I know thou canst; and therefore, see, thou do it. I do digest the poison of thy flesh, Being strumpeted by thy contagion. Keep then fair league and truce with thy true bed; I live dis-tain'd, thou undishonoured. Ant. S. Plead you to me, fair dame? I know In Ephesus I am but two hours old, As strange unto your town, as to your talk; Want wit in all one word to understand. you not: Luc. Fye, brother! how the world is chang'd with you: When were you wont to use my sister thus? She sent for you by Dromio home to dinner. Ant. S. By Dromio? Dro. S. By me? Adr. By thee; and this thou didst return from him,— That he did buffet thee, and, in his blows Denied my house for his, me for his wife. Ant. S. Did you converse, sir, with this gentlewoman? What is the course and drift of your compact? Dro. S. I, sir? I never saw her till this time. Ant. S. Villain, thou liest; for even her very words Didst thou deliver to me on the mart. Dro. S. I never spake with her in all my life. Ant. S. How can she thus then call us by our names, Unless it be by inspiration? Adr. How ill agrees it with your gravity, Thou art an elm, my husband, I a vine; f you are from me exempt,] Johnson says that exempt means separated, parted; yet I think that Adriana does not use the word exempt in that sense, but means to say, that as he was her husband she had no power over him, and that he was privileged to do her wrong.-M. MASON. Whose weakness, married to thy stronger state, Who, all for want of pruning, with intrusion Ant. S. To me she speaks; she moves me for her theme: What, was I married to her in my dream? Or sleep I now, and think I hear all this? I'll entertain the offer'd fallacy. Luc. Dromio, go bid the servants spread for dinner. Dro. S. O, for my beads! I cross me for a sinner. This is the fairy land;-O, spite of spites!We talk with goblins, owls, and elvish sprites; If we obey them not, this will ensue, They'll suck our breath, or pinch us black and blue. Luc. Why prat'st thou to thyself, and answer'st not? Dromio, thou drone, thou snail, thou slug, thou sot! Dro. S. I am transformed, master, am not I? Dro. S. No, I am an ape. Luc. If thou art chang'd to aught, 'tis to an ass. "Tis so, I am an ass: else it could never be, But I should know her as well as she knows me. Adr. Come, come, no longer will I be a fool, To put the finger in the eye and weep, Whilst man, and master, laugh my woes to scorn,- idle moss ;] That is, moss that produces no fruit, but being unfertile is useless.-Steevens. h And shrive you-] That is, I will call you to confession, and make you tell your tricks.-JOHNSON. Say, he dines forth, and let no creature enter.- Ant. S. Am I in earth, in heaven, or in hell? And in this mist at all adventures go. Dro. S. Master, shall I be porter at the gate? [Exeunt. ACT III. SCENE I.-The same. Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Ephesus, DROMIO of Ephesus, ANGELO, and BALTHAZAR. Ant. E. Good signior Angelo, you must excuse us all; My wife is shrewish, when I keep not hours: Thou drunkard, thou, what didst thou mean by this? know: That beat me at the mart, I have you your hand to show: If the skin were parchment, and the blows you gave were ink, Your own handwriting would tell you what I think. Ant. E. I think thou art an ass. Dro. E. Marry, so it doth appear By the wrongs I suffer, and the blows I bear. VOL. IV. i carkanet,] A necklace, or chain.' D I should kick, being kick'd; and, being at that pass, May answer my good will, and your good welcome here. Bal. I hold your dainties cheap, sir, and your welcome dear. Ant. E. O, signior Balthazar, either at flesh or fish, A table full of welcome makes scarce one dainty dish. Bal. Good meat, sir, is common; that every churl affords. Ant. E. And welcome more common; for that's nothing but words. Bal. Small cheer, and great welcome, makes a merry feast. Ant. E. Ay, to a niggardly host, and more sparing guest. But though my cates be mean, take them in good part; Better cheer you may have, but not with better heart. But, soft; my door is lock'd; Go bid them let us in. Dro. E. Maud, Bridget, Marian, Cicely, Gillian, Jen'! Dro. S. [within.] Mome, malt-horse, capon, coxcomb, idiot, patch !! Either get thee from the door, or sit down at the hatch: Dost thou conjure for wenches, that thou call'st for such store, When one is one too many? Go, get thee from the door. Dro. E. What patch is made our porter? My master stays in the street. Dro. S. Let him walk from whence he came, lest he catch cold on's feet. Ant. E. Who talks within, there? ho, open the door. Dro. S. Right, sir, I'll tell you when, an you'll tell me wherefore. k Mome,] i. e. A dull stupid blockhead, a stock, a post. This word owes its original to the French word momon, which signifies the gaming at dice in masquerade, the custom and rule of which is, that a strict silence is to be observed; whatever sum one stakes, another covers, but not a word is to be spoken. From hence also comes our word mum! for silence.-HAWKINS. 1 - patch !] i. e. Fool. Alluding to the party-coloured coats worn by the licensed fools or jesters of the age.-STEEVENS. Ant. E. Wherefore! for my dinner; I have not din'd to-day. Dro. S. Nor to-day here you must not; come again, when you may. Ant. E. What art thou, that keep'st me out from the house I owe?" Dro. S. The porter for this time, sir, and my name is Dromio. Dro. E. O villain, thou hast stolen both mine office and my name : The one ne'er got me credit, the other mickle blame. Thou would'st have chang'd thy face for a name, or thy name for an ass. Luce. [within.] What a coil is there? Dromio, who are those at the gate? Dro. E. Let my master in, Luce. Luce. And so tell your master. Faith, no; he comes too late: O Lord, I must laugh ; Dro. E. Have at you with a proverb.-Shall I set in my staff? Luce. Have at you with another; that's,-When? can you tell? Dro. S. If thy name be call'd Luce, Luce, thou hast answer'd him well. Ant. E. Do you hear, you minion? you'll let us in, I hope? Luce. I thought to have ask'd you. Dro. S. And you said, no. Dro. E. So, come, help; well struck; there was blow for blow. Ant. E. Thou baggage, let me in, Luce. Can you tell for whose sake? Let him knock till it ake. Dro. E. Master, knock the door hard. Luce. down. Luce. What needs all that, and a pair of stocks in the town? |