Enter a Merchant, ANGELO, and an Officer.
Mer. You know, since Pentecost, the sum is due,
And since I have not much impórtun'd you;
Nor now I had not, but that I am bound
To Persia, and want gilders for my voyage:
Therefore make present satisfaction,
Or I'll attach you by this officer.

Ang. Even just the sum, that I do owe to you,

1s growing to me by Antipholus:
And in the instant that I met with you,
He had of me a chain; at five o'clock,
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 DROM10 of
Ephesus.

Off. That labour may you save; see where he comes. Ant. E. While I go to the goldsmith's house, go thou

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.-
Bat soft, I see the goldsmith:-get thee gone;
Buy thou a rope, and bring it home to me.

Dro. E. I buy a thousand pound a-year! I buy a rope!
[Exit Dromio.
Ant. E. 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,
If it were chain'd together; and therefore came not.
Ang. Saving your merry humour, here's the note,
How much your chain weighs to the utmost carrat;
The fineness of the gold, and chargeful fashion;
Which doth amount to three odd ducats more
Than I stand debted to this gentleman!

I pray you, see him presently discharg'd,
For he is bound to sea, and stays but for it.

Ant. E. I am not furnish'd with the present money ;
Besides, I have some business in the town:
Good signior, take the stranger to my house,
And with you take the chain, and bid
Disburse the sum on the receipt thereof;
Perchance, I will be there as soon as you.

my

wife

Ang. Then you will bring the chain to her yourself? Ant. E. No; be it with you, lest I come not time enough.

Ang. Well, sir, I will: Have you the chain about you? Ant. E. An if I have not, sir, I hope you have; Or else you may return without your money.

Ang. Nay, come, I pray you, sir, give me the chain : Both wind and tide stays for this gentleman,

And I, to blame, have held him here too long.

Ant. E. Good lord, you use this dalliance to excuse Your breach of promise to the Porcupine: I should have chid you for not bringing it, But, like a shrew, you first begin to brawl.

Mer. The hour steals on; I pray you, sir, despatch. Ang. You hear, how he importunes me; the chain

Ant.E. Why, give it to my wife, and fetch your money. Ang. Come, come, you know, I gave it you even now; Either send the chain, or send me by some token.

Ant. E. Fie! now you run this humour out of breath: Come, where's the chain? I pray you, let me see it. Mer. My business cannot brook this dalliance; Good sir, say, whe'r you'll answer me, or no; If not, I'll leave him to the officer.

Ant. E. I answer you! What should I answer you? Ang. The money, that you owe me for the chain. Ant. E. I owe you none, till I receive the chain, Ang. You know, I gave it you half an hour since. Ant. E. You gave me none; you wrong me much to say so.

Ang. You wrong me more, sir, in denying it : Consider, how it stands upon my credit.

Mer. Well, officer, arrest him at my suit.

Off. I do; and charge you, in the duke's name, to Ang. This touches me in reputation:

Either consent to pay this sum for me,

Or I attach you by this officer.

[obey me.

Ant. E. Consent to pay thee that I never had! Arrest me, foolish fellow, if thou dar'st.

Ang. Here is thy fee; arrest him, officer;

I would not spare my brother in this case,
If he should scorn me so apparently.

Off. I do arrest you, sir; you hear the suit.
Ant. E. I do obey thee, till I give thee bail :—
But, sirrah, you shall buy this sport as dear
As all the metal in your shop will answer.
Ang. Sir, sir, I shall have law in Ephesus,
To your notorious shame, I doubt it not.

Enter DROMIO of Syracuse.

Dro. S. Master, there is a bark of Epidamnum,
That stays but till her owner comes aboard,
And then, sir, bears away; our fraughtage, sir,
I have convey'd aboard; and I have bought
The oil, the balsamum, and aqua-vitæ.
The ship is in her trim; the merry wind

C

Blows fair from land: they stay for nought at all,
But for their owner, master, and yourself.

[sheep,

Ant. E. How now? a madman! Why, thou peevish What ship of Epidamnum stays for me?

Dro. S. A ship you sent me to, to hire waftage. Ant. E. Thou drunken slave, I sent thee for a rope; And told thee to what purpose, and what end.

Dro. S. You sent me, sir, for a rope's end as soon: You sent me to the bay, sir, for a bark.

Ant. E. I will debate this matter at more leisure,
And teach your ears to listen 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;
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 Mer. Ang. Off. and Ant. E. Dro. S. To Adriana! that is where we din'd,

Where Dowsabel did claim me for her husband:
She is too big, I hope, for me to compass,
Thither I must, although against my will.
For servant must their masters' minds fulfil.

SCENE II. The same.

Enter ADRIANA and LUCIANA,

Adr. Ah, Luciana, did he tempt thee so?
Might'st thou perceive austerely in his eye
That he did plead in earnest, yea or no?
Look'd he or red, or pale; or sad, or merrily?
What observation mad'st thou in this case,
Of his heart's meteors tilting in his face?

[Exit.

Luc. First, be denied you had in him no right.
Adr. He meant, he did me none; the more my spite.
Luc. Then swore he, that he was a stranger here.
Adr. And true he swore, though yet forsworn he were.
Luc. Then pleaded I for you.
And what said he ?

Adr.

Luc. That love I begg'd for you, he begg'd of me. Adr. With what persuasion did he tempt thy love? Luc. With words, that in an honest suit might move. First, he did praise my beauty; then, my speech. Adr. Did'st speak him fair?

Luc.

Have patience, I beseech.

Adr. I cannot, nor I will not, hold me still;
My tongue, though not my heart, shall have his will.
He is deformed, crooked, old, and sere,

Ill-fac'd, worse-bodied, shapeless every where ;
Vicious, ungentle, foolish, blunt, unkind;
Stigmatical in making, worse in mind.

Luc. Who would be jealous then of such a one?
No evil lost is 'wail'd when it is gone.

Adr. Ah! but I think him better than I say, And yet would herein others' eyes were worse: Far from her nest the lapwing cries away;

My heart prays for him, though my tongue do curse. Enter DROMIO of Syracuse.

Dro. S.

Dro. S. Here, go; the desk, the purse; sweet now, Luc. How hast thou lost thy breath? [make haste. By running fast. Adr. Where is thy master, Dromio? is he well? Dro. S. No, he's in Tartar limbo, worse than hell. A devil in an everlasting garment hath him, One, whose hard heart is button'd up with steel; A fiend, a fairy, pitiless and rough;

A wolf, nay, worse, a fellow all in buff;

[mands

A back-friend, a shoulder-clapper, one that counter-
The passages of alleys, creeks, and narrow lands;
A bound that runs counter, and yet draws dry-foot well;
One that, before the judgment, carries poor souls to hell.
Adr. Why, man, what is the matter? [the case.

Dro. S. I do not know the matter: he is 'rested on Adr. What, is he arrested? tell me, at whose suit. Dro. S. I know not at whose suit he is arrested, well; But he's in a suit of buff, which 'rested him, that can tell: [the desk? Will you send him, mistress, redemption, the money in