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Adam that keeps the prison: he that goes in the calf's-skin that was kill'd for the prodigal: he that came behind you, sir, like an evil angel, and bid you forsake your liberty. Ant. S. I understand thee not.

Dro. S. No? why, 'tis a plain case: he that went, like a base-viol, in a case of leather: the man, sir, that, when gentlemen are tired, gives them a fob', and 'rests them: he, sir, that takes pity on decayed men, and gives them suits of durance; he that sets up his rest', to do more exploits with his mace than a morris-pike ".

Ant. S. What, thou mean'st an officer?

Dro. S. Ay, sir, the serjeant of the band; he that brings any man to answer it, that breaks his band; one that thinks a man always going to bed, and says, "God give you good

rest!"

Ant. S. Well, sir, there rest in your foolery. Is there any ship puts forth to-night? may we be gone?

Dro. S. Why, sir, I brought you word an hour since, that the bark Expedition put forth to-night; and then were you hindered by the serjeant to tarry for the hoy Delay. Here are the angels that you sent for to deliver you.

Ant. S. The fellow is distract, and so am I,

And here we wander in illusions.

Some blessed power deliver us from hence!

Enter a Courtezan.

Cour. Well met, well met, master Antipholus.

I see, sir, you have found the goldsmith now:

Is that the chain, you promis'd me to-day?

Ant. S. Satan, avoid! I charge thee, tempt me not!

Dro. S. Master, is this mistress Satan?

Ant. S. It is the devil.

Dro. S. Nay, she is worse, she is the devil's dam; and here she comes in the habit of a light wench: and thereof comes that the wenches say, "God damn me," that's as much "God make me a light wench." It is written, they

as to say,

6 gives them a FOB,] The old copies have sob for "fob," or perhaps bob. 7 he that SETS UP HIS REST,] This expression became proverbial, and was applied to a person who took up any fixed position. It was generally used in the card-game of Primero, but, we apprehend, had its origin in old musketry or gunnery: see especially Vol. ii. p. 555, and Vol. v. p. 184.

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than a MORRIS-FIKE.] i, e. "A Moorish pike," a well-known instrument

often mentioned.

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.

Dro. S. Master, if you do, or expect spoon-meat, bespeak a long spoon".

Ant. S. Why, Dromio?

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

Ant. S. Avoid, thou fiend'! what tell'st thou me of supping?

Thou art, as you are all, a sorceress :

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.

Dro. S. Some devils ask but the parings of one's nail, A rush, a hair, a drop of blood, a pin,

A nut, a cherry-stone;

But she, more covetous, would have a chain.—

Master, be wise: 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 so.
Ant. S. Avaunt, thou witch!

Dro. S. Fly pride, says the

know.

Come, Dromio, let us go. peacock: mistress, that you [Exeunt ANT. S. and DRO. S.

Cour. Now, out of doubt, Antipholus is mad,
Else would he never so demean himself.

A ring he hath of mine worth forty ducats,
And for the same he promis'd me a chain :
Both one and other he denies me now.
The reason that I gather he is mad,
Besides this present instance of his rage,
Is a mad tale he told to-day at dinner

9 Master, if you do, or expect spoon-meat, bespeak a long spoon.] i. e. If you consent to go, or if you expect spoon-meat, bespeak a long spoon: it alludes to the proverb, quoted just afterwards, as well as in "The Tempest," A. ii. sc. 2, this Vol. p. 47. "You" is supplied by the folio, 1632, but "or" became transposed, after "expect spoon-meat" instead of before it.

1 Avoid, THOU fiend!] "Thou" is then in the folios, but amended in the corr. fo. 1632. In "Twelfth-Night," Vol. ii. p. 722, we have had the same easy misprint, but the change is here hardly as necessary.

Of his own doors being shut 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 lunatic,
He rush'd into my house, and took perforce
My ring away. This course I fittest choose,
For forty ducats is too much to lose.

[Exit.

SCENE IV.

The Same.

Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Ephesus, and a Jailor'.

Ant. E. Fear me not, man; I will not break away : I'll give thee, ere I leave thee, so much money,

To warrant thee, as I am 'rested for.

My wife is in a wayward mood to-day,
And will not lightly trust the messenger:
That I should be attach'd in Ephesus,
I tell you, 'twill sound harshly in her ears.

Enter DROMIO of Ephesus, with a rope's end.

Here comes my man: I think he brings the money.-
How now, sir? have you that I sent you for?

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

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

Ant. E. And to that end, sir, I will welcome you.

Jail. Good sir, be patient.

[Beating him.

2 -a Jailor.] This is the old stage-direction; and as Adriana and Antipholus subsequently call him "Jailor," there is good reason for retaining it, instead of "an officer," as it stands in modern editions.

Dro. E. Nay, 'tis for me to be patient; I am in adversity.
Jail. Good now, hold thy tongue.

Dro. E. Nay, rather persuade him to hold his hands.
Ant. E. Thou whoreson, senseless villain!

Dro. E. I would I were senseless, sir; that I might not feel your blows.

Ant. E. Thou art sensible in nothing but blows, and so is

an ass.

Dro. E. I am an ass, indeed; you may prove it by my long ears.-I have serv'd him from the hour of my nativity to this instant, and have nothing at his hands for my service, but blows. When I am cold, he heats me with beating; when I am warm, he cools me with beating: I am wak'd with it, when I sleep; rais'd with it, when I sit; driven out of doors with it, when I go from home; welcomed home with it, when I return: nay, I bear it on my shoulders, as a beggar wont her brat; and, I think, when he hath lamed me, I shall beg with it from door to door.

Ant. E. Come, go along, my wife is coming yonder.

Enter ADRIANA, LUCIANA, the Courtezan, and a Schoolmaster called PINCH.

Dro. E. Mistress, respice finem', respect your end; or rather the prophecy, like the parrot, "Beware the rope's end." Ant. E. Wilt thou still talk? [Beating him.

3

by my LONG EARS] Meaning, probably, that his master had lengthened his ears by pulling them.

4 Mistress, RESPICE FINEM,] Shakespeare may have seen this familiar phrase in Ulpian Fulwell's excellent work The First Parte of the Eighth Liberall Science," 1579, 4to. "Wherefore, gentle maister Philodoxus, I bid you adew, with this motion or caveat, Respice finem." It is to be observed that a marginal note is there added in these words :—“ All is well that ends well;" which may still farther connect the passage with Shakespeare.

"Beware the rope's end."] In the excellent comedy of 1616, one of the characters

5- or rather the prophecy, like the parrot, Meaning respect the prophecy, like the parrot, &c. "Englishmen for my Money," by W. Haughton, exclaims, "An almond for a parrot? a rope for a parrot ;" and the same words are to be found in Dekker's " Honest Where," Pt. I., A. i. sc. 12. see Dodsley's "Old Plays," edit. 1825, Vol. iii. p. 314, where a celebrated tract by T. Nash is referred to. The parrot's prophecy would seem to be, by crying "rope," to predict the infliction of hanging to some person; and Warburton quoted the following lines very much in point from "Hudibras :"

"Could tell what subtlest parrots mean,

That speak and think contrary clean;

What member 'tis of whom they talk,

When they cry Rope, and Walk, knave, walk."

husband mad?

Cour. How say you now? is not your
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 sharp he looks!
Cour. Mark, how he trembles in his ecstacy:
Pinch. Give me your hand, and let me feel your pulse.
Ant. E. There is my hand, and let it feel your ear.
Pinch. I charge thee, Satan, hous'd within this man,
To yield possession to my holy prayers,

And to thy state of darkness hie thee straight:

I conjure thee by all the saints in heaven.

Ant. E. Peace, doting wizard, peace! I am not mad.
Adr. Oh, that thou wert not, poor distressed soul!
Ant. E. You minion, you are these your customers ° ?
Did this companion with the saffron face

Revel and feast it at my house to-day,

Whilst upon me the guilty doors were shut,
And I denied 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 slanders, and this open shame!

Ant. E. Din'd at home! Thou, villain, what say'st thou?
Dro. E. Sir, sooth to say, you did not dine at home.
Ant. E. Were not my doors lock'd up, and I shut out?
Dro. E. Perdy', your doors were lock'd, and you shut out.
Ant. E. And did not she herself revile me there?

Dro. E. Sans fable, she herself revil'd you there.

Ant. E. Did not her kitchen-maid rail, taunt, and scorn me?

Dro. E. Certes, she did; the kitchen-vestal scorn'd you. Ant. E. And did not I in rage depart from thence? Dro. E. In verity, you did :-my bones bear witness, That since have felt the rigour of his rage.

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G are these your CUSTOMERS?] He employs "customers in the offensive sense of the word: it was sometimes used for a prostitute, and sometimes for a frequenter of prostitutes: see Vol. ii. p. 626, and Vol. vi. p. 451. So in the next line we have " companion " also applied derogatorily, as frequently before: see Vol. ii. pp. 600. 694; Vol. iv. p. 684; Vol. v. p. 358, &c.

7 PERDY,] A corruption of pardieu, Fr. Dromio seems to affect a quaintness of speech here. Above we have "sooth to say," and below " sans fable," ""certes," "in verity," &c. See also Vol. iii. p. 559.

8

the RIGOUR of his rage.] "Vigour of his rage" in the old copies; but the

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