If Time be in debt and theft, and a ferjeant in the way, Hath he not reason to turn back an hour in the day?

Enter Luciana.

Adr. Go, Dromio; there's the mony, bear it strait, And bring thy mafter home immediately. Come, fifter, I am preft down with conceit; Conceit, my comfort and my injury. [Exeunt.

SCENE V.,

Changes to the Street.

14037**

Enter Antipholis of Syracuse.

S. Ant. There's not a man I meet, but doth falute

me,'

As if I were their well-acquainted friend;
And every one doth call me by my name.
Some tender mony to me, fome invite me
Some other give me thanks for kindneffes;
Some offer me commodities to buy.
Even now a taylor call'd me in his fhop,
And how'd me filks that he had bought for me,
And therewithal took meafure of my body.
Sure, thefe are but imaginary wiles,

And Lapland forcerers inhabit here.

Enter Dromio of Syracufe.

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

S. Ant.

What, have you got the Pic ture of old Adam new apparell'd?] A fhort Word or two must have flipt out here, by fome Accident in copying, or at Prefs; other wife I have no conception of the meaning of the Paffage. The Cafe is this. Dromio's Mafter had been arrested, and fent his VOL. III.

Servant bome for Mony to redeem him: He running back with the Mony meets the Twin Antipholis, whom he mistakes for his Master, and seeing him clear of the Officer before the Mony was come, he cries in a Surprize;

Ls

What,

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

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

He that went the man, Sir,

S. Ant. I understand thee not. yo S. Dro. No? why, 'tis a plain cafe. like a bafe-viol in a cafe of leather that, when gentlemen are tired, gives them a fob, and 'refts them; he, Sir, that takes pity on decay'd men, and gives 'em fuits of durance; he, that fets up his

reft

1

12:

"What, bave you got rid of the Picture of old Adam new apparell'd?

For fo have I ventur'd to fupply, by Conjecture. But why is the Officer call'd old Adam new ap. parell'd? The Allufion is to Adam in his State of Innocence going naked; and immediately after the Fall, being cloath'd in a Frock of Skins. Thus he was new apparell'd: and, in like manner, the Sergeants of the Counter were formerly clad in Buff, or Calves-fkin, as the Author humorously a little lower calls it. THEOBALD. The explanation is very good, but the text does not require to be amended.

5 he, that fets up his rest to do more exploits with his mace, than a MORRIS-pike.] Sets up his Reft, is a phrafe taken from military exercife. When gunpowder was first invented, its force was very weak compared to that in prefent use. This neceffarily required fire-arms to be of an ex

traordinary length. As the artifts 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 foot long, was contracted to less 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 Setting 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 sense, and falfe in the allufion; no pike being used amongst the dancers fo called, or at least not fam'd for much execution. In a word, Shakespeare wrote,

1

a MAURICE-Pike, e. a Pikeman of Prince Masi

reft to do more exploits with his mace, than a morrispike.

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

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

S. Ant. Well, Sir, there reft in your foolery.
Is there any fhip puts forth to-night, may we be gone?
S. Dro. Why, Sir, 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 for
the hoy Delay; here are the angels that you fent for,
to deliver you.

S. Ant. The fellow is distract, and so am I,
And here we wander in illufions; TURAL
Some bleffed
deliver us from hence! 70 212.

power

VI. ! i

SCENE

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

rice's army. He was the greateft
general of that age, and the
Conductor of the Low-country
wars against Spain, under whom
all the English Gentry and No-
bility were bred to the fervice.
Being frequently overborn with
numbers, he became famous for
his fine Retreats, in which a stand
of Pikes is of great fervice.
Hence the Pikes of his army be-
came famous for their military
exploits.
This conjecture is very inge-
nious, yet the commentator talks

WARBURTON.

·

unneceffarily of the rest of a mu
feet, by which he makes the he
ro of the fpeech fet up the reft
of a musket, to do exploits with a
pike. The rest of a pike was a
common term, and fignified, I
believe, the manner in which it
was fixed to receive the rush of
the enemy. A morris pike was a
pike used in a morris or a milita-
ry dance, and with which great
exploits were done, that is, great
feats of dexterity were fhewn.
There is no need of change.

S. Ant,

L 2

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 worfe, fhe's, the devil's dam and here's fhe comes in the habit of a light wench, and therefore comes, that the wenches fay, God dam 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, Sir. 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, Sir, and not trouble you.

S. Dro. Some devils afk but the parings of one's nail, a rush, a hair, a drop of blood, a pin, a nut, a cherry-ftone: but the, more covetous, would have a chain. Mafter, be wife; an' if you give it her, the devil will thake her chain, and fright us with it.

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

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

S. Dro. Fly pride, fays the peacock; mistress, that you know.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

S CE NE VII.

Manet Courtezan.

;

Cour. Now, out of doubt, Antipholis is mad
Elfe would he never fo 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 reafon, 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 door 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 houfe, and took perforce
My ring away. This courfe I fitteft chufe:
For forty ducats is too much to lofe.

SCENE

Changes to the Street.

Enter Antipholis of Ephefus, with a Failor.

E. Ant. Fear me not, man; I will not break away;
I'll give thee, ere I leave thee, fo much mony,
To warrant thee, as I am 'refted 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 harshly in her ears.

VIII.

L3

[Exit.

Enter