THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

Act 4 Scene 1

(Enter Second Merchant, Angelo the goldsmith, and an Officer)
l1l	Second Merchant	(to Angelo)
		 You know since Pentecost the sum is due,
l2l		And since I have not much importuned you#
l3l		Nor now I had not, but that I am bound
l4l		To Persia, and want guilders for my voyage.
l5l		Therefore make present satisfaction,
l6l		Or I’ll attach you by this officer.
l7l	Angelo	Even just the sum that I do owe to you
l8l		Is growing to me by Antipholus,
l9l		And in the instant that I met with you
l10l		He had of me a chain. At five o’clock
l11l		I shall receive the money for the same.
l12l		Pleaseth you walk with me down to his house,
l13l		I will discharge my bond, and thank you too.
		(Enter Antipholus of Ephesus and Dromio of Ephesus from the Courtesan's house the Porcupine)
l14l	Officer	 That labour may you save. See where he comes.
l15l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	(to Dromio)
		 While I go to the goldsmith’s house, go thou
l16l		And buy a rope’s end. That will I bestow
l17l		Among my wife and her confederates
l18l		For locking me out of my doors by day.
l19l		But soft, I see the goldsmith. Get thee gone.
l20l		Buy thou a rope, and bring it home to me.
l21l	Dromio Of Ephesus	I buy a thousand pound a year, I buy a rope.
		(Exit)
l22l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	(to Angelo)
		 A man is well holp up that trusts to you!
l23l		I promisèd your presence and the chain,
l24l		But neither chain nor goldsmith came to me.
l25l		Belike you thought our love would last too long
l26l		If it were chained together, and therefore came not.
l27l	Angelo	Saving your merry humour, here’s the note
l28l		How much your chain weighs to the utmost carat,
l29l		The fineness of the gold, and chargeful fashion,
l30l		Which doth amount to three odd ducats more
l31l		Than I stand debted to this gentleman.
l32l		I pray you see him presently discharged,
l33l		For he is bound to sea, and stays but for it.
l34l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	I am not furnished with the present money.
l35l		Besides, I have some business in the town.
l36l		Good signor, take the stranger to my house,
l37l		And with you take the chain, and bid my wife
l38l		Disburse the sum on the receipt thereof.
l39l		Perchance I will be there as soon as you.
l40l	Angelo	Then you will bring the chain to her yourself?
l41l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	No, bear it with you, lest I come not time enough.
l42l	Angelo	Well, sir, I will. Have you the chain about you?
l43l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	An if I have not, sir, I hope you have#
l44l		Or else you may return without your money.
l45l	Angelo	Nay, come, I pray you, sir, give me the chain.
l46l		Both wind and tide stays for this gentleman,
l47l		And I, to blame, have held him here too long.
l48l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	Good Lord! You use this dalliance to excuse
l49l		Your breach of promise to the Porcupine.
l50l		I should have chid you for not bringing it,
l51l		But like a shrew you first begin to brawl.
l52l	Second Merchant	(to Angelo)
		 The hour steals on. I pray you, sir, dispatch.
l53l	Angelo	(to Antipholus)
		 You hear how he importunes me. The chain!
l54l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	Why, give it to my wife, and fetch your money.
l55l	Angelo	Come, come, you know I gave it you even now.
l56l		Either send the chain, or send me by some token.
l57l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	Fie, now you run this humour out of breath.
l58l		Come, where’s the chain? I pray you let me see it.
l59l	Second Merchant	My business cannot brook this dalliance.
l60l		Good sir, say whe’er you’ll answer me or no#
l61l		If not, I’ll leave him to the officer.
l62l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	I answer you? What should I answer you?
l63l	Angelo	The money that you owe me for the chain.
l64l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	I owe you none till I receive the chain.
l65l	Angelo	You know I gave it you half an hour since.
l66l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	You gave me none. You wrong me much to say so.
l67l	Angelo	You wrong me more, sir, in denying it.
l68l		Consider how it stands upon my credit.
l69l	Second Merchant	Well, officer, arrest him at my suit.
l70l	Officer	(to Angelo)
		 I do, and charge you in the Duke’s name to obey me.
l71l	Angelo	(to Antipholus)
		 This touches me in reputation.
l72l		Either consent to pay this sum for me,
l73l		Or I attach you by this officer.
l74l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	Consent to pay thee that I never had?
l75l		Arrest me, foolish fellow, if thou dar’st.
l76l	Angelo	Here is thy fee: arrest him, officer.
l77l		I would not spare my brother in this case
l78l		If he should scorn me so apparently.
l79l	Officer	(to Antipholus)
		 I do arrest you, sir. You hear the suit.
l80l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	I do obey thee till I give thee bail.
l81l		(To Angelo)
		 But, sirrah, you shall buy this sport as dear
l82l		As all the metal in your shop will answer.
l83l	Angelo	Sir, sir, I shall have law in Ephesus,
l84l		To your notorious shame, I doubt it not.
		(Enter Dromio of Syracuse, from the bay)
l85l	Dromio Of Syracuse	 Master, there’s a barque of Epidamnum
l86l		That stays but till her owner comes aboard,
l87l		And then she bears away. Our freightage, sir,
l88l		I have conveyed aboard, and I have bought
l89l		The oil, the balsamum, and aqua-vitae.
l90l		The ship is in her trim# the merry wind
l91l		Blows fair from land. They stay for naught at all
l92l		But for their owner, master, and yourself.
l93l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	How now? A madman? Why, thou peevish sheep,
l94l		What ship of Epidamnum stays for me?
l95l	Dromio Of Syracuse	A ship you sent me to, to hire waftage.
l96l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	Thou drunken slave, I sent thee for a rope,
l97l		And told thee to what purpose and what end.
l98l	Dromio Of Syracuse	You sent me for a rope|s end as soon.
l99l		You sent me to the bay, sir, for a barque.
l100l	Antipholus Of Ephesus	I will debate this matter at more leisure,
l101l		And teach your ears to list me with more heed.
l102l		To Adriana, villain, hie thee straight.
l103l		Give her this key, and tell her in the desk
l104l		That’s covered o’er with Turkish tapestry
l105l		There is a purse of ducats. Let her send it.
l106l		Tell her I am arrested in the street,
l107l		And that shall bail me. Hie thee, slave. Be gone!—
l108l		On, officer, to prison, till it come.
		(Exeunt all but Dromio of Syracuse)
l109l	Dromio Of Syracuse	 To Adriana. That is where we dined,
l110l		Where Dowsabel did claim me for her husband.
l111l		She is too big, I hope, for me to compass.
l112l		Thither I must, although against my will#
l113l		For servants must their masters’ minds fulfil.
		(Exit)