Enter Dromio of Syracufe.

S. Dro. Mafter, here's the gold you fent me for: 9 what, have you got the picture of old Adam new apparell❜d?

S. Ant. What gold is this? What Adam doft thou mean?

S. Dro. Not that Adam, that kept the paradife, but that Adam, that keeps the prifon: he that goes in the calves-fkin, that was kill'd for the prodigal, he that came behind you, fir, like an evil angel, and bid you forfake your liberty.

S. Ant. I understand thee not.

S. Dro. No? why, 'tis a plain cafe. He that went like a bafe-viol in a cafe of leather; the man, fir, that, when gentlemen are tired, gives them a fob, and 'refts them; he, fir, that takes pity on decayed men, and gives 'em fuits of durance; he that fets up his

reft

9-what, have you got the picture of old Adam new-apparell'd?] A short word or two must have flipt out here, by fome accident in copying, or at prefs; otherwise I have no conception of the meaning of the paffage. The cafe is this. Dromio's master had been arrefted, and fent his fervant home for money to redeem him: he running back with the money meets the twin Antipholis, whom he mistakes for his master, and feeing him clear of the of ficer before the money was come, he cries, in a furprize;

What, have you got rid of the picture of old Adam new apparell'd? For fo I have ventured to fupply, by conjecture. But why is the officer call'd old Adam new apparell'd? The allufion is to Adam in his ftate of innocence going naked; and immediately after the fall, being cloath'd in a frock of fkins. Thus he was new apparell'd: and, in like manner, the ferjeants of the Counter were formerly clad in buff, or calves-fkin, as the author humourously a little lower calls it. THEOBALD..

The explanation is very good, but the text does not require to be amended. JOHNSON.

be, that fets up his reft to do more with his mace than a MORRIS-pike.] Sets up his reft, is a phrase taken from military exercife. When gunpowder was firft invented, its force was very weak compared to that in prefent ufe. This neceffarily required

fest to do more exploits with his mace than a morris pike.

S. Ant. What thou mean'ft an officer ?

S. Dro. Ay, fir, the ferjeant of the band; he, that brings any man to answer it, that breaks his band; one that thinks a man always going to bed, and faith, God give you good reft!

S. Ant. Well, fir, there reft in your foolery. Is there any ship puts forth to-night, may we be gone? S. Dro, Why, fir, I brought you word an hour fince, that the bark Expedition puts forth to-night; and then were you hindered by the ferjeant, to tarry

fire-arms to be of an extraordinary length. As the artists improved the ftrength of their powder, the foldiers proportionably fhortned their arms and artillery; fo that the cannon which Froiffart tells us was once fifty feet long, was contracted to lefs than ten. This proportion likewife held in their mufkets; fo that, till the middle of the last century, the musketeers always fupported their pieces when they gave fire, with a reft ftuck before them into the ground, which they called fetting up their reft, and is here alluded to. There is another quibbling allufion too to the ferjeant's office of arrefting. But what most wants animadverfion is the morris-pike, which is without meaning, impertinent to the fenfe, and falfe in the allufion; no pike being ufed amongst the dancers fo called, or at least not fam'd for much execution. In a word, Shakespeare wrote,

a MAURICE-pike.

i. e. a pikeman of prince Maurice's army. He was the greatest general of that age, and the condu&tor of the Low-country wars against Spain, under whom all the English gentry and nobility were bred to the fervice. Being frequently overborne with numbers, he became famous for his fine retreats, in which a ftand of pikes is of great fervice. Hence the pikes of his army became famous for their military exploits. WARBURTON.

This conjecture is very ingenious, yet the commentator talks unneceffarily of the rest of a musket, by which he makes the hero of the fpeech fet up the rest of a musket, to do exploits with a pike. The reft of a pike was a common term, and fignified, I believe, the manner in which it was fixed to receive the ruth of the enemy. A morris-pike was a pike used in a morris or a mintary dance, and with which great exploits were done, that is, great feats of dexte. rity were fhewn. There is no need of change. JOHNSON.

for the hoy Delay: Here are the angels that you fent for, to deliver you.

S. Ant. The fellow is diftract, and so am I, And here we wander in illufions:

Some bleffed power deliver us from hence!

Enter a Courtezan.

Cour. Well met, well met, mafter Antipholis. I fee, fir, you have found the goldfmith now : Is that the chain, you promis'd me to-day?

S. Ant. Satan, avoid! I charge thee, tempt me not. S. Dro. Mafter, is this mistress Satan?

S. Ant. It is the devil.

S. Dro. Nay, fhe is worse, fhe's the devil's dam; and here fhe comes in the habit of a light wench: and therefore comes, that the wenches fay, God damn me, that's as much as to fay, God make me a light wench. It is written, they appear to men like angels of light; light is an effect of fire, and fire will burn; ergo, light wenches will burn: Come not near her.

Cour. Your man and you are marvellous merry, fir. Will you go with me; we'll mend our dinner here? S. Dro. Mafter, if you do expect spoon-meat, bespeak a long spoon.

S. Ant. Why, Dromio?

S. Dro. Marry, he must have a long spoon, that muft eat with the devil.

S. Ant. Avoid then, fiend! what tell'st thou me of fupping?

Thou art, as you are all, a forceress :

I conjure thee to leave me, and be gone.

Cour. Give me the ring of mine you had at dinner, Or, for my diamond, the chain you promis'd, And I'll be gone, fir, and not trouble you.

S. Dro. Some devils afk but the paring of one's nail, a rush, a hair, a drop of blood, a pin, a nut, a cherry-ftone but fhe, more covetous, would have a

8

chain.

chain. Mafter, be wife; an' if you give it her, the devil will shake her chain, and fright us with it.

Cour. I pray you, fir, my ring, or else the chain; I hope, you do not mean to cheat me fo?

S. Ant. Avaunt, thou witch! come Dromio, let us go.

S. Dro. Fly pride, fays the peacock; Mistress, that you know. [Exeunt Ant. and Dro. Cour. Now, out of doubt, Antipholis is mad, Elfe would he never so demean himself. A ring he hath of mine worth forty ducats, And for the fame he promis'd me a chain: Both one, and other, he denies me now. The reason, that I gather, he is mad, (Befides this prefent inftance of his rage) Is a mad tale he told to-day at dinner, Of his own doors being fhut against his entrance. Belike, his wife, acquainted with his fits, On purpose shut the doors against his way. My way is now to hie home to his house, And tell his wife, that, being lunatick, He rush'd into my house, and took perforce My ring away. This courfe I fitteft chufe; For forty ducats is too much to lose.

SCENE IV.

THE STREET.

Enter Antipholis of Ephefus, with a Jailor.

[Exit.

E. Ant. Fear me not, man, I will not break away; I'll give thee, ere I leave thee, fo much money, To warrant thee, as I am 'rested for. My wife is in a wayward mood to-day; And will not lightly truft the meffenger. That I fhould be attach'd in Ephefus, I tell you, 'twill found harthly in her ears.

0 4

Enter

Enter Dromio of Ephefus with a rope's-end.

Here comes my man; I think, he brings the money. How now, fir, have you that I fent you for?

E. Dro. Here's that, I warrant you will pay them

all.

E. Ant. But where's the money?

E. Dro. Why, fir, I gave the money for the rope. E. Ant. Five hundred ducats, villain, for a rope? E. Dro. I'll ferve you, fir, five hundred at the rate. E. Ant. To what end did I bid thee hie thee home? E. Dro. To a rope's end, fir; and to that end am I return'd.

E. Ant. And to that end, fir, I will welcome

Offi. Good fir, be patient.

you.

[Beats Dromio.

E. Dro. Nay, 'tis for me to be patient; I am in adverfity.

Offi. Good now, hold thy tongue.

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

E. Ant. Thou whorfon, fenfeless villain!

E. Dro. I would I were fenfelefs, fir, that I might not feel your blows.

E. Ant. Thou art fenfible in nothing but blows, and fo is an afs.

E. Dro. I am an ass, indeed; you may prove it by my long ears. I have ferv'd him from the hour of my nativity to this inftant, and have nothing at his hands for my fervice, but blows. When I am cold, he heats me with beating; when I am warm, he cools me with beating: I am wak'd with it, when I fleep; rais'd with it, when I fit; driven out of doors with it, when I go from home; welcom'd home with it, when I return nay, I bear it on my fhoulders, as a beggar