SCENE VII.

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.
The reason, that I gather, he is mad,
Befides this prefent inftance of his rage,
Is a mad tale he told to day at dinner,
Of his own door 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 houfe,
And tell his wife, that, being lunatick,
He rush'd into my houfe, and took perforce
My ring away. This courfe I fitteft chufe;
For forty ducats is too much to lose.

SCENE VIII.

Changes to the Street.

Enter Antipholis of Ephefus, with a Failor.

[Exit.

E. Ant. Fear 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 should be attach'd in Ephefus, I tell you, 'twill found harfhly in her ears.

Enter Dromio of Ephefus, with a Rope's end. Here comes my man; I think, he brings the How now, Sir, have you that I fent you for? E. Dro. Here's that, I warrant you, E. Ant. But where's the money ? E. Dro. Why, Sir, I the for the rope gave ? money E. Ant. Five hundred ducats, villain, for a rope? E. Dro.

will pay them all.

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. E. Ant. Thou whorfon, fenfeless villain!

E. Dro. I would, I were fenfelefs, Sir, that I might not feel your blows.

E. Ant. Thou art fenfible in nothing but blows, and fo is an ass.

for

E. Dro. I am an afs, indeed; you may prove it by my long ears. I have ferv'd him from the hour of my nativity to this inftant, and have nothing at his hands 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 fleep; rais'd with it, when I fit; driven out of doors with it, when I go from home ; welcom❜d home with it, when I return; nay, I bear it on my fhoulders, as a beggar wont her brat; and, I think, when he hath lam'd me, I fhall beg with it from door to door.

SCENE IX.

Enter Adriana, Luciana, Courtexan, and Pinch.

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

;

E. Dro. (6) Miftrefs, refpice finem, refpect your end or rather the prophecy, like the parrot, beware the rope's-end.

E.

(6) Miftrefs, refpice finem, refpect your end; or rather the prophecie, Like the parrot, beware the rope's-end.] Thefe words feem to allude to a famous pamphlet of that time, wrote by Ruchanan against the Lord of Liddington; which ends with thefe words,

Refpice

E. Ant. Wilt thou ftill talk?

[Beats Dromio.

Cour. How fay you now? is not your husband mad?
Adr. His incivility confirms no lefs.
Good Dr. Pinch, you are a conjurer,
Eftablish him in his true fenfe again,

And I will please you what you will demand.
Luc. Alas, how fiery and how fharp he looks!
Cour. Mark how he trembles in his ecftacy!
Pinch. Give me your hand, and let me feel your
pulfe.

E. Ant. There is my hand, and let it feel your ear. Pinch. I charge thee, Satan, hous'd within this man, To yield poffeffion to my holy prayers;

And to thy ftate of darkness hie thee ftrait,

I conjure thee by all the Saints in heav'n.
E. Ant. Peace, doating wizard,

mad.

peace; I am not

Adr. Oh, that thou wert not, poor diftreffed foul ! E. Ant. You minion, you, are these your customers? Did this companion with the faffron face.

Revel and feast it at my houfe to day,

Whilft upon me the guilty doors were fhut,
And I deny'd to enter in my houfe?

Adr. Oh, hufband, God doth know, you din'd at
home,

Where, would you had remain'd until this time,
Free from thefe flanders and this. open fhame!

E. Ant. Din'd I at home? thou villain, what fay't
thou?

E. Dro. Sir, footh to fay, you did not dine at home.

Refpice finem, refpice funem. But to what purpose, unless our Authour would fhew that he could quibble as well in English, as the other in Latin, I confefs I know not. As for propbefying like the parrot, this alludes to people's teaching that bird unlucky words, with which, when any paffenger was offended, it was the ftanding joke of the wife owner to fay, Take heed, Sir, my parrot prophefies. To this Butler hints, where, fpeaking of Ralph's kill in augury, he fays,

Could tell what fubtleft parrots mean
That fpeak and think contrary clean;
What member 'tis of whom they talk,

When they cry ROPE, and walk, knave, walk.

E. Ant. Were not my doors lock'd up, and I shut out?

E. Dro. Perdie, your doors were lock'd, and you

shut out.

E. Ant. And did not she herself revile me there?
E. Dro. Sans fable, fhe herself revil'd you there.
E. Ant. Did not her kitchen-maid rail, taunt, and
fcorn me?

E. Dro. Certes, she did, the (7) kitchen-vestal scorn'd

you.

E. Ant. And did I not in a rage depart from thence ? E. Dro. In verity you did; my bones bear witness, That fince have felt the vigour of your rage.

Adr. Is't good to footh him in these contraries? Pinch. It is no fhame; the fellow finds his vein, And, yielding to him, humours well his frenzy. E. Ant. Thou haft fuborn'd the goldfmith to arrest

me.

Adr. Alas, I fent you money to redeem you, By Dromio here, who came in hafte for it.

E. Dro. Money by me? heart and good will you might,

But, furely, mafter, not a rag of money.

E. Ant. Went'ft thou to her for a purfe of ducats? Adr. He came to me, and I deliver'd it.

Luc. And I am witnefs with her, that she did.

E. Dro. God and the rope-maker do bear me witness, That I was fent for nothing but a rope.

Pinch. Miftrefs, both man and mafter are poffeft

I know it by their pale and deadly looks;

They must be bound, and laid in fome dark room.

E. Ant. Say, wherefore didft thou lock me forth to day,

And why dost thou deny the bag of gold?

Adr. I did not, gentle husband, lock thee forth.
E. Dro. And gentle mafter, I receiv'd no gold,

But I confefs, Sir, that we were lock'd out.

Adr. Diffembling villain, thou fpeak'ft falfe in both.

E. Ant.

(7) Kitchen-veftal.] Her charge being like that of the vestal virgins, to keep the fire burning.

E. Ant. Diffembling harlot, thou art falfe in all
And art confederate with a damned pack,
To make a loathfome abject fcorn of me:
But with thefe nails I'll pluck out these false eyes,
That would behold in me this fhameful fport.

Enter three or four, and offer to bind him: be frives.

Adr. Oh, bind him, bind him, let him not come

near me.

Pinch. More company;

him.

-the fiend is ftrong within

Luc. Ay me, poor man, how pale and wan he looks! E. Ant. What, will you murder me? thou jailor, thou,

I am thy prifoner, wilt thou fuffer them

To make a rescue ?

Offi. Mafters: let him go :

He is my prifoner, and you fhall not have him.

Pinch. Go, bind this man, for he is frantick too.
Adr. What wilt thou do, thou peevish officer ?
Haft thou delight to fee a wretched man
Do outrage and difpleafure to himself?

Offi. He is my prifoner; if I let him go,
The debt, he owes, will be requir'd of me.
Adr. I will discharge thee, ere I go from thee;
Bear me forthwith unto his creditor,

[They bind Antipholis and Dromio.
And, knowing how the debt grows, I will pay it.
Good mafter Doctor, fee him fafe convey'd
Home to my houfe. Oh, moft unhappy day!
E. Ant. Oh, moft unhappy ftrumpet!

E. Dro. Mafter, I am here enter'd in bond for you.
E. Ant. Out on thee, villain! wherefore doft thou
mad me ?

E. Dro. Will you be bound for nothing? be mad, good mafter; cry, the devil.

Luc. God help, poor fouls, how idly do they talk! Adr. Go bear him hence; fifter, ftay you with me. [Exeunt Pinch, Antipholis and Dromio. Say now, whofe fuit is he arrefted at?

Vo L. IV.

C

SCENE