But this I think, there's no man is fo vain,
That would refufe fo fair an offer'd chain.
I fee, a man here needs not live by fhifts,
When in the streets he meets fuch golden gifts:
I'll to the mart, and there for Dromio ftay;
If any hip put out, then ftrait away.

A CT IV.

SCENE I.

The STREET.

Enter a Merchant, Angelo, and an Officer.

MERCHANT.

OU know, fince Pentecoft the fum is due

You
And fince I have not much importun'd you;

Nor now I had not, but that I am bound
To Perfia, and want gilders for my voyage:
Therefore make prefent fatisfaction;

Or I'll attach you by this officer.

Ang. Ev'n juft the fum, that I do owe to you, Is growing to me by Antiphalis ;

And, in the inftant that I met with you,

He had of me a chain: at five o'clock,
I fhall receive the money for the fame :
Pleafe you but walk with me down to his houfe,
I will discharge my bond, and thank you too.

[Exit.

Enter Antipholis of Ephefus, and Dromio of Ephefus, as from the Courtezan's.

Off. That labour you may fave fee where he comes.

2

E. Ant. While I go to the goldfmith's houfe, go thou
And buy a rope's end; that I will bestow
Among my wife and her confederates,

For locking me out of my doors by day.
But foft, I fee the goldfmith: get thee gone,
Buy thou a rope, and bring it home to me.

E. Dro. I buy a thoufand pound a year! I buy a?

rope!

E. Ant. A man is well holp up, that trufts to you: I promifed your prefence, and the chain:

But neither chain, nor goldfmith, came to me:
Belike, you thought, our love would last too long
If it were chain'd together; 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, the chargeful fashion;
Which do amount to three odd ducats more,
Than I stand debted to this gentleman;
I pray you, fee him prefently discharg'd;
For he is bound to fea, and ftays but for it.
E. n. I am not furnish'd with the prefent money
Befides, I have some business in the town;
Good Signior, take the ftranger to my houfe,
And with you take the chain, and bid
my wife
Difburfe the fum on the receipt thereof;
Perchance, I will be there as foon as you.

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

Ang. Well, Sir,, I will: have you the chain about you? E. Ant. 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 ftay for this gentleman;

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

E. Ant. Good Lord, you ùfe this dalliance to excufe Your breach of promise to the Porcupine:

brawl.

I fhould have chid you for not bringing it;
But, like a fhrew, you first begin
to braw
Mer. The hour fteals on; I pray you, Sir, difpatch.
Ang. You hear, how he importunes me; the chain-
E. Ant. Why, give it my wife, and fetch your money.
Ang. Come, come, you know, I gave it ey'n now.
Or fend the chain, or fend me by fome token.

you

me

E.. Ang. Fy, now you run this humour out of breath. Come, where's the chain? I pray you let fee it. Mer. My bufinefs cannot brook this dalliance: Good Sir, fay, whe'r you'll answer me or no: If not, I'll leave him to the officer..

E. Ant..

E. Ant. I answer you? why fhould I anfwer you?
Ang. The money, that you owe me for the chain.
E. Ant. I owe you none, 'till I receive the chain.
Ang. You know, I gave it you half an hour fince.
E. Ant. You gave me none; you wrong me much to
fay fo.

Ang. You wrong me more, Sir, in denying it;
Confider, how it ftands upon my credit.

Mer. Well, officer, arreft him

at my

fuit.

Offi. I do, and charge you in the Duke's name to obey me.

Ang. This touches me in reputation. Either confent to pay the fum for me, Or I attach you by this officer.,

E. Ant. Confent to pay for that I never had!
Arreft me, foolish fellow, if thou dar'ft.

Ang. Here is thy fee; arreft him, officer;
I would not fpare my brother in this cafe,
If he fhould fcorn me fo apparently.

Off. I do arreft you, Sir; you hear the fuit.
E. Ant. I do obey thee, 'till I give thee bail.
But, Sirrah, you fhall buy this fport as dear
As all the metal in your fhop will answer.

Ang. Sir, Sir, I fhall have law in Ephefus,
To your notorious fhame, I doubt it not.

SCENE II.

Enter Dromio of Syracufe, from the Bay.

S. Dro. Mafter, there's a bark of Epidamnum,
That ftays but 'fill her owner comes aboard;
Then, Sir, the bears away. Our fraughtage, Sir,.
I have convey'd aboard; and I have bought
The Oil, the Balfamum, and Aqua-vita.
The fhip is in her trim; the merry wind
Blows fair from land; they ftay for nought at all,
But for their owner, mafter, and yourfelf.

E. Ant. How now! a mad man! why, thou peevish

fheep,

What fhip of Epidamnum ftays for me?

S. Dro. A fhip you fent me to, to hire waftage.

E. Ant. Thou drunken flave, I fent thee for a rope; And told thee to what purpofe, and what end.

S. Dro. You fent me for a rope's-end as foon:
You fent me to the bay, Sir, for a bark.

E. Ant. I will debate this matter at more leifure,
And teach your ears to lift me with more heed.
To Adriana, villain, hie thee ftrait,
Give her this key, and tell her, in the desk
That's cover'd o'er with Turkish tapestry,
There is a purfe of ducats, let her fend it:
Tell her, I am arrested in the street,

And that shall bail me; hie thee, flave; be gone:
On, officer, to prifon 'till it come.

S. Dro. To Adriana! that is where we din'd,
Where Dowfabel did claim me for a husband;
She is too big, I hope, for me to compafs..
Thither I muft, altho' againft my will,
For fervants must their master's minds fulfil.

SCENE III.

Changes to E. Antipholis's Houfe.

Enter Adriana and Luciana.

Exeunt.

[Exit.

Adr. Ah, Luciana, did he tempt thee so? Might'ft thou perceive aufterely in his eye That he did plead in earneft, yea or no? Look'd he or red or pale, or fad or merrily? What obfervation mad'st thou in this cafe, Of his heart's meteors tilting in his face (2)? Luc. First he deny'd- You had in him no right. Adr. He meant, he did n Ime none, the more my fpight. Luc. Then fwore he, that he was a stranger here. Adr. And true he fwore, tho' yet forfworn he were,

(2)

meteors tilting in bis face ?] Alluding to those meteors in the sky, which have the appearance of lines of armies meeting in the thock. To this appearance he compares civil wars in another place.

Which, like the meteors of a troubled beav'n,

All of one nature, of one fubflance bred,

Did lately meet in the inteftine fback,

And furious clofe of civil butchery.

WARBURTON.

Luc

Luc. Then pleaded I for you.

Adr. And what faid he ?

Luc. That love I begg'd for you, he begg'd of me. Adr. With what perfuafion did he tempt thy love? Luc. With words, that in an honeft fuit might move. Firft, he did praife my beauty, then my speech. Adr. Did'lt fpeak him fair?

Luc. Have patience, I beseech.

Adr. I cannot, nor I will not, hold me ftill My tongue, though not my heart, fhall have its will. He is deformed, crooked, old and * fere, Ill-fac'd, worfe-body'd, fhapelefs every where ; Vicious, ungentle, foolish, blunt, unkind, Stigmatical in making, worfe in mind.

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

Adr. Ah! but I think him better than I fay,

And yet, would herein others' eyes were worfe :

For from her neft the lapwing cries away;

My heart prays for him, tho' my tongue do curfe.I

SCENE IV.

Enter Dromio of Syracufe.

S. Dro. Here, go: the defk, the purfe; fweet now make hafte.

Luc. How haft thou loft thy breath?

S. Dro. By running faft.

Adr. Where is thy mafter, Dromio is he well?

S. Dro. No, he's in Tartar Limbo, worfe than hell;

A devil in an everlasting garment hath him,

One, whofe hard heart is button'd up w
up with fteel:
A fiend, a fairy, pitilefs and rough (3),

*Sere, that is, dry, withered.

of Stigmatical in making] That is, marked or ftigmatized by nature with deformity, as a token of his vicious difpofition.

(3) A Fiend, a Fairy, pitiless and rough,] Dromio here bringing word in hafte that his Mafter is arrefted, defcribes the Bailiff by Names proper to raife Horror and Deteftation of fuch a Creature, fuch as, a Devil, a Fiend, a Wolf, &c. But how does Fairy