E. Dro. To me, Sir? why, you gave no gold to me. Ant. Come on, Sir knave, have done your foolifhnefs;

And tell me, how thou haft difpos'd thy charge?
E. Dro. My charge was but to fetch you from the

mart

Home to your houfe, the Phenix, Sir, to dinner;
My mistress and her fifter ftay for you.

Ant. Now, as I am a christian answer me,
In what fafe place you have beflow'd my money;
Or I Thall break that merry fconce of yours,
That ftands on tricks when I am undifpos'd;
Where are the thousand marks thou hadst of me?
E. Dro. I have fome marks of yours upon my pate;
Some of my miftrefs' marks upon my fhoulders;
But not a thoufand marks between
you both.-
If I fhould pay your worship those again,
Perchance, you will not bear them patiently.
Ant. Thy miftrefs' marks? what mistress, slave, hast
thou?
[Phanix;
E. Dro. Your worship's wife, my miftrefs at the
She, that doth fast, 'till you come home to dinner;
And prays, that
that you
will hie you home to dinner.
Ant. What wilt thou flout me thus unto my face,
Being forbid? there take you that, Sir knave.

E. Dro. What mean you, Sir? for God's fake, hold your hands;

Nay, an you will not, Sir, I'll take my heels.

[Exit Dromio. Ant. Upon my life, by fome device or other, The villain is o'er-wrought of all my money. They fay, this town is full of couzenage; * As, nimble jugglers, that deceive the eye;

As, nimble jugglers, that deceive the eye;
Dark-working forcerers, that change the mind ;.

Drug

Soul-killing witches, that deform the body; ] Thofe who attentively confider these three Lines, muft confefs that the Poet intended, the Epithet given to each of these Mifcreants, fhould declare the Power

by

Drug-working forcerers, that change the mind;
Soul-killing witches, that deform the body;
Disguised cheaters, prating mountebanks,
And many fuch like libertines of fin:
If it prove fo, I will be gone the fooner.
I'll to the Centaur, to go seek this flave;
I greatly fear, my money is not safe.

N

[Exit.

SCENE I.

The Houfe of Antipholis of Ephefus.

Enter Adriana and Luciana.

ADRIANA

EITHER husband nor
my

the flave return'd,

That in fuch hafte I sent to feek his master!

Sure, Luciana, it is two o'clock..

Luc. Perhaps, fome merchant hath invited him, And from the matt he's fomewhere gone to dinner: Good fifter, let us dine, and never fret.

A man is master of his liberty:

Time is their mafter; and when they fee time,
They'll go or come: if fo, be patient, fifter.

Adr. Why should their liberty than ours be more?

by which they perform their Feats, and which would therefore be a juft Characteristic of each of them. Thus, by nimble Jugglers, we are taught that they performt heir Tricks by Slight of Hand: and by Soulkilling Witches, we are inform'd, the Mischief they do is by the Affiftance of the Devil, to whom they have given their Souls: But then, by dark-working Sorcerers, we are not inftructed in the Means by which they perform their Ends. Befides, this Epithet agrees as well to Witches, as to them; and therefore, certainly, our Author could not design this their Charaderiaic. We should read;

Drug-working forcerers, that change the mind; And we know by the History of ancient and modern Superftition, that thefe Kind of Jugglers always pretended to work Changes of the Mind by these Applications.

Luc. Becaufe their business ftill lies out a-door. Adr. Look, when I ferve him fo, he takes it ill. Luc. Oh, know, he is the bridle of your will.

Adr. There's none, but affes, will be bridled fo. Luc. Why, head-ftrong liberty is lafht with woe. There's nothing fituate under heaven's eye, But hath its bound in earth, in sea, in sky: The beafts, the fishes, and the winged fowls, Are their males' fubjects, and at their controuls: Man, more divine, the mafter of all thefe, Lord of the wide world, and wide wat'ry seas, Indu'd with intellectual fense and soul, Of more preheminence than fifh and fowl, Are mafters to their females, and their lords: Then let your will attend on their accords.

Adr. This fervitude makes you to keep unwed. Luc. Not this, but troubles of the marriage-bed. Adr. But were you wedded, you would bear fome fway.

Luc. Ere I learn love, I'll practise to obey.

Adr. How if your husband start some other where? Luc. 'Till he come home again, I would forbear. Adr. Patience unmov'd, no marvel tho' fhe pause; They can be meek, that have no other caufe: A wretched foul, bruis'd with adverfity, We bid be quiet, when we hear it cry; But were we burden'd with like weight of pain, As much, or more, we fhould ourfelves complain. So thou, that haft no unkind mate to grieve thee, With urging helpless patience would it relieve me : But if thou live to fee like right bereft, This fool-begg'd patience in thee will be left.

Luc. Well, I will marry one day but to try; Here comes your man, now is your husband nigh,

SCENE

Adr. S

Enter Dromio of Ephesus.

AY, is your tardy mafter now at hand?

E. Dro. Nay, he's at two hands with me, and that my two ears can witnefs.

Adr. Say, didft thou speak with him? know'ft thou his mind?

E. Dro. Ay, ay, he told me his mind upon mine ear. Befhrew his hand, I fcarce could under-ftand it. Luc. Spake he fo doubtfully, thou could'st not feel his meaning?

E. Dro. Nay, he ftruck fo plainly, I could too well feel his blows; and withal so doubtfully, that I could fcarce understand them.

Adr. But fay, I pry'thee, is he coming home? It seems, he hath great care to please his wife.

E. Dro. Why, mistress, fure my master is horn-mad. Adr. Horn-mad, thou villain?

E. Dro. I mean not, cuckold-mad; but, fure, he's ftark mad:

When I defir'd him to come home to dinner,
He afk'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:
Will you come home, quoth I? my gold quoth he:
Where is 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 know not thy miftrefs; out on thy miftrefs!
Luc. Quoth who?

E Dro. Quoth my mafter:

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 fhoulders:
For, in conclufion, he did beat me there.

Adr. Go back again, thou flave, and fetch him home.
B 6

E. Dro.

E. Dro. Go back again, and be new beaten home? For God's fake, fend fome other meffenger.

Adr. Back, flave, or I will break thy pate across. E. Dro. And he will blefs that crofs with other beating:

Between you I fhall have a holy head.

Adr. Hence, prating peafant, fetch thy mafter home. E. Dro. Am I fo round with you as you with me, That like a foot-ball you do fpurn me thus? You spurn me hence, and he will fpurn me hither: If I laft in this fervice, you must case me in leather. [Exit.

SCENE III.

IE, how impatience lowreth in your face!
Adr. His company must do his minions

grace,

Whilft I at home ftarve for a merry look:
Hath homely age th`alluring beauty took
From my poor
cheek? then, he hath wafted it.
Are my difcourfes dull? barren my wit?
If voluble and sharp discourse be marr'd,
Unkindness blunts it, more than marble hard.
Do their gray veftments his affections bait?
That's not my fault: he's mafler of
my ftate.
What ruins are in me, that can be found
By him not ruin'd? then, is he the ground
Of my defeatures. My decayed fair
A funny look of his would foon repair.
But, too unruly dear, he breaks the pale,
And feeds from home; poor I am but his ftale.
Luc. Self harming jealoufy!-fie, beat it hence.
Adr. Unfeeling fools can with fuch wrongs difpense:
I know, his eye doth homage other-where; \
Or else what lets it, but he would be here ?
Sifter, you know he promis'd me a chain;
Would that alone, alone, he would detain,

So