Luc. Self-harming jealousy!-fie, beat it hence.
Apr. Unfeeling fools can with such wrongs dis-

pense.
I know his eye doth homage otherwhere ;
Or elfe, what lets it but he would be here?
Sister, you know, he promis'd me a chain ;
Would that alone alone he would detain,

used as a substantive, means not something offered to allure or attract, but something vitiated with use, something of which the best part has been enjoyed and consumed. Johnson.

I believe my learned coadjutor mistakes the use of the word fake on this occasion. “ Stale to catch these thieves,” in The Tempeft, undoubtedly means a fraudulent bait. Here it seems to imply the fame as stalking-horse, pretence. I am, says Adriana, but his pretended wife, the mask under which he covers his amours. So, in K. John and Matilda, by Robert Davenport, 1655, the queen says to Matilda :

“ I am made your stale,

“ The king, the king your strumpet,” &c. Again,

" I knew I was made

“ A stale for her obtaining."
Again, in The Misfortunes of Arthur, 1587 :

“ Was I then chofe and wedded for his stale,
“ To looke and gape for his retireless sayles

“ Puft back and fittering spread to every winde ?" Again, in the old translation of the Menachmi of Plautus, 1995, from whence, perhaps, Shakspeare borrowed the exprellion:

“ He makes me a stale and a laughing-stock.” Steevens. In Greene's Art of Coney-catching, 1592. Aftale is the confederate of a thief; “ he that faceth the man," or holds him in discourse. Again, in another place, “ wishing all, of what eftate foever, to beware of filthy lust, and such damnable fales,” &c. A fale in this last instance means the pretended wife of a cross-biter.

Perhaps, however, fale may here have the same meaning as the French word chaperon. Poor I am but the cover for his infidelity,

Collins, 3 Would that alone alone he would detain,] The first copy reads:

Would that alone a love, &c.
The correction was made in the second folio. MALONE.

So he would keep fair quarter with his bed!
I see, the jewel, best enamelled,
Will lose his beauty; and though gold 'bides still,
That others touch, yet often touching will
Wear gold : and so no man, that hath a name,
But falthood and corruption doth it Thame.*
Since that my beauty cannot please his eye,
I'll weep what's left away, and weeping die.
Luc. How many fond fools serve mad jealousy!]

[Exeunt.

Ciles thus:

4 I fee, the jewel, b:lt enamelled,
Hill into his beauty; and though gold 'bides ftill,
That others touch, yet ofron touching will
Wear gold: and so no man, that hath a name,

But falfhood and corruption doth it shame.] The sense is this, " Gold, indeed, will long bear the handling; however, often touching will wear even gold; just so the greatelt character, though as pure as gold itfelí, may, in time, be injured, by the repeated attacks of talthood and corruption." WARBURTON. Mr. Heath reads thus:

--- yet the gold 'bides fill,
That others tuvch, though often touching will
Wear gold: and so a man that hath a name,

By faljhood and corruption doth it shane. STE EVEN S.' This passage in the original copy is very corrupt. It reads-

--- get the gold 'bides still
That others touch; and often touching will
Where gold ; and no man, that hath a name

By falíhood &c. The word though was suggested by Mr. Steevens; all the other emendations by Mr. Pope and Dr. Warburton. Wear is used as a disfyllable. The commentator last mentioned, not perceiving this, reads--and so no man, &c. which has been followed, I think improperly, by the subsequent editors.

The observation concerning gold is found in one of the early dramatick pieces, Damon and Pithias, 1582 :

“ gold in time does wear away,
“ And other precious things do fade : friendship does ne'er

decay," MALONE,

SCENE II.

The same.

Enter Antipholus of Syracuse.

Ant. S. The gold, I gave to Dromio, is laid up Safe at the Centaur; and the heedful Nave Is wander'd forth, in care to seek me out. By computation, and mine host's report, I could not speak with Dromio, since at first I sent him from the mart: See, 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 know no Centaur? you receiv'd no gold?
Your mistress sent to have me home to dinner?
My house was at the Phænix? Walt thou mad,
That thus so madly thou didst answer me?
Dro. S. What answer, fir? when spake I such a

word ?
ANT. S. Even now, even here, not half an hour

since. Dro. S. I did not see you since you sent me hence, Home to the Centaur, with the gold you gave me.

Ant. S. Villain, thou didst deny the gold's receipt ; And told'st me of a mistress, and a dinner; For which, I hope, thou feltst I was displeas'd.

Dro. S. I am glad to see you in this merry vein: What means this jest? I pray you, master, tell me. ANT. S. Yea, dost thou jeer, and flout me in the

teeth?

Think'st thou, I jest? Hold, take thou that, and that.

[beating him. Dro. S. Hold, fir, for God's sake: now your jest

is earnest: Upon what bargain do you give it me?

Ant. S. Because that I familiarly sometimes Do use you for my fool, and chat with you, Your fauciness will jest upon my love, And make a common of my serious hours.4 When the sun shines, let foolish gnats make sport, But creep in crannies, when he hides his beams. If you will jest with me, know my aspect, And fashion your demeanour to my looks, Or I will beat this method in your sconce.

Dro. S. Sconce, call you it? so you would leave battering, I had rather have it a head: an you use these blows long, I must get a sconce for my head, and insconce it too; or else I shall seek my wit in my shoulders. But, I pray, sir, why am I beaten?

ANT. S. Doft thou not know?
Dro. S. Nothing, fir; but that I am beaten.
Ant. S. Shall I tell you why?

Dro. S. Ay, fir, and wherefore; for, they say, cvery why hath a wherefore.

4 And make a common of my serious hours.] i, e. intrude on them when you please. The allusion is to those tracts of ground destined to common use, which are thence called commons. STEEVENS.

S know my afpéet,] i. e. ftudy my countenance. STEEVENS. o ---and insconce it 100;] A sconce was a petty fortification. So, in Orlando Furioso, 1599:

“ Let us to our sconce, and you my lord of Mexico." Again :

“ Ay, firs, enfronce you how you can.” Again :

“ And here en sconce myself, despite of thee." STEEVENS.

Ant. S. Why, first,- for flouting me; and then,

wherefore,For urging it the second time to me. Dro. S. Was there ever any man thus beaten out

of season? When, in the why, and the wherefore, is neither

rhyme nor reason ?Well, fir, I thank you.

Ant. S. Thank me, sir? for what?

Dro. S. Marry, sir, for this something that you gave me for nothing.

Ant. S. I'll make you amends next,' to give you. nothing for something. But say, fir, is it dinnertime? Dro. S. No, fir; I think, the meat wants that I

have. Ant. S. In good time, sir, what's that? Dro. S. Bafting. Ant. S. Well, sir, then 'twill be dry. Dro. S. If it be, sir, I pray you eat none of it. Ant. S. Your reason?

Dro. S. Lest it make you cholerick,s and purchase me another dry basting.

ANT. S. Well, fir, learn to jest in good time; There's a time for all things.

Dro. S. I durst have denied that, before you were so cholerick.

next,] Our author probably wrote-next time.

MALONE.
Left it make you cholerick, &c.] So, in The Taming the Shrew:

" I tell thee Kate, 'twas burnt and dried away,
" And I expressly am forbid to touch it,
For it engenders choler, planteth anger," &c.

STEEVENS.