| ACT IV SCENE I | A public place. | |
| [Enter Second Merchant, ANGELO, and an Officer] |
| Second Merchant | You know since Pentecost the sum is due, |
| And since I have not much importuned you; |
| Nor now I had not, but that I am bound |
| To Persia, and want guilders for my voyage: |
| Therefore make present satisfaction, | 5 |
| Or I'll attach you by this officer. |
| ANGELO | Even just the sum that I do owe to you |
| Is growing to me by Antipholus, |
| And in the instant that I met with you |
| He had of me a chain: at five o'clock | 10 |
| I shall receive the money for the same. |
| Pleaseth you walk with me down to his house, |
| I will discharge my bond and thank you too. |
| [
Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Ephesus and DROMIO of Ephesus
from the courtezan's
] |
| Officer | That labour may you save: see where he comes. |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | While I go to the goldsmith's house, go thou | 15 |
| And buy a rope's end: that will I bestow |
| Among my wife and her confederates, |
| For locking me out of my doors by day. |
| But, soft! I see the goldsmith. Get thee gone; |
| Buy thou a rope and bring it home to me. | 20 |
| DROMIO OF EPHESUS | I buy a thousand pound a year: I buy a rope. |
| [Exit] |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | A man is well holp up that trusts to you: |
| I promised your presence and the chain; |
| But neither chain nor goldsmith came to me. |
| Belike you thought our love would last too long, | 25 |
| If it were chain'd together, and therefore came not. |
| ANGELO | Saving your merry humour, here's the note |
| How much your chain weighs to the utmost carat, |
| The fineness of the gold and chargeful fashion. |
| Which doth amount to three odd ducats more | 30 |
| Than I stand debted to this gentleman: |
| I pray you, see him presently discharged, |
| For he is bound to sea and stays but for it. |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | I am not furnish'd with the present money; |
| Besides, I have some business in the town. | 35 |
| Good signior, take the stranger to my house |
| And with you take the chain and bid my wife |
| Disburse the sum on the receipt thereof: |
| Perchance I will be there as soon as you. |
| ANGELO | Then you will bring the chain to her yourself? | 40 |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | No; bear it with you, lest I come not time enough. |
| ANGELO | Well, sir, I will. Have you the chain about you? |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | An if I have not, sir, I hope you have; |
| Or else you may return without your money. |
| ANGELO | Nay, come, I pray you, sir, give me the chain: | 45 |
| Both wind and tide stays for this gentleman, |
| And I, to blame, have held him here too long. |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | Good Lord! you use this dalliance to excuse |
| Your breach of promise to the Porpentine. |
| I should have chid you for not bringing it, | 50 |
| But, like a shrew, you first begin to brawl. |
| Second Merchant | The hour steals on; I pray you, sir, dispatch. |
| ANGELO | You hear how he importunes me;--the chain! |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | Why, give it to my wife and fetch your money. |
| ANGELO | Come, come, you know I gave it you even now. | 55 |
| Either send the chain or send me by some token. |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | Fie, now you run this humour out of breath, |
| where's the chain? I pray you, let me see it. |
| Second Merchant | My business cannot brook this dalliance. |
| Good sir, say whether you'll answer me or no: | 60 |
| If not, I'll leave him to the officer. |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | I answer you! what should I answer you? |
| ANGELO | The money that you owe me for the chain. |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | I owe you none till I receive the chain. |
| ANGELO | You know I gave it you half an hour since. | 65 |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | You gave me none: you wrong me much to say so. |
| ANGELO | You wrong me more, sir, in denying it: |
| Consider how it stands upon my credit. |
| Second Merchant | Well, officer, arrest him at my suit. |
| Officer | I do; and charge you in the duke's name to obey me. | 70 |
| ANGELO | This touches me in reputation. |
| Either consent to pay this sum for me |
| Or I attach you by this officer. |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | Consent to pay thee that I never had! |
| Arrest me, foolish fellow, if thou darest. | 75 |
| ANGELO | Here is thy fee; arrest him, officer, |
| I would not spare my brother in this case, |
| If he should scorn me so apparently. |
| Officer | I do arrest you, sir: you hear the suit. |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | I do obey thee till I give thee bail. | 80 |
| But, sirrah, you shall buy this sport as dear |
| As all the metal in your shop will answer. |
| ANGELO | Sir, sir, I will have law in Ephesus, |
| To your notorious shame; I doubt it not. |
| [Enter DROMIO of Syracuse, from the bay] |
| DROMIO OF SYRACUSE | Master, there is a bark of Epidamnum | 85 |
| That stays but till her owner comes aboard, |
| And then, sir, she bears away. Our fraughtage, sir, |
| I have convey'd aboard; and I have bought |
| The oil, the balsamum and aqua-vitae. |
| The ship is in her trim; the merry wind | 90 |
| Blows fair from land: they stay for nought at all |
| But for their owner, master, and yourself. |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | How now! a madman! Why, thou peevish sheep, |
| What ship of Epidamnum stays for me? |
| DROMIO OF SYRACUSE | A ship you sent me to, to hire waftage. | 95 |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | Thou drunken slave, I sent thee for a rope; |
| And told thee to what purpose and what end. |
| DROMIO OF SYRACUSE | You sent me for a rope's end as soon: |
| You sent me to the bay, sir, for a bark. |
| ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS | I will debate this matter at more leisure | 100 |
| And teach your ears to list me with more heed. |
| To Adriana, villain, hie thee straight: |
| Give her this key, and tell her, in the desk |
| That's cover'd o'er with Turkish tapestry, |
| There is a purse of ducats; let her send it: | 105 |
| Tell her I am arrested in the street |
| And that shall bail me; hie thee, slave, be gone! |
| On, officer, to prison till it come. |
| [
Exeunt Second Merchant, Angelo, Officer, and
Antipholus of Ephesus
] |
| DROMIO OF SYRACUSE | To Adriana! that is where we dined, |
| Where Dowsabel did claim me for her husband: | 110 |
| She is too big, I hope, for me to compass. |
| Thither I must, although against my will, |
| For servants must their masters' minds fulfil. |
| [Exit] |