Adr. Where is thy mafter, Dromio? is he well?

S. Dro. No, he's in Tartar Limbo, worse than hell; A devil in an everlafting garment hath him, One, whofe hard heart is button'd up with steel: A fiend, a fury, pitilefs and rough, (17)

A wolf, nay, worfe, a fellow all in buff;

A back-friend, a fhoulder-clapper, one that commands
The paffages of allies, creeks, and narrow lands;
A hound that runs counter, and yet draws dry-foot well;
One, that, before the judgment carries poor fouls to hell.
Adr. Why, man, what is the matter?

S. Dro. I do not know the matter; he is arrested on the cafe.

Adr. What, is he arrested? tell me, at whofe fuit.

S. Dro. I know not at whofe fuit he is arrested, well; but he's in a fuit of buff, which 'refted him, that I can tell. Will you fend him, mistress redemption, the money in his desk?

Adr. Go fetch it, fifter. This I wonder at. [Exit Luc.
That he, unknown to me, fhould be in debt?
Tell me, was he arrefted on a bond?

S. Dro. Not on a bond, but on a stronger thing,
A chain, a chain; do you not hear it ring?
Adr. What, the chain?

S. Dro. No, no; the bell; 'tis time that I were gone. It was two ere I left him, and now the clock ftrikes one.

Adr. The hours come back! that I did never hear. S. Dro. O yes, if any hour meet a ferjeant, a'turns

back for very fear.

(17) A Fiend, a Fairy, pitiless and rough,] Dremio here bringing word in hafte that his master is arrested, defcribes the Bailiff by names proper to raife horror and deteftation of fuch a creature, fuch as, a* devil, a fiend, a relf, &c. But how does fairy come up to thefe terrible ideas? Or with what propriety can it be ufed here? Does he mean, that a bailiff is like a fairy in ftealing away his mafter? The trueft believers of thofe little phantoms never pretended to think, that they ftole any thing but children Certainly, it will fort better in fenfe with the other names annex'd, as well as the character of a catchpole, to conclude that the Poet wrote; a Fiend, a Fury, &c. I made this conjecture in my SHAKESPEARE reftar'd; and Mr. Pope as thought fit to embrace it in his last edition.

Adr.

Adr. As if time were in debt! how fondly doft thou

reafon?

S. Dro. Time is a very bankrout, and owes more than he's worth, to season.

Nay, he's a thief too; have you not heard men say,
That Time comes ftealing on by night and day?

If Time be in debt and theft, and a ferjeant in the way,
Hath he not reason to turn back an hour in a day?

Enter Luciana.

Adr. Go, Dromio; there's the money, bear it strait, And bring thy mafter home immediately. Come, fifter, I am preft down with conceit; Conceit, my comfort and my injury.

8. Ant.'

SCENE changes to the Street.

Enter Antipholis of Syracufe.

TH

[Exeunt.

Here's not a man I meet, but doth falute me, As if I were their well-acquainted friend; And every one doth call me by my name.

Some tender money to me, fome invite me;
Some other give me thanks for kindneffes;
Some offer me commodities to buy.
Ev'n now a taylor call'd me in his ihop,
And fhow'd me filks that he had bought for me,
And therewithal took measure of my body.
Sure, these are but imaginary wiles,

And Lapland forcerers inhabit here.

Enter Dromio of Syracuse.

S. Dro. Mafter, here's the gold you fent me for; (18) what, have you got rid of the picture of old Adam new-apparel'd?

S. Ant.

(18) what, bave you got the picture of old Adam nerv apparell'd?] A fhort word or two must have flipt out here, by fome accident in copying, or at prefs: otherwife I have no conception of the meaning of the paffage. The cafe is this. Dromio's mafter had been arrested, and fent his fervant home for money to redeem him: He running back with the money, meets the twin Antipholis, whom he mistakes for

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S. Ant. What gold is this? what Adam doft thou mean? S. Dro. Not that Adam, that kept the paradife; but that Adam, that keeps the prifon; he that goes in the calves-fkin, that was kill'd for the prodigal; he that came behind you, Sir, like an evil angel, and bid you forfake your liberty.

S. Ant. I understand thee not.

S. Dro. No? why 'tis a plain cafe; he that went like a bafe-viol in a cafe of leather; the man, Sir, that, when gentlemen are tired, gives them a fob, and refts them; he, Sir, that takes pity on decay'd men, and gives them fuits of durance; he, that fets up his reft to do more exploits with his mace, than a morris-pike. S. Ant. What! thou mean'ft an officer?

S. Dro. Ay, Sir, the ferjeant of the band; he, that brings any man to answer it that breaks his hond; one that thinks a man always going to bed, and faith, God give you good reft.

S. Ant. Well, Sir, there reft in your foolery. Is there any fhip puts forth to-night? may we be gone? S. Dro. Why, Sir, I brought you word an hour fince, that the bark Expedition puts forth to-night; and then were you hinder'd by the ferjeant, to tarry for the hoy Delay; here are the angels that you fent for, to deliver you.

S. Ant. The fellow is distract, and so am I, And here we wander in illufions;

Some bleffed power

deliver us from hence!

Enter a Courtezan..

Cour. Well met, well met, mafter Antipholis. I fee, Sir, you have found the goldsmith now: Is that the chain, you promis'd me to-day?

his mafter, and seeing him clear of the officer before the money was come, he cries in a furprize;

What, have you got rid of the picture of old Adam new apparell'd? For fo, I have ventur'd to, fupply, by conjecture. But why is the officer call'd old Adam new apparell'd? The allufion is to Adam in his ftate of innocence going naked; and immediately after the fall, being cloathed in a frock of kins. Thus he was new-apparell'd: and in like manner the ferjeants of the counter were formerly clad in buff ex calves-fkin, as the Author humorously a little lower calls it.

S. Ant

3. Ant. Satan avoid! I charge thee, tempt me not. S. Dro. Mafter, is this mistress Satan?

S. Ant. It is the Devil.

S. Dro. Nay, fhe is worfe, fhe's the devil's dam; and here fhe comes in the habit of a light wench, and thereof comes, that the wenches fay, God dam me, that's as much as to fay, God make me a light wench. It is written, they appear to men like angels of light; light is an effect of fire, and fire will burn; ergo, light wenches will burn; come not near her.

Cour. Your man and you are marvellous merry, Sir. Will you go with me, we'll mend our dinner here? S. Dro. Mafter, if you do expect spoon meat, befpeak a long spoon.

S. Ant. Why, Dromio?

S. Dro. Marry, he must have a long spoon, that must eat with the devil.

S. Ant. Avoid then, fiend! what tell thou me of Thou art, as you are all, a forceress : [fupping? I conjure thee to leave me, and be gone.

Cour. Give me the ring of mine, you had at dinner, Or for my diamond the chain you promis'd, And I'll be gone, Sir, and not trouble you.

S. Dro. Some devils ak but the parings of one's nail, a rush, a hair, a drop of blood, a pin, a nut, a cherry ftone: but she, more covetous, would have a chain. Mafter, be wife; an if you give it her, the devil will shake her chain, and fright us with it.

Cour. I pray you, Sir, my ring, or else the chain; I hope, you do not mean to cheat me fo

S. Ant. Avant, thou witch! come, Dromio, let us go. S. Dro. Fly pride, says the peacock; miftrefs, that you know.. [Exeunt.

Manet Courtezan.

Cour. Now, out of doubt, Antipholis is mad;
Elfe would he never fo demean himself.
A ring he hath of mine worth forty ducats,
And for the fame he promis'd me a chain;
Both one, and other, he denies me now.

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The reason, that I gather, he is mad,
(Befides this present inftance of his rage)
Is a mad tale he told to-day at dinner,
Of his own doors being fhut against his entrance.
Belike, his wife, acquainted with his fits,
On purpose shut the doors against his way.
My way is now to hie home to his house,
And tell his wife, that, being lunatick,
He rush'd into my house, and took perforce
My ring away. This courfe I fitteft chufe;
For forty ducats is too much to lose.

[Exit.

SCENE changes to the Street. Enter Antipholis of Ephefus with the Jailor. E. Ant. Ear me not, man; I will not break away; I'll give thee, ere I leave thee, fo much money, To warrant thee, as I am 'refted for. My wife is in a wayward mood to-day, And will not lightly truft the meffenger. That I fhould be attach'd in Ephefus,

I tell you, 'twill found harshly in her ears.

Enter Dromio of Ephefus, with a rope's-end. Here comes my man; I think, he brings the money. How now, Sir, have you that I fent you for?

E. Dro. Here's that, I warrant you, will pay them all. E. Ant. But where's the money y?

E. Dro. Why, Sir, I gave the money for the rope? E. Ant. Five hundred ducats, villain, for a rope? E. Dro. I'll ferve you, Sir, five hundred at the rate. E. Ant. To what end did I bid thee hie thee home? E. Dro. To a rope's end, Sir; and to that end am I return'd.

E. Ant. And to that end, Sir, I will welcome you.
[Beats Dromio,

Offi. Good Sir, be patient.
E.Dro.Nay, 'tis for me to be patient; I am in adverfity.
Off. Good now, hold thy tongue.

E. Dro. Nay, rather perfuade him to hold his hands..

B. Ant.