more than eart!
Teach me, dear creature, how to think and fpeak
Lay open to my earthy grofs conceit,
Smother'd in errors, feeble, fhallow, weak,

The folded meaning of your words' deceit.
Against my foul's pure truth why labour you,
To make it wander in an unknown field?
Are you a god? would you create me new? [yiel
Transform me then, and to your power 17

1 Meaning, we fhall fhare with neither. 2 A proverbial phrafe. 3 To make the door, is a pro vincial expreflion, fignifying to bar or faflen the door. 4 The meaning is, I will be merry, even o of fpight to mirth, which is, now, of all things, the most unpleating to me. 5 Compact her means made up. 6 l'ain here fignifies not true.

B