So I, to find a mother, and a brother,
In search of them, unhappy, lose myself.-

Enter DROMIO OF EPHESUS.

How now! How chance thou art return'd so soon? Dro. of Eph. Return'd so soon! Rather approach'd too late

The capon burns, the pig falls from the spit,
The clock hath strucken twelve upon the bell,
My mistress made it one upon my cheek ;-
She is so hot, because the meat is cold,
The meat is cold, because you come not home,
You come not home, because you have no stomach,
You have no stomach, having broke your fast ;
But we, that know what 'tis to fast and pray,
Are penitent for your default to-day.

Ant. of Syr. Stop in your wind, sir;-tell me this,

pray,

Where have you left the money,

that I gave you? Dro. of Eph. Money!-Oh, the money that I

had on

Wednesday last, to pay for mending my
Mistress's saddle.-The sadler had it, sir;
I kept it not.

Ant. of Syr. I am not in a sportive humour now;
Tell me, and dally not-where is the money?
We being strangers here, how dar'st thou trust
So great a charge from thine own custody?

Dro. of Eph. I pray you, jest, sir, as you sit at

dinner

I, from my mistress, come to you in haste, Methinks your stomach, like mine, should be your clock,

And send you home without a messenger.

Ant. of Syr. Come, Dromio, come, these jests are out of season;

Reserve them till a merrier hour than this.-
Where is the gold, I gave in charge to thee?
Dro. of Eph. To me, sir!-why, you gave no gold
to me!

Ant. of Syr. Come, come, have done your foolish

ness,

And tell me how thou hast dispos'd my charge.

Dro. of Eph. My charge was but to fetch you from
the mart,

Home to your house, the Phoenix, sir, to dinner;
My mistress and her sister stay for you.

Int. of Syr. Now, as I am a christian, answer me,
In what safe place you have bestow'd my money;
Or I shall break that merry sconce of

yours, That stands on tricks when I am undispos'd. Where are the thousand marks thou had'st of me? Dro. of Eph. I have some marks of yours upon my pate,

Some of my mistress' marks upon my shoulders;
Between you both, they make, perhaps, a thousand:
If I should pay your worship these again,
Perchance you will not take it patiently.

Ant. of Syr. Thy mistress' marks!-What mistress, slave, hast thou?

Dro. of Eph. Your worship's wife, my mistress, at the Phoenix,

She, that doth fast till you come home to dinner.
And prays that you will haste you.

Ant. of Syr. What, wilt thou flout me thus unto my face,

Being forbid ?-There, take you that, sir knave! Dro. of Eph. What mean you, sir ?-for Heaven's sake, hold your hands

Nay, an you will not, sir, I'll take my heels. [Exit. Ant. of Syr. Upon my life, by some device or

other,

The villain has been trick'd of all my money.

They say, this town is full of cozenage;
If it prove so, I will be gone the sooner.
Misguided by my hopes, in doubt I stray,
To seek what I, perchance, may never find.
May not the cruel hand of destiny,
Ere this, have render'd all my searches vain ?
If so, how wretched has my folly made me!
In luckless hour, alas! I left my home,
And the fond comforts of a father's love,
That only bliss my fortune had in store,
For dubious pleasures on a foreign shore.

[Exit.

ACT THE SECOND.

SCENE I.

A Chamber in ANTIPHOLIS OF EPHESUS's House.

Enter ADRIANA and LUCIANA.

Adr. Neither my husband, nor the slave return'd, That, in such haste, I sent to seek his master? Sure, Luciana, it is two o'clock.

Luc. Perhaps some merchant has invited him, And, from the mart, he's somewhere gone to dinner. Good sister, let us dine, and never fret;

A man is master of his liberty,

Will come, or go-therefore, be patient, sister.

Adr. Why should their liberty be more than ours? Luc. Because their bus'ness still lies out of door. Adr. Look, when I serve him so, he takes it ill. Luc. He is the bridle of your actions, sister.

Adr. None, but an idiot, would be bridled so? Luc Why, headstrong liberty belongs to man, And ill befits a woman's gentle mind. There's nothing situate under Heaven's eye, But hath its bound in earth, in sea, and air; The beasts, the fishes, and the winged tribes, Are their males' subjects, and at their control. Man, more divine, the master of them all, Indued with intellectual sense and soul, Is master to his female-nay, her lord! Let, then, your will attend on his commands. Adr. This servitude makes you remain unwed. Luc. Not this, but troubles of the marriage state. Adr. But were you wedded, you would bear some rule.

Luc. Before I wed, I'll practise to obey.

Adr. How, if your husband start some other where? Luc. With all the gentle, artificial means, That patient meekness, and domestic cares, Could bring to my relief, I would beguile The intervening hours, till he, tir'd out, With empty, transient pleasures, should return To seek content and happiness at homeWith smiles I'd welcome him, and put in practice Each soothing art, that kindness could suggest, To wean his mind from such delusive joys.

Adr. O, special reasoning! well may they be patient,

Who never had a cause for anger given them!
How easily we cure another's grief!

But, were we burden'd with like weight of woe,
As much, or more, we should ourselves complain.
So thou, who hast no unkind mate to grieve thee,
Wouldst comfort me, by urging helpless patience;
But shouldst thou live to see these griefs thine own,
This boasted patience would be thrown aside.

Luc. Well, I will marry one day, but to tryHere comes your man; now is your husband near.

Enter DROMIO OF EPHESUS.

Adr. Say, is your tardy master now at hand? Dro. of Eph. Nay, he's at two hands with me, and that my two ears can witness.

Adr. Say, didst thou speak with him? know'st thou his mind?

Dro. of Eph. Ay, ay, he told his mind upon my

ear;

Beshrew his hand, I scarce could understand it! Luc. Spake he so doubtfully, thou couldst not find his meaning?

Dro. of Eph. Nay, he struck so plainly, I could too well feel his blows; and withal so doubtfully, that I could scarce understand them.

Adr. But say, I pray thee, is he coming home? It seems, he hath great care to please his wife! Dro. of Eph. Why, mistress, sure my master is .horn-mad!

Luc. Horn-mad, thou villain!

Dro. of Eph. I mean not cuckold-mad, but sure he's stark-mad!

When I desir'd him to come home to dinner,
He ask'd me for a thousand marks in gold.
'Tis dinner time, quoth I-my gold, quoth he-
Your meat doth burn, quoth I-my gold, quoth he-
Where are the thousand marks I gave thee, villain?
The pig, quoth I, is burn'd-my gold, quoth he-
My mistress, sir, quoth I-hang up thy mistress!
I do not know thy mistress-out on thy mistress!
Luc. Quoth who?

Dro. of Eph. Quoth my master

I know, quoth he, no house, no wife, no mistress;
So that my errand, due unto my tongue,
I thank him, I bare home upon my shoulders-
For, in conclusion, he did beat me hither.