Abb. Renowned duke, vouchfafe to take the pains And hear at large difcourfed all our fortunes:- The duke, my husband, and my children both, After fo long grief fuch nativity?! Duke. With all my heart, I'll goffip at this feaft. [Exeunt Duke, Abbefs, EGEON, Courtezan, Merchant, ANGELO, and Attendants. Dro. S. Mafter, fhall I fetch your stuff from fhip-board? Ant. E. Dromio, what stuff of mine haft thou embark’d ? Dr. S. Your goods, that lay at hoft, fir, in the Centaur. Ant. S. He fpeaks to me; I am your master, Dromio: Come, go with us; we'll look to that anon: Embrace thy brother there, rejoice with him. [Exeunt ANTIPHOLUS S. and E. ADR. and Luc. Dro. S. There is a fat friend at your master's house, That kitchen'd me for you to-day at dinner; She now shall be my fifter, not my wife. Dro. E. Methinks, you are my glafs, and not my brother: I fee by you, I am a fweet-faced youth. 5 Twenty-five years-] The old copy reads thirty-three: The emendation, which is Mr. Theobald's, is fupported by a paffage in the first Act My youngest boy- At eighteen years &c. compared with another in the prefent A&t-But seven years fince &c. MALONE. 6 nor, till this prefent bour,] The old copy reads-and till-. The emendation was made by Mr. Theobald. Burden, in the next line, was corrected by the editor of the fecond folio. MALONE. 7 After fo long grief fuch nativity!] We fhould furely read-fuch feftivity. Nativity lying fo near, and the termination being the fame of both words, the mistake was eafy. JOHNSON. The old reading may be right. She has juft faid, that to her, her fons were not born till now. STEEVENS. Will you walk in to fee their goffiping? Dra. E. That's a queftion: how fhall we try it? Dro. S. We'll draw cuts for the fenior: till then, lead thou first. Dro. E. Nay, then thus: We came into the world, like brother and brother; And now let's go hand in hand, not one before another. [Exeunt. 8 In this comedy we find more intricacy of plot than diftinction of character; and our attention is lefs forcibly engaged, because we can guefs in great measure how the denouement will be brought about. Yet the poet feems unwilling to part with his fubject, even in this laft and unneceffary fcene, where the fame mistakes are continued, till their power of affording entertainment is entirely loft. STEEVENS. The long doggrel verses that Shakspeare has attributed in this play to the two Dromios, are written in that kind of metre which was ufually attributed by the dramatick poets before his time, in their comick pieces, to fome of their inferior characters; and this circumstance is one of many that authorize us to place the preceding comedy, as well as Love's Labour's Loft, and The Taming of the Sbrew, (where the fame kind of verfification is likewife found,) among our author's earliest productions; compofed probably at a time when he was imperceptibly infected with the prevailing mode, and before he had completely learned "to deviate boldly from the common track." As thefe early pieces are now not eafily met with, I fhall fubjoin a few extracts from fome of them: LIKE WILL TO LIK I. "Royft. If your name to me you will declare and fhowe, "Wherefore I with Raife Roifter muft needs be acquainted." &c. COMMONS CONDITIONS. [ About 1570.] "Shift. By gogs bloud, my maisters, we were not beft longer here to ftaie, "Ithinke was never fuch a craftie knave before this daie. [Ex. Ambo. "Cond. «Cond. Are thei all gone? Ha, ha, well fare old Shift at a neede By his woundes had I not devised this, I had hanged indeed. Tinkers, (qd you) tinke me no tinkes; I'll meddle with them no more; "I thinke was never knave so used by a companie of tinkers before. "By your leave I'll be fo bolde as to looke about me and spie, "Leaft any knaves for my coming down in ambush do lie. By your licence I minde not to preache longer in this tree, "My tinkerly flaves are packed hence, as farre as I maie fee." &c. « The wind is yl blows no man's gaine; for cold I neede not care, "Here is nine and twentie futes of apparel for my share ; "And fome, berlady, very good, for fo ftandeth the cafe, "As neither gentleman nor other Lord Promos fheweth any grace; "But I marvel much, poore flaves, that they are hanged fo foone, "They were wont to staye a day or two, now scarce an afternoone." &c. THE THREE LADIES OF LONDON. 1584. "You think I am going to market to buy roft meate, do ye not? "I thought fo, but you are deceived, for I wot what I wot: "I am neither going to the butchers, to buy veale, mutton, or beefe, "But I am going to a bloodfucker, and who is it? faith Ufurie, that theefe." THE COBLER'S PROPHECY, 1594. Quoth Nicenefs to Newfangle, thou art fuch a Jacke, "That thou devifeft fortie fashions for my ladie's backe. "And thou, quoth he, art fo poffefst with everie frantick toy, "That following of my ladie's humour thou doft make her coy! "For once a day for fashion-fake my lady must be ficke, "No meat but mutton, or at most the pinion of a chicke: "To-day her owne haire beft becomes, which yellow is as gold, "A periwig is better for to-morrow, blacke to behold: "To-day in pumps and cheveril gloves to walk fhe will be bold, "To-morrow cuffes and countenance, for feare of catching cold: "Now is the barefaft to be feene, ftraight on her mufler goes; Now is the hufft up to the crowne, straight nusled to the nofe." See alfo Gammer Gurton's Needle, Damon and Pythias, &c. MALONE. Perfons Reprefented. Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon. Don John, his Baftard Brother. Claudio, a young Lord of Florence, Favourite to Don Pedro. Benedick, a young Lord of Padua, favoured likewife by Don Pedro. Leonato, Governor of Messina. Balthazar, Servant to Don Pedro. Conrade, } Followers of Don Jolin. Dogberry, A Friar. two foolish Officers. A Boy. Hero, Daughter to Leonato. Beatrice, Niece to Leonato. Margaret, } Gentlewomen attending on Hero. Meffengers, Watch, and Attendants. SCENE, Meffina. |