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- $Unique_ID{SSP00157}
- $Title{The Comedy of Errors: Act IV, Scene I}
- $Author{Shakespeare, William}
- $Subject{}
- $Log{Dramatis Personae*00150.txt}
-
- Portions copyright (c) CMC ReSearch, Inc., 1989
-
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
-
- THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
-
-
- 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,
- 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 labor may you save: see where he comes.
-
- ANTIPHOLUS
- OF EPHESUS: 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. 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,
- If it were chain'd together, and therefore came not.
-
- ANGELO: Saving your merry humor, 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- Either send the chain or send me by some token.
-
- ANTIPHOLUS
- OF EPHESUS: Fie, now you run this humor 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.
-
- 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.
-
- 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
- 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.
-
- 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:
- 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.]
-