Ant. of Eph. Will they not hear?

Dr. of Eph. In good truth, I think they will not. My mistress, sure, means to be quits with you, master: you denied her awhile ago, and now, she's determined to deny you.

Ant. of Eph. Have done, thou varlet. Call to them; bid them let us in.

Dr. of Eph. Maud, Hermia, Marian, Cicely, Gillian, Madge!

Dr. of Syr. [Within.] Mome, malt-horse, capon, coxcomb, idiot, patch!-Dost thou conjure for wenches, that thou call'st for such store, when one is one too many?-Go get thee from the gate.

Dr. of Eph. What patch is made our porter?My master stays in the street.

Dr. of Syr. [Within.] Let him walk from whence he came; lest he catch cold in his feet.

Ant. of Eph. Who talks within there?-Hoa, open the door.

Dr. of Syr. [Within.] Right, sir :-I'll tell you when, an you'll tell me wherefore.

Ant. of Eph. What art thou, there, that keep'st me from mine own house?

Dr. of Syr. The porter, sir, and my name is Dromio.

Dr. of Eph. O, villain, thou hast stolen both mine office and my name.

Hermia. [Within] Why; what a coil is there? -Dromio, who are those at the door?

Dr. of Eph. Let my master in.

Her. [Within.] Peace, fool! my master's here already.

Ant. of Eph. Do you hear, you minion? You'll let us in, I trow.

Her. [Within.] Can you tell for whose sake? Dr. of Eph. Master, knock at the door hard. Dr. of Syr. [Within.] Let him knock till it ache. Adriana. [Within.] Who is at the gate, that keeps all this noise?

Ant. of Eph. Are you there, wife? You might have come before.

Adr. [Within.]

get you from the gate.

Your wife, sir knave !---Go,

Ant of Eph. Get from the gate! What means this saucy language?

There's something more in this.-Why Adriana! Adr. [Within.] Hence, you familiar coxcomb! Cease your noise ;

Or

you shall dearly pay for all this outrage.— Dromio, be sure, you keep fast the doors against 'em. Ant. of Eph. Why, wife, I

say,

Dr. of Syr. [Within.] She's gone back to dinner, sir, to take a refreshing cup; and has no time to answer idle questions now.

Ant. of Eph. Now, on my soul, some strange mysterious guile

Lurks underneath this unaccustom'd

usage:

Some shameful minion here is entertain'd.

Ang. Have patience, sir: O, let it not be thus ; Herein you war against your reputation,

And draw within the compass of suspect

The inviolated honour of your

wife.

Cer Aye, sir, your long experience of her wisdom,

Her sober virtue, years, and modesty

Plead, on her part, some cause to you unknown;
And, doubt it not, but she will well excuse

Why at this time, the doors are barred against you. Ant. of Eph. Shall I be thus shut forth from my own house,

While they are revelling to my dishonour?
Go, fetch an instrument: I'll break the door,
Shatter it all to pieces. but I'll enter.

Go. (To Dromio, stamping and menacing).
Dromio. Gone!

Ang. Be rul'd by me: depart in patience,
And let us to the Tiger go to dinner;
And, about evening, come yourself alone,
To know the reason of this strange restraint.
If by strong hand you offer to break in,
Now, in the stirring passage of the day,
A vulgar comment will be made on it;
And that supposed by the common rout,
Against your yet ungalled estimation,
That with foul intrusion enter in,

may

And dwell upon your grave when

For slander lives ev'n to posterity,

[Exit.

you are dead!

For ever hous'd, when once it gets possession.

Cer. It does-it does-let him prevail my lord.

Ant. of Eph. You have prevail'd: I will depart in quiet;

And, in despite of wrath, try to be merry.

I know a wench of excellent discourse,

Lesbia by name; wild, and yet right gentle;
There will we dine:-this woman that I mean,
My wife, but I protest, without desert,—
Hath oftentimes upbraided me withal:

To Lesbia we'll to dinner. Get you home,
And fetch the jewel; by this, I guess, 'tis made:
Bring it, I pray you, to the Porcupine;

For there's the house; and there will I bestow it,
Be it for nothing but to spite my wife,

Upon this Lesbia.--Use dispatch.
Ang. I will.-

I'll meet you at that place some hour, sir, hence,
That is, if Fate or evil spirits, say not nay.

For I know not why

Though ne'er to superstition given,

I could believe we trod upon enchanted ground,
And elves and witches were abroad.

[Exit.

Ant. of Eph. And I.—And now I recollect, last

night

I dreamt St. Withold had the desart left,

And as the bell toll'd "one," hover'd and shriek'd
Like the ill-omen'd bird, with fatal knell,
Around my dwelling.

F

DUET.-(King Lear).

St. Withold footed thrice the wold,
He met the night-mare, and her nine-fold ;-
Bid her alight,

And her troth plight,

And aroint thee, witch! aroint thee, right!

SCENE II.

A GARDEN.

[Exeunt.

Antipholis of Syracuse, Adriana, and
Luciana discovered.

Adr. Why, why was I to this keen mock'ry
born?

How at your hands have I deserv'd this coldness?
In sooth, you do me wrong: there was a time
When I believed, so fond was my credulity,
The sun was scarce so true unto the day,
As you to me.

Ant. of Syr. I would some friendly light

Might chase away the mist that clouds our fancies,
And give this dream a meaning!-True, I see
These beauteous bowers, in nature's fragrance rich;
Behold the painted children of her hand,
Flaunting in gay luxuriance all around;

I see imperial Phoebus' trembling beam

Dance on the curly brook; whose gentle current
Glides imperceptibly away, scarce staying
To kiss th' embracing bank.