Ant. Stop in your wind, Sir; tell me this, I pray, Where you have left the mony that I gave you? E. Dro. Oh,-fix-pence, that I had a Wednesday last, To pay the fadler for my miftrefs' crupper ? The fadler had it, Sir; I kept it not. Ant. I am not in a sportive humour now; Tell me and dally not, where is the mony? We being ftrangers here, how dar'ft thou trust So great a charge from thine own cuftody? E. Dro. I pray you, jeft, Sir, as you fit at dinner: I from my mistrefs come to you in poft; If I return, I shall be post indeed; For fhe will score your fault upon my pate: Ant. Come, Dromio, come, thefe jefts are out of Referve them 'till a merrier hour than this: E. Dro. To me, Sir? why, you gave no gold to me. Ant. Come on, Sir knave, have done your foolishnefs; And tell me, how thou haft difpos'd thy charge? mart Home to your house, the Phanix, Sir, to dinner; Ant. Now, as I am a chriftian, answer me, E. Dro. I have fome marks of yours upon my pate; Some of my mistress' marks upon my fhoulders; But not a thoufand marks between you both.. If I should pay your worship thofe again, Perhaps, you will not bear them patiently. Ant. Ant. Thy miftrefs' marks? what mistress, flave, E. Dro. Your worship's wife, my miftrefs at the She, that doth faft, 'till you come home to dinner; Nay, an you will not, Sir, I'll take my heels. [Exit Dromio. Ant. Upon my life, by fome device or other, * That is, over-reached. They say, this town is full of couzenage:] This was the character the ancients give of it. Hence 'Epíosa áreaquana was proverbial amongst them. Thus Menander ufes it, and 'Epéria rgánuala, in the fame fenfe. WARBURTON. 3 As nimble Jugglers, that deceive the eye; Dark working Sorcerers, that change the mind; Soul-killing Witches, that deform the Body;] Thofe, who attentively confider these three Lines, muft confider, that the Poet intended, the Epithet given to each of thefe mifcreants, fhould declare the power by which they perform their feats, and which would therefore be a juft Characteristick of each of them. Disguised Thus, by nimble Jugglers, we Drug-working Sorcerers, that And we know by the Hi- work 1 Difguifed cheaters, prating mountebanks, ACT II. N [Exit. SCENE I. The House of Antipholis of Ephefus. Enter Adriana and Luciana. ADRIAN A. EITHER my husband, nor the slave return'd, That in fuch hafte I fent to feek his mafter! Sure, Luciana, it is two o'clock. Luc. Perhaps, fome merchant hath invited him, And from the mart 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 see time, work Changes of the Mind by WARBURTON. The learned commentator has endeavoured with much earnestness to recommend his alteration; but, if I may judge of other apprehenfions by my own, without great fuccefs. This interp etation of foul killing, is forced and harsh. Sir T. Hanmer reads, Soul-felling, agreeably enough to the common opinion, but without fuch improvement as may juftify the change. Perhaps the epithets have been only misplaced, and the lines fhould be read thus, By foul-killing I understand defroying the rational faculties by fuch means as make men fancy themselves beasts. 4 liberties of fin:] Sir T. Hanmer reads, Libertines, which, as the author has been enumerating not acts but perfons, feems right. Adr. Adr. Why fhould their liberty than ours be more? Of more preheminence than fish and fowl, Adr. This fervitude makes you to keep unwed. 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 paufe"; 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 ourselves complain. So thou, that haft no unkind mate to grieve thee, With urging helpless patience wouldst relieve me : But if thou live to fee like right bereft, This fool-begg'd patience in thee will be left. Luc. Luc. Well, I will marry one day but to try: Here comes your man, now is your husband nigh. SCENE II. Enter Dromio of Ephefus. Adr. Say, 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, did'ft thou fpeak with him? know'st thou his mind? E. Dro. Ay, ay, he told his mind upon mine ear. Befhrew his hand, I fcarce could understand it.. Luc. Spake he fo doubtfully, thou couldst not feel his meaning? E. Dro. Nay, he ftruck fo plainly, I could too well feel his blows; and withal fo doubtfully, that I could fcarce understand them. Adr. But fay, I pry'thee, is he coming home? It feems, he hath great care to please his wife. E. Dro. Why, mistress, fure, my master is hornmad. Adr. Horn-mad, thou villain? E. Dro. I mean not, cuckold-mad; but, fure, he's When I defired him to come home to dinner, that patience which is fo near to idiotical fimplicity, that your next relation would take advantage from it to reprefent you as a fool and beg the guardianship of your fortune. Luc. |