Dro. S. It seems, thou wantest breaking; Out upon thee, hind! Dro. E. Here's too much, out upon thee! I pray thee, let me in. Dro. S. Ay, when fowls have no feathers, and fish have no fin. Ant. E. Well, I'll break in; Go, borrow me a crow. For a fish without a fin, there's a fowl without a feather: Herein you war against your reputation, Once this3, -Your long experience of her wisdom, Plead on her part some cause to you unknown; 4 3 Once this,] Once this, may mean, once for all, at once. the doors are made against you.] To make the door is the expression used to this day in some counties of England, instead of to bar the door. ↑ "of it;"-MALONE. : For slander lives upon succession; For ever hous'd, where it once gets possession †. And, in despight of mirth, mean to be merry. For there's the house; that chain will I bestow L SCENE II. The same. Enter LUCIANA and ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse. ↑ "where it gets possession." MALONE. 5 And, in despight of mirth, Though mirth has withdrawn herself from me, and seems determined to avoid me, yet in despight of her, and whether she will or not, I am resolved to be merry. † - "shall, Antipholus, Even in the spring of love, thy love-springs rot? Shall love, in building, grow so ruinous?" - MALONE. If you did wed my sister for her wealth, Then, for her wealth's sake, use her with more kindness: Or, if you like elsewhere, do it by stealth; Muffle your false love with some show of blindness : Let not my sister read it in your eye; Be not thy tongue thy own shame's orator; Comfort my sister, cheer her, call her wife : 'Tis holy sport, to be a little vain", When the sweet breath of flattery conquers strife. Ant. S. Sweet mistress, (what your name is else, I know not, Nor by what wonder you do hit on mine,) Less, in your knowledge, and your grace, you show not, Than our earth's wonder; more than earth divine. Teach me, dear creature, how to think and speak; Lay open to my earthy gross conceit, Smother'd in errors, feeble, shallow, weak, The folded meaning of your word's deceit. • Being compact of credit, Means, being made altogether of credulity. 7 vain, Is light of tongue, not veracious. JOHNSON. Against my soul's pure truth why labour you, sight. Ant. S. As good to wink, sweet love, as look on night. Luc. Why call you me love? call my sister so. Ant. S. Thy sister's sister. Luc. Ant. S. That's my sister. It is thyself, mine own self's better part; No; Mine eye's clear eye, my dear heart's dearer heart ; My sole earth's heaven, and my heaven's claim '. 8 sweet mermaid,] Mermaid is only another name for syren. Not mad, but mated;] I suspect there is a play upon words intended here. Mated signifies not only confounded, but matched with a wife : and Antipholus, who had been challenged as a husband by Adriana, which he cannot account for, uses the word mated in both these senses. M. MASON. 1 My sole earth's heaven, and my heaven's claim.] When he VOL. IV. D Luc. All this my sister is, or else should be. Thee will I love, and with thee lead my life; Thou hast no husband yet, nor I no wife: Give me thy hand. Luc.. O, soft, sir, hold you still ; I'll fetch my sister, to get her good will. [Exit Luc. Enter from the House of ANTIPHOLUS of Ephesus, DROMIO of Syracuse. Ant. S. Why, how now, Dromio? where run'st thou so fast? Dro. S. Do you know me, sir? am I Dromio? am I your man? am I myself? Ant. S. Thou art Dromio, thou art my man, thou art thyself. Dro. S. I am an ass, I am a woman's man, and besides myself. Ant. S. What woman's man? and how besides thyself? Dro. S. Marry, sir, besides myself, I am due to a woman; one that claims me, one that haunts me, one that will have me. Ant. S. What claim lays she to thee? Dro. S. Marry, sir, such claim as you would lay to your horse; and she would have me as a beast: not that, I being a beast, she would have me; but that she, being a very beastly creature, lays claim to me. Ant. S. What is she? Dro. S. A very reverent body; ay, such a one as a man may not speak of, without he say, sir-reverence +: I calls the girl his only heaven on the earth, he utters the common cant of lovers. When he calls her his heaven's claim, I cannot understand him. Perhaps he means that which he asks of heaven. JOHNSON. Mr. Malone thinks he means "all that I claim from heaven hereafter." reverentia. sir-reverence: A corruption of save-reverence, salva |