Enter ANGELO.

Ang. Master Antipholus ?

Ant. S. Ay, that's my name.

Ang. I know it well, sir: Lo, here is the chain :
I thought to have ta'en you at the Porcupine: 4
The chain unfinish'd made me stay thus long.

Ant. S. What is your will, that I shall do with this? Ang. What please yourself, sir; I have made it for you. Ant. S. Made it for me, sir! I bespoke it not. Ang. Not once, nor twice, but twenty times you have: Go home with it, and please your wife withal; And soon at supper-time I'll visit you,

And then receive my money for the chain.

Ant. S. I pray you, sir, receive the money now, For fear you ne'er see chain, nor money, more. Ang. You are a merry man, sir; fare you well. [Exit. Ant. S. What I should think of this, I cannot tell : But this I think, there's no man is so vain, That would refuse so fair an offer'd chain. I see, a man here needs not live by shifts, When in the streets he meets such golden gifts. I'll to the mart, and there for Dromio stay; If any ship put out, then straight away.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. The same.

[Exit.

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;

4

at the Porcupine:] It is remarkable, that throughout the old editions of Shakspeare's plays, the word Porpentine is used instead of Porcupine. I have since observed the same spelling in the plays of other ancient authors. STEEVENS.

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,
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,

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.

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.

But 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:

5

want gilders] A gilder is a coin valued from one shilling and six-pence, to two shillings.

• Is growing to me —] i. e. accruing to me.

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 my wife
Disburse the sum on the receipt thereof;
Perchance, I will be there as soon as you.

Ang. Then you will bring the chain to her yourself? Ant. E. No: bear 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 impórtunes me; the chainAnt. 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. Fye! 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 obey me.

Ang. This touches me in reputation:

Either consent to pay this sum for me,
Or I attach you by this officer.

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
Blows fair from land: they stay for nought at all,

But for their owner, master, and yourself.

Ant. E. How now! a madman? Why thou peevish sheep",

What ship of Epidamnum stays for me?

Dro. S. A ship you sent me to, to hire waftage.

+ "And then, sir, she bears away"- MALONE.

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 Merchant, ANGELO, Officer, 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 servants must their masters' minds fulfil.

[Exit.

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? 8

+ "You sent me for a rope's-end as soon." MALONE.

+

"list me"-MALONE.

8 meteors tilting in his face?] Alluding to those meteors in

the sky, which have the appearance of lines of armies meeting in the shock.