E. Ant. I anfwer you? why should I answer you? Ang. You wrong me more, Sir, in denying it; Mer. Well, officer, arrest him at my fuit. Offi. I do, and charge you in the Duke's name to obey me. Ang. This touches me in reputation. Either confent to pay the fum for me, Or I attach you by this officer. E. Ant. Confent to pay for that I never had! Ang. Here is thy fee; arreft him, officer; Offi. I do arreft you, Sir; you hear the fuit. Enter Dromio of Syracufe, from the Bay. E. Ant. How now! a mad man! why, thou peevish fheep, What fhip of Epidamnum stays for me? S. Dro. A fhip you fent me to, to hire waftage. And And told thee to what purpose, and what end. E. Ant. I will debate this matter at more leifure, And teach your ears to lift me with more heed. To Adriana, villain, hie thee ftrait, Give her this key, and tell her, in the desk flave; be gone: [Exeunt S. Dro. To Adriana ! that is where we din'd, Where Dowfabel did claim me for her husband; She is too big, I hope, for me to compass. Thither I muft, altho' against my will, For fervants muft their mafters' minds fulfil. [Exit SCENE changes to E. Antipholis's House. Adr. Might it thou perceive aufterely in his eye H, Luciana, did he tempt thee fo? That he did plead in earnest, yea or no? Luc. First he deny'd, you had in him no right. were. Luc. Then pleaded I for you. Adr. And what faid he? Luc. That love I begg'd for you, he begg'd of me. Adr. With what perfuafion did he tempt thy love? Luc. With words, that in an honeft fuit might move. First, he did praife my beauty, then my speech. Adr. Did'ft fpeak him fair? Luc. Have patience, I beseech, Adr Adr. I cannot, nor I will not, hold me still; My tongue, though not my heart, fhall have its will. I'll-fac'd, worfe-body'd, fhapeless every where ; Luc. Who would be jealous then of such a one? Adr. Ah! but I think him better than I say, My heart prays for him, tho' my tongue do curfe S. Dro. Here, go; the desk, the purfe; fweet now, make hafte. Luc. How haft thou loft thy breath? S. Dro. By running faft. Adr. Where is thy mafter, Dromio? is he well? S. Dro. No, he's in Tartar Limbo, worse than hell; A devil in an everlasting garment hath him, One, whofe hard heart is button'd up with fteel : A wolf, nay, worse, a fellow all in buff; A back-friend, a fhoulder-clapper, one that commands (14) A Fiend, a Fairy, pitiless and rough.] Dromie here bringing Word in hafte that his Mafter is arrefted, describes the Bailiff by Names proper to raise Horror and Detestation of fuch a Creature, fuch as, a Devil, a Fiend, a Wolf, &c. But how does Fairy come up to these terrible Ideas? Or with what Propriety can it be used here? Does he mean, that a Bailiff is like a Fairy in ftealing away his Mafter? The trueft Believers of thofe little Phantoms never pretended to think, that they stole any thing but Children. Certainly, it will fort better in Senfe with the other Names annex'd, as well as the Character of a Catch-pole, to conclude that the Poet wrote; -a Fiend, a Fury, &c. Adr. Adr. Why, man, what is the matter? S. Dro. I do not know the matter; he is 'refted on the cafe. Adr. What, is he arrefted? tell me, at whofe fuit. S. Dro. I know not at whose fuit he is arrested, well; but he's in a fuit of buff, which 'rested him, that I can tell. Will you fend him, mistress, redemption, the mony in his desk? Adr. Go fetch it, fifter. This I wonder at, [Exit Luciana. That he, unknown to me, fhould be in debt! Tell me, was he arrested on a bond? S. Dro. Not on a bond, but on a stronger thing, A chain, a chain; do you not hear it ring? Adr. What, the chain ? S. Dro. No, no; the bell; 'tis time that I were gone. It was two ere I left him, and now the clock ftrikes one. Adr. The hours come back! that I did never hear. S. Dro. O yes, if any hour meet a serjeant, a' turns back for very fear. Adr. As if time were in debt! how fondly doft thou reafon ? S. Dro. Time is a very bankrout, and owes more than he's worth, to season. Nay, he's a thief too; have you not heard men say, Enter Luciana. Adr. Go, Dromio; there's the mony, bear it ftrait, Come, fifter, I am preft down with conceit; [Exeunt. SCENE SCENE changes to the Street. S. Ant. T Enter Antipholis of Syracufe. HERE's not a man I meet, but doth fa- As if I were their well-acquainted friend; And Lapland forcerers inhabit here. Enter Dromio of Syracufe. S. Dro. Mafter, here's the gold you fent me for; (15) what, have you got rid of the picture of old Adam new-apparel'd? S. Ant. What gold is this? what Adam doft thou mean? (15) what, have you got the Picture of old Adam new apparell'd?] A fhort Word or two must have flipt out here, by fome Accident in copying, or at Prefs; otherwife I have no Conception of the Meaning of the Paffage. The Cafe is this. Dromio's Mafter had been arrested, and fent his Servant home for Mony to redeem him: He running back with the Mony meets the Twin Antipholis, whom he mistakes for his Mafter, and feeing him clear of the Officer before the Mony was come, he cries in a Surprize; What, have you got rid of the Picture of old Adam new apparell'd? For fo I have ventur'd to fupply, by Conjecture. But why is the Officer call'd old Adam new apparell'd? The Allufion is to Adam in his State of Innocence going naked; and immediately after the Fall, being cloath'd in a Frock of Skins. Thus he was new apparell'd: and, in like manner, the Sergeants of the Counter were formerly clad in Buff, or Calves-skin, as the Author humourously a little lower calls it. VOL. III. K S. Dro. |