If aught possess thee from me, it is dross, Who, all for want of pruning, with intrusion Infect thy sap, and live on thy confusion. 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". They'll suck our breath, or pinch us black and blue. Luc. Why prat'st thou to thyself, and answer'st not? Dromio, thou Dromio, thou snail, thou slug, thou sot! Dro. S. I am transformed, master, am I not? Ant. S. I think thou art, in mind, and so am I. Dro. S. No, I am an ape. Luc. If thou art chang'd to aught, 'tis to an ass. Dro. S. "Tis true; she rides me, and I long for grass. '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, • I'll entertain the OFFER'D fallacy.] Both the old folios read “freed fallacy,” which cannot be right. Pope adopted "faroured fallacy;" but offered seems to come nearer the sense. The same character afterwards speaks of ". an offer'd chain." A. iii., sc. 2. 7-and ELVISH sprites.] Elvish is obtained from the second folio, where it stands only elves, but it was probably meant for elvish. The word is omitted in the first folio, and the line consequently defective. * Dromio, thou DROMIO,] Theobald altered the second "Dromio" in the old copies into drone. The folio 1632 omits "thou," before "snail," for the sake of the metre. Whilst man and master laugh my woes to scorn. 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. Say, that I linger'd with you at your shop And that to-morrow you will bring it home; 9 And SHRIVE you] i. e. Take confession from you. The word is of the commonest occurrence, and is derived by etymologists from the Latin scribo, because the priests anciently gave those who confessed to them a written form of penance. Shrift is confession. 1 Carkanet ;] i. e. Necklace: in this instance it means a chain to be worn round the neck. But here's a villain, that would face me down Thou drunkard, thou, what did'st thou mean by this? Dro. E. Say what you will, sir; but I know what I know. That you beat me at the mart, I have your hand to show: If the skin were parchment, and the blows you gave were ink, Your own hand-writing 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. I should kick, being kick'd; and being at that pass, You would keep from my heels, and beware of an ass. Ant. E. You are sad, signior Balthazar: pray God, our cheer 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 may you 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, Gin'! Dro. S. [Within.] Mome, malt-horse, capon, coxcomb, idiot, patch 3 ! 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. 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 owe1? 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. 2 Mome,] The etymology of this word is uncertain, but it is probably from the Greek popos; and the meaning, a blockhead or stupid person, who has nothing to say for himself. Mummers were silent performers. 3 Patch!] A professed fool was probably called patch from his patched dress; but the term had also a wider application. 11 I OWE?] i. e. I own, am master of. See note 1, p. 45 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. Dro. E. Faith no; he comes too late; O Lord! I must laugh: 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 called 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 ache. Dro. E. Master, knock the door hard. Ant. E. You'll cry for this, minion, if I beat the door down. Luce. What needs all that, and a pair of stocks in the town? Adr. [Within.] Who is that at the door, that keeps all this noise? Dro. S. By my troth, your town is troubled with unruly boys. Ant. E. Are you there, wife? you might have come before. 5 When? can you tell?] This seems to have been a proverbial expression, and the same remark will apply to Dromio's question,-" Shall I set in my staff?" 6 — you'll let us in, I hope ?] Malone was of opinion that a line following this has been lost, in which the speaker threatened Luce with the corporal correction of a rope, which would furnish the rhyme now wanting. |