Adr. But say, I pr'ythee, is he coming home? It seems, he hath great care to please his wife. Dro. E. Why, mistress, sure my master is hornmad. Adr. Horn-mad, thou villain? Dro. E. I mean not cuckold-mad; but, sure, he's stark mad: When I desir'd him to come home to dinner, Dro. E. Quoth my master: I know, quoth he, no house, no wife, no mistress;— I thank him, I bare home upon my shoulders; Adr. Go back again, thou slave, and fetch him home. Dro. E. Go back again, and be new beaten home? For God's sake, send some other messenger. Adr. Back, slave, or I will break thy pate across. Dro. E. And he will bless that cross with other beating: Between you I shall have a holy head. Adr. Hence, prating peasant; fetch thy master home. Dro. E. Am I so round with you, as you with me, • Am I so round with you, as you with me,] He plays upon That like a football you do spurn me thus? ther: If I last in this service, you must case me in leather.' 2 Luc. Self-harming jealousy!-fye, beat it hence. Adr. Unfeeling fools can with such wrongs dis pense. I know his eye doth homage otherwhere; Or else, what lets it but he would be here? the word round, which signifies spherical, applied to himself, and unrestrained, or free in speech or action spoken of his mis tress. 1 case me in leather.] Still alluding to a football, the bladder of which is always covered with leather. Of my defeatures:] By defeatures is here meant alteration of features. At the end of this play the same word is used with a somewhat different signification. 3 4 My decayed fair -] Fair for fairness. - poor I am but his stale.] i. e. his pretence. So he would keep fair quarter with his bed! Will lose his beauty; and though gold 'bides still, [Exeunt. SCENE II. The same. Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse. Ant. S. The gold, I gave to Dromio, is laid up Safe at the Centaur; and the heedful slave Is wander'd forth, in care to seek me out. By computation, and mine host's report, I could not speak with Dromio, since at first I sent him from the mart: See here he comes. Enter DROMIO of Syracuse. How now, sir? is your merry humour alter'd? I see, the jewel, best enamelled, Will lose his beauty; and though gold 'bides still, Wear gold; and so no man, that hath a name, But falshood and corruption doth it shame.] The sense is this: "Gold, indeed, will long bear the handling; however, often touching will wear even gold; just so the greatest character, though as pure as gold itself, may, in time, be injured, by the repeated attacks of falshood and corruption." WARBURTON. My house was at the Phoenix? Wast thou mad, Dro. S. What answer, sir? when spake I such a word? Ant. S. Even now, even here, not half an hour since. Dro. S. I did not see you since you sent me hence, Home to the Centaur, with the gold you gave me. Ant. S. Villain, thou didst deny the gold's receipt; And told'st me of a mistress, and a dinner; teeth? that. Think'st thou, I jest? Hold, take thou that, and [Beating him, Dro. S. Hold, sir, for God's sake: now your jest is earnest: Upon what bargain do you give it me? Ant. S. Because that I familiarly sometimes Do use you for my fool, and chat with you, Your sauciness will jest upon my love, And make a common of my serious hours." When the sun shines, let foolish gnats make sport, Dro. S. Sconce, call you it? so you would leave battering, I had rather have it a head: an you use 6 And make a common of my serious hours.] i. e. intrude on them when you please. The allusion is to those tracts of ground destined to common use, which are thence called commons. know my aspect,] i. e. study my countenance. these blows long, I must get a sconce for my head, and insconce it too; or else I shall seek my wit in shoulders. But, I pray, sir, why am I beaten? Ant. S. Dost thou not know? my Dro. S. Nothing, sir; but that I am beaten. Dro. S. Ay, sir, and wherefore; for, they say, every why hath a wherefore. Ant. Why, first,-for flouting me; and then, wherefore, For urging it the second time to me. Dro. S. Was there ever any man thus beaten out of season? When, in the why, and the wherefore, is neither rhyme nor reason? Well, sir, I thank you. Ant. S. Thank me, sir? for what? Dro. S. Marry, sir, for this something that you gave me for nothing. Ant. I'll make you amends next, to give you nothing for something. But, say, sir, is it dinnertime? Dro. S. No, sir; I think, the meat wants that I have. Ant. S. In good time, sir, what's that? Dro. S. Basting. Ant. S. Well, sir, then 'twill be dry. Dro. S. If it be, sir, I pray you eat none of it. Ant. S. Your reason? Dro. S. Lest it make you cholerick, and purchase me another dry basting. Ant. S. Well, sir, learn to jest in good time; There's a time for all things. Dro. S. I durst have denied that, before you were so cholerick. and insconce it too;] A sconce was a petty fortification. |