They say, this town is full of cozenage;
If it prove so, I will be gone the sooner.
Misguided by my hopes, in doubt I stray,
To seek what I, perchance, may never find.
May not the cruel hand of destiny,
Ere this, have render'd all my searches vain ?
If so, how wretched has my folly made me!
In luckless hour, alas! I left my home,
And the fond comforts of a father's love,
That only bliss my fortune had in store,
For dubious pleasures on a foreign shore.

[Exit.

ACT THE SECOND.

SCENE I,

A Chamber in ANTIPHOLIS OF EPHESUS's House.

Enter ADRIANA and LUCIANA.

Adr. Neither my husband, nor the slave return'd, That, in such haste, I sent to seek his master? Sure, Luciana, it is two o'clock.

Luc. Perhaps some merchant has invited him, And, from the mart, he's somewhere gone to dinner. Good sister, let us dine, and never fret; A man is master of his liberty,

Will come, or go therefore, be patient, sister.

Adr. Why should their liberty be more than ours? Luc. Because their bus'ness still lies out of door. Adr. Look, when I serve him so, he takes it ill. Luc. He is the bridle of your actions, sister.

Adr. None, but an idiot, would be bridled so ? Luc. Why, headstrong liberty belongs to man, And ill befits a woman's gentle mind. There's nothing situate under Heaven's eye, But hath its bound in earth, in sea, and air; The beasts, the fishes, and the winged tribes, Are their males' subjects, and at their control. Man, more divine, the master of them all, Indued with intellectual sense and soul, Is master to his female-nay, her lord ! Let, then, your will attend on his commands. Adr. This servitude makes you remain unwed. Luc. Not this, but troubles of the marriage state. Adr. But were you wedded, you would bear some

rule.

Luc. Before I wed, I'll practise to obey. Adr. How, if your husband start some other where? Luc. With all the gentle, artificial means, That patient meekness, and domestic cares, Could bring to my relief, I would beguile The intervening hours, till he, tir'd out, With empty, transient pleasures, should return To seek content and happiness at homeWith smiles I'd welcome him, and put in practice Each soothing art, that kindness could suggest, To wean his mind from such delusive joys.

Adr. O, special reasoning! well may they be pa

tient,

Who never had a cause for anger given them!
How easily we cure another's grief!
But, were we burden'd with like weight of woe,
As much, or more, we should ourselves complain.
So thou, who hast no unkind mate to grieve thee,
Wouldst comfort me, by urging helpless patience;
But shouldst thou live to see these griefs thine own,
This boasted patience would be thrown aside.

Luc. Well, I will marry one day, but to tryHere comes your man; now is your husband near.

Enter DROMIO OF EPHESUS.

Adr. Say, is your tardy master now at hand ?
Dro. of Eph. Nay, he's at two hands with me, and

that my two ears can witness.

Adr. Say, didst thou speak with him? know'st thou his mind?

Dro. of Eph. Ay, ay, he told his mind upon my

ear;

Beshrew his hand, I scarce could understand it!

Luc. Spake he so doubtfully, thou couldst not find his meaning?

Dro. of Eph. Nay, he struck so plainly, I could too well feel his blows; and withal so doubtfully, that I could scarce understand them.

Adr. But say, I pray thee, is he coming home? It seems, he hath great care to please his wife!Dro. of Eph. Why, mistress, sure my master is horn-mad!

Luc. Horn-mad, thou villain!

Dro. of Eph. I mean not cuckold-mad, but sure

he's stark-mad!

When I desir'd him to come home to dinner,
He ask'd me for a thousand marks in gold.
'Tis dinner time, quoth I-my gold, quoth he-
Your meat doth burn, quoth I-my gold, quoth he-
Where are the thousand marks I gave thee, villain?
The pig, quoth I, is burn'd-my gold, quoth he-
My mistress, sir, quoth I-hang up thy mistress!
I do not know thy mistress-out on thy mistress!
Luc. Quoth who?

Dro. of Eph. Quoth my master

I know, quoth he, no house, no wife, no mistress;
So that my errand, due unto my tongue,
I thank him, I bare home upon my shoulders-
For, in conclusion, he did beat me hither.

Adr. Go back again, thou slave, and fetch him

home.

Dro. of Eph. Go back again, and be new beaten home!

For Heav'ns sake, send some other messenger.

Adr. Hence, prating peasant! fetch thy master

home.

Dro. of Eph. Am I so round with you, as you with me,

That, like a foot-ball, you do spurn me thus?
You spurn me hence, and he will spurn me hither.
If I last in this service, you must case me in leather.

[Exit.

Lúc. Fie! how impatience lowereth on your brow!
Adr. His company must do his minions grace,
While I, at home, starve for a cheerful look.
Hath homely age th' alluring beauty stole
From my poor cheek ? no, he hath wasted it.
Are my discourses low barren my wit?
If voluble and sharp discourse be dull'd,
Unkindness blunts it more than marble hard.
Do their gay vestments his affections bait?
That's not my fault-he's maste of my fortunes.
What ruins are in me, that can be found
By him not ruin'd t-Then is he the cause
Of my defeatures-my decayed beauty,
A sunny look of his would soon repair:
But, too unruly deer! he breaks the pale,
And feeds from home-poor I am left despis'd.

Luc. Self-harming jealousy! fie! beat it hence.
Adr. I know his eye doth homage other-where,
Or else, what lets it but he would be here?
Sister, you know he promis'd me a bracelet-
Some stranger fair hath caught his truant eye,
And triumphs in the gifts design'd for me.
Such trifles yet with ease I could forego,
So I were sure he left his heart at home!

I see the jewel best enameled
Will lose its lustre-So doth Adriana,
Whom once, unwearied with continual gazing,
He fondly call'd the treasure of his life!
Now, since my beauty cannot please his eye,
I'll weep what's left away, and, weeping, die. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

The Mart.

Enter ANTIPHOLIS, of Syracuse.

Ant. of Syr. 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. Oh, here he comes !

Enter DROMIO OF SYRACUSE.

How now, sir? is your merry humour alter'd?
As you love strokes, so jest with me again.
You knew no Centaur! you receiv'd no gold !
Your mistress sent, to have me home to dinner!
My house was at the Phenix! wert thou mad,
That thus, so strangely thou didst answer me?

Dro. of Syr. What answer, sir? when spake I such

a word?

Ant. of Syr. Ev'n now, ev'n here; not half an hour

since.

Dro. of Syr. I did not see you, since you sent me hence

Home, to the Centaur, with the gold you gave me. Ant. of Syr. Villain, thou didst deny the gold's receipt,