Reference: H2v - Comedies, p. 88
Actus Secundus.
[Act 2, Scene 1]
Enter Adriana, wife to
Antipholis Sereptus, with
Luciana her Sister.
Adr.
Neither my husband nor the slaue return'd,
That in such haste I sent to seeke his Master?
Sure
Luc.
Perhaps some Merchant hath inuited him,
And from the Mart he's somewhere gone to dinner:
Good Sister let vs dine, and neuer fret;
A man is Master of his libertie:
Time is their Master, and when they see time,
They'll goe or come; if so, be patient Sister.
Adr.
Why should their libertie then ours be more?
Luc.
Because their businesse still lies out adore.
Adr.
Looke when I serue him so, he takes it thus.
Luc.
Oh, know he is the bridle of your will.
Adr.
There's none but asses will be bridled so.
Luc.
Why, headstrong liberty is lasht with woe:
There's nothing situate vnder heauens eye,
But hath his bound in earth, in sea, in skie.
The beasts, the fishes, and the winged fowles
Are their males subiects, and at their controules:
Man more diuine, the Master of all these,
Lord of the wide world, and wilde watry seas,
Indued with intellectuall sence and soules,
Of more preheminence then fish and fowles,
Are masters to their females, and their Lords:
Then let your will attend on their accords.
Adri.
This seruitude makes you to keepe vnwed.
Luci.
Not this, but troubles of the marriage bed.
Adr.
But were you wedded, you wold bear some sway
Luc.
Ere I learne loue, Ile practise to obey.
Adr.
How if your husband start some other where?
Luc.
Till he come home againe, I would forbeare.
Adr.
Patience vnmou'd, no maruel though she pause,
They can be meeke, that haue no other cause:
A wretched soule bruis'd with aduersitie,
We bid be quiet when we heare it crie.
But were we burdned with like waight of paine,
As much, or more, we should our selues complaine:
So thou that hast no vnkinde mate to greeue thee,
With vrging helpelesse patience would releeue me;
But if thou liue to see like right bereft,
This foole‑beg'd patience in thee will be left.
Luci.
Well, I will marry one day but to trie:
Heere comes your man, now is your husband nie.
Enter Dromio Eph.
Adr.
Say, is your tardie master now at hand?
E. Dro.
Adr.
E. Dro.
I, I, he told his minde vpon mine eare,
Beshrew his hand, I scarce could vnderstand it.
Luc.
E. Dro.
Adri.
But say, I prethee, is he comming home?
It seemes he hath great care to please his wife.
E. Dro.
Why Mistresse, sure my Master is horne mad.
Adri.
Horne mad, thou villaine?
E. Dro.
I meane not Cuckold mad,
But sure he is starke mad:
When I desir'd him to come home to dinner,
He ask'd me for a hundred markes in gold:
'Tis dinner time, quoth I: my gold, quoth he:
Your meat doth burne, quoth I: my gold quoth he:
Will you come, quoth I: my gold, quoth he;
Where is the thousand markes I gaue thee villaine?
The Pigge quoth I, is burn'd: my gold, quoth he:
My mistresse, sir, quoth I: hang vp thy
Mistresse:
I know not thy mistresse, out on thy mistresse.
Luci.
Quoth who?
E.Dr.
Quoth my Master, I know quoth he, no house,
no wife, no mistresse: so that my arrant due vnto my
tongue, I thanke him, I bare home vpon my shoulders:
for in conclusion, he did beat me there.
Adri.
Go back againe, thou slaue, & fetch him home.
Dro.
Goe backe againe, and be new beaten home?
For Gods sake send some other messenger.
Adri.
Backe slaue, or I will breake thy pate a‑crosse.
Dro.
And he will blesse
yTthat
crosse with other beating:
Betweene you, I shall haue a holy head.
Adri.
Hence prating pesant, fetch thy Master home.
Dro.
Am I so round with you, as you with me,
That like a foot‑ball you doe spurne me thus:
You spurne me hence, and he will spurne me hither,
If I last in this seruice, you must case me in
leather.
Luci.
Fie how impatience lowreth in your face.
Adri.
His company must do his minions grace,
Whil'st I at home starue for a merrie
looke:
Hath homelie age th' alluring beauty tooke
From my poore cheeke? then he hath wasted it.
Are my discourses dull? Barren my wit,
If voluble and sharpe discourse be mar'd,
Vnkindnesse blunts it more then marble hard.
Doe their gay vestments his affections
baite?
That's not my fault, hee's master of my
state.
What ruines are in me that can be found,
By him not ruin'd? Then is he the ground
Of my defeatures. My decayed faire,
A sunnie looke of his, would soone repaire.
But, too vnruly Deere, he breakes the pale,
And feedes from home; poore I am but his stale.
Luci.
Selfe‑harming Iealousie; fie beat it hence.
Ad.
Vnfeeling fools can with such wrongs dispence:
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 chaine,
Would that alone, a loue he would detaine,
So he would keepe faire quarter with his bed:
I see the Iewell best enamaled
Will loose his beautie: yet the gold bides still
That others touch, and often touching will,
Where gold and no man that hath a name,
By falshood and corruption doth it shame:
Since that my beautie cannot please his eie,
Ile weepe (what's left away) and weeping die.
Luci.
How manie fond fooles serue mad Ielousie?
Exit.
Luciana her Sister.
[265]
Lucianait is two a clocke.
[270]
[275]
[280]
[285]
[290]
[295]
[300]
[305]
Nay, hee's at too hands with mee, and that my
two eares can witnesse.
Say, didst thou speake with him? knowst thou
[310]
his minde?
Spake hee so doubtfully, thou couldst not feele
his meaning.
[315]
Nay, hee strooke so plainly, I could too well
feele his blowes; and withall so doubtfully, that I could
scarce vnderstand them.
[320]
[325]
[330]
[335]
[340]
[345]
[350]
[355]
[360]
[365]
[370]
[375]
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<div type="scene" n="1">
<head rend="italic center">Actus Secundus.</head>
<head type="supplied">[Act 2, Scene 1]</head>
<stage rend="italic center" type="entrance">Enter Adriana, wife to Antipholis Sereptus, with
<lb/>Luciana her Sister.</stage>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adr.</speaker>
<l n="263">Neither my husband nor the slaue return'd,</l>
<l n="264">That in such haste I sent to seeke his Master?</l>
<l n="265">Sure<hi rend="italic">Luciana</hi>it is two a clocke.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-luc">
<speaker rend="italic">Luc.</speaker>
<l n="266">Perhaps some Merchant hath inuited him,</l>
<l n="267">And from the Mart he's somewhere gone to dinner:</l>
<l n="268">Good Sister let vs dine, and neuer fret;</l>
<l n="269">A man is Master of his libertie:</l>
<l n="270">Time is their Master, and when they see time,</l>
<l n="271">They'll goe or come; if so, be patient Sister.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adr.</speaker>
<l n="272">Why should their libertie then ours be more?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-luc">
<speaker rend="italic">Luc.</speaker>
<l n="273">Because their businesse still lies out adore.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adr.</speaker>
<l n="274">Looke when I serue him so, he takes it thus.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-luc">
<speaker rend="italic">Luc.</speaker>
<l n="275">Oh, know he is the bridle of your will.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adr.</speaker>
<l n="276">There's none but asses will be bridled so.</l>
</sp>
<cb n="2"/>
<sp who="#F-err-luc">
<speaker rend="italic">Luc.</speaker>
<l n="277">Why, headstrong liberty is lasht with woe:</l>
<l n="278">There's nothing situate vnder heauens eye,</l>
<l n="279">But hath his bound in earth, in sea, in skie.</l>
<l n="280">The beasts, the fishes, and the winged fowles</l>
<l n="281">Are their males subiects, and at their controules:</l>
<l n="282">Man more diuine, the Master of all these,</l>
<l n="283">Lord of the wide world, and wilde watry seas,</l>
<l n="284">Indued with intellectuall sence and soules,</l>
<l n="285">Of more preheminence then fish and fowles,</l>
<l n="286">Are masters to their females, and their Lords:</l>
<l n="287">Then let your will attend on their accords.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adri.</speaker>
<l n="288">This seruitude makes you to keepe vnwed.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-lci">
<speaker rend="italic">Luci.</speaker>
<l n="289">Not this, but troubles of the marriage bed.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adr.</speaker>
<l n="290">But were you wedded, you wold bear some sway</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-luc">
<speaker rend="italic">Luc.</speaker>
<l n="291">Ere I learne loue, Ile practise to obey.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adr.</speaker>
<l n="292">How if your husband start some other where?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-luc">
<speaker rend="italic">Luc.</speaker>
<l n="293">Till he come home againe, I would forbeare.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adr.</speaker>
<l n="294">Patience vnmou'd, no maruel though she pause,</l>
<l n="295">They can be meeke, that haue no other cause:</l>
<l n="296">A wretched soule bruis'd with aduersitie,</l>
<l n="297">We bid be quiet when we heare it crie.</l>
<l n="298">But were we burdned with like waight of paine,</l>
<l n="299">As much, or more, we should our selues complaine:</l>
<l n="300">So thou that hast no vnkinde mate to greeue thee,</l>
<l n="301">With vrging helpelesse patience would releeue me;</l>
<l n="302">But if thou liue to see like right bereft,</l>
<l n="303">This foole‑beg'd patience in thee will be left.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-lci">
<speaker rend="italic">Luci.</speaker>
<l n="304">Well, I will marry one day but to trie:</l>
<l n="305">Heere comes your man, now is your husband nie.</l>
</sp>
<stage rend="italic center" type="entrance">Enter Dromio Eph.</stage>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adr.</speaker>
<l n="306">Say, is your tardie master now at hand?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-edr">
<speaker rend="italic">E. Dro.</speaker>
<p n="307">Nay, hee's at too hands with mee, and that my
<lb n="308"/>two eares can witnesse.</p>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adr.</speaker>
<p n="309">Say, didst thou speake with him? knowst thou
<lb n="310"/>his minde?</p>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-edr">
<speaker rend="italic">E. Dro.</speaker>
<l n="311">I, I, he told his minde vpon mine eare,</l>
<l n="312">Beshrew his hand, I scarce could vnderstand it.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-luc">
<speaker rend="italic">Luc.</speaker>
<p n="313">Spake hee so doubtfully, thou couldst not feele
<lb n="314"/>his meaning.</p>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-edr">
<speaker rend="italic">E. Dro.</speaker>
<p n="315">Nay, hee strooke so plainly, I could too well
<lb n="316"/>feele his blowes; and withall so doubtfully, that I could
<lb n="317"/>scarce vnderstand them.</p>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adri.</speaker>
<l n="318">But say, I prethee, is he comming home?</l>
<l n="319">It seemes he hath great care to please his wife.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-edr">
<speaker rend="italic">E. Dro.</speaker>
<l n="320">Why Mistresse, sure my Master is horne mad.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adri.</speaker>
<l n="321">Horne mad, thou villaine?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-edr">
<speaker rend="italic">E. Dro.</speaker>
<l n="322">I meane not Cuckold mad,</l>
<l n="323">But sure he is starke mad:</l>
<l n="324">When I desir'd him to come home to dinner,</l>
<l n="325">He ask'd me for a hundred markes in gold:</l>
<l n="326">'Tis dinner time, quoth I: my gold, quoth he:</l>
<l n="327">Your meat doth burne, quoth I: my gold quoth he:</l>
<l n="328">Will you come, quoth I: my gold, quoth he;</l>
<l n="329">Where is the thousand markes I gaue thee villaine?</l>
<l n="330">The Pigge quoth I, is burn'd: my gold, quoth he:</l>
<l n="331">My mistresse, sir, quoth I: hang vp thy Mistresse:</l>
<l n="332">I know not thy mistresse, out on thy mistresse.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-lci">
<speaker rend="italic">Luci.</speaker>
<l n="333">Quoth who?</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-edr">
<speaker rend="italic">E.Dr.</speaker>
<l n="334">Quoth my Master, I know quoth he, no house,</l>
<l n="335">no wife, no mistresse: so that my arrant due vnto my</l>
<l n="336">tongue, I thanke him, I bare home vpon my shoulders:</l>
<l n="337">for in conclusion, he did beat me there.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adri.</speaker>
<l n="338">Go back againe, thou slaue, & fetch him home.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-sdr">
<speaker rend="italic">Dro.</speaker>
<l n="339">Goe backe againe, and be new beaten home?</l>
<l n="340">For Gods sake send some other messenger.</l>
</sp>
<pb facs="FFimg:axc0107-0.jpg" n="88"/>
<cb n="1"/>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adri.</speaker>
<l n="341">Backe slaue, or I will breake thy pate a‑crosse.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-sdr">
<speaker rend="italic">Dro.</speaker>
<l n="342">And he will blesse<choice>
<abbr>yT</abbr>
<expan>that</expan>
</choice>crosse with other beating:</l>
<l n="343">Betweene you, I shall haue a holy head.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adri.</speaker>
<l n="344">Hence prating pesant, fetch thy Master home.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-sdr">
<speaker rend="italic">Dro.</speaker>
<l n="345">Am I so round with you, as you with me,</l>
<l n="346">That like a foot‑ball you doe spurne me thus:</l>
<l n="347">You spurne me hence, and he will spurne me hither,</l>
<l n="348">If I last in this seruice, you must case me in leather.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-lci">
<speaker rend="italic">Luci.</speaker>
<l n="349">Fie how impatience lowreth in your face.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Adri.</speaker>
<l n="350">His company must do his minions grace,</l>
<l n="351">Whil'st I at home starue for a merrie looke:</l>
<l n="352">Hath homelie age th' alluring beauty tooke</l>
<l n="353">From my poore cheeke? then he hath wasted it.</l>
<l n="354">Are my discourses dull? Barren my wit,</l>
<l n="355">If voluble and sharpe discourse be mar'd,</l>
<l n="356">Vnkindnesse blunts it more then marble hard.</l>
<l n="357">Doe their gay vestments his affections baite?</l>
<l n="358">That's not my fault, hee's master of my state.</l>
<l n="359">What ruines are in me that can be found,</l>
<l n="360">By him not ruin'd? Then is he the ground</l>
<l n="361">Of my defeatures. My decayed faire,</l>
<l n="362">A sunnie looke of his, would soone repaire.</l>
<l n="363">But, too vnruly Deere, he breakes the pale,</l>
<l n="364">And feedes from home; poore I am but his stale.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-lci">
<speaker rend="italic">Luci.</speaker>
<l n="365">Selfe‑harming Iealousie; fie beat it hence.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-adr">
<speaker rend="italic">Ad.</speaker>
<l n="366">Vnfeeling fools can with such wrongs dispence:</l>
<l n="367">I know his eye doth homage other‑where,</l>
<l n="368">Or else, what lets it but he would be here?</l>
<l n="369">Sister, you know he promis'd me a chaine,</l>
<l n="370">Would that alone, a loue he would detaine,</l>
<l n="371">So he would keepe faire quarter with his bed:</l>
<l n="372">I see the Iewell best enamaled</l>
<l n="373">Will loose his beautie: yet the gold bides still</l>
<l n="374">That others touch, and often touching will,</l>
<l n="375">Where gold and no man that hath a name,</l>
<l n="376">By falshood and corruption doth it shame:</l>
<l n="377">Since that my beautie cannot please his eie,</l>
<l n="378">Ile weepe (what's left away) and weeping die.</l>
</sp>
<sp who="#F-err-lci">
<speaker rend="italic">Luci.</speaker>
<l n="379">How manie fond fooles serue mad Ielousie?</l>
</sp>
<stage rend="italic rightJustified" type="exit">Exit.</stage>
</div>