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Off. Good now, hold thy tongue.

Dro. E. Nay, rather persuade him to hold his hands.

Ant. E. Thou whoreson, senseless villain!

Dro. E. I would I were senseless, sir, that I might not feel your blows.

Ant. E. Thou art sensible in nothing but blows, and so is an ass.

Dro. E. I am an ass, indeed; you may prove it by my long ears. I have serv'd him from the hour of my nativity to this instant, and have nothing at his hands for my service, but blows: when I am cold, he heats me with beating: when I am warm, he cools me with beating: I am waked with it, when I sleep; raised with it, when I sit; driven out of doors with it, when I go from home; welcomed home with it, when I return: nay, I bear it on my shoulders, as a beggar wont her brat; and, I think, when he hath lamed me, I shall beg with it from door to door..

Enter ADRIANA, LUCIANA, and the Courtezan, with PINCH, and Others.

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

Dro. E. Mistress, respice finem, respect your end; or rather the prophecy, like the parrot, Beware the rope's end.

Ant. E. Wilt thou still talk?

[Beats him.

Cour. How say you now? is not your husband

mad?

Adr. His incivility confirms no less.—

Good doctor Pinch, you are a conjurer;
Establish him in his true sense again,
And I will please you what you will demand.
Luc. Alas, how fiery and how sharp he looks!
Cour. Mark, how he trembles in his extacy!
Pinch. Give me your hand, and let me feel your
pulse.

Ant. E. There is my hand and let it feel your ear.
Pinch. I charge thee, Satan, hous'd within this

man,

To yield possession to my holy prayers,

And to thy state of darkness hie thee straight;
I conjure thee by all the saints in heaven.

Ant. E. Peace, doting wizard, peace; I am not

mad.

Adr. O, that thou wert not, poor distressed soul!

Ant. E. You minion you, are these your customers?

Did this companion3 with a saffron face
Revel and feast it at my house to day,

Whilst upon me the guilty doors were shut,

And I denied to enter in my house?

Adr. O, husband, God doth know, you din'd at

home,

Where 'would you had remain'd until this time,
Free from these slanders, and this open shame!
Ant. E. I din'd at home! Thou villain, what
say'st thou ?

Dro. E. Sir, sooth to say, you did not dine at home.

3 Fellow.

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

out?

Dro. E. Perdy,4 your doors were lock'd, and you shut out.

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

Dro. E. Certes," she did; the kitchen-vestal scorn'd

you.

Ant E. And did not I in rage depart from thence? Dro. E. In verity you did;-my bones bear witness,

That since have felt the vigour of his rage.

Adr. Is't good to sooth him in these contraries? Pinch. It is no shame; the fellow finds his vein, And, yielding to him, humours well his frenzy. Ant. E. Thou hast suborn'd the goldsmith to arrest

me.

Adr. Alas, I sent you money to redeem you,

By Dromio here, who came in haste for it.

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

But, surely, master, not a rag of money.

Ant. E. Went'st not thou to her for a purse of ducats?

Adr. He came to me, and I deliver'd it.

Luc. And I am witness with her, that she did. Dro. E. God and the rope-maker, bear me witness,

4 A corruption of the French oath-pardieu,

s Without a fable.

• Certainly.

VOL. IV.

N

That I was sent for nothing but a rope!

Pinch. Mistress, both man and master is possess'd; I know it by their pale and deadly looks:

They must be bound, and laid in some dark room. Ant. E. Say, wherefore didst thou lock me forth to-day,

And why dost thou deny the bag of gold?

Adr. I did not, gentle husband, lock thee forth. Dro. E. And, gentle master, I receiv'd no gold; But I confess, sir, that we were lock'd out. Adr. Dissembling villain, thou speak'st false in both.

Ant. E. Dissembling harlot thou art false in all; And art confederate with a damned pack, To make a loathsome abject scorn of me: But with these nails I'll pluck out these false eyes, That would behold in me this shameful sport.

[PINCH and his assistants bind ANT. and DROMIO.

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

near me.

Pinch. More company;-the fiend is strong within

him.

Luc. Ah me, poor man, how pale and wan he looks!

Ant. E. What, will you murder me? Thou gaoler, thou,

I am thy prisoner; wilt thou suffer them

To make a rescue ?

off .

Masters, let him go;

He is my prisoner, and you shall not have him.

Pinch. Go, bind this man, for he is frantick too.

Adr. What wilt thou do, thou peevish" officer? Hast thou delight to see a wretched man Do outrage and displeasure to himself?

Off. He is my prisoner; 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,

And, knowing how the debt grows, I will pay it.
Good master doctor, see him safe convey'd
Home to my house.-O most unhappy day!
Ant. E. O most unhappy strumpet !

Dro. E. Master, I am here enter'd in bond for

you.

Ant. E. Out on thee villain! wherefore dost thou mad me?

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

Luc. God help, poor souls, how idly do they talk! Adr. Go bear him hence.-Sister, 'go you with

me.

[Exeunt PINCH and assistants with ANT.

and DRO.

Say now, whose suit is he arrested at?

Off. One Angelo, a goldsmith; Do you know him? Adr. I know the man: What is the sum he owes? Off. Two hundred ducats.

Adr.

Say, how grows it due?

Off. Due for a chain, your husband had of him. Adr. He did bespeak a chain for me, but had it

7 Foolish.

not.

Unhappy for unlucky, i. e. mischievous.

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