S. Ant. I pray you, fir, receive the money now, For fear you ne'er fee chain nor money more. Ang. You are a merry man, fir: fare you well.

[Exit.

S. Ant. What I fhould 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 fee, a man here needs not live by shifts, When in the streets he meets fuch golden gifts. I'll to the mart, and there for Dromio stay; If any ship put out, then strait away.

[Exit.

ACT IV. SCENE I.

THE STREET.

Enter a Merchant, Angelo, and an Officer.

You

MERCHANT.

OU know, fince Pentecoft the fum is due,
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. Even juft the fum, that I do owe to you,
Is growing to me by Antipholis :
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:
Please you but walk with me down to his house,
I will discharge my bond, and thank you too.

Enter

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

Off. That labour you may fave fee where he

comes:

E. Ant. While I go to the goldfmith'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, fot, I fee the goldfmith: get thee gone;
Buy thou a rope, and bring it home to me.

E. Dro. I buy a thousand pound a year! I buy a
rope!
[Exit Dromio.
E. Ant. A man is well holp up, that trusts to you:
I promised your prefence, 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 utmoft carrat;
The fineness of the gold, and chargeful fashion;
Which do amount to three odd ducats more,
Than I ftand debted to this gentleman:

I pray you, fee him prefently difcharg'd;
For he is bound to fea, and ftays but for it.

E. Ant. I am not furnish'd with the prefent money;
Befides, I have fome bufinefs in the town:
Good fignior, take the stranger to my house,
And with you take the chain, and bid my wife
Disburse the fum on the receipt thereof;
Perchance, I will be there as foon as you.

Ang. Then you will bring the chain to her your

felf?

E. Ant. No; bear it with you, left I come not

time enough.

Arg.

Ang. Well, fir, I will: Have you the chain about

you?

E. Ant. An if I have not, fir, I hope you have; Or else you may return without your money.

Ang. Nay, come, I pray you, fir, 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 use this dalliance to excuse
Your breach of promite to the Porcupine:
I fhould have chid you for not bringing it;
But, like a fhrew, you firft begin to brawl.

Mer. The hour steals on; I pray you, fir, dispatch.
Ang. You hear, how he importunes me; the

chain

E. Ant. Why, give it to my wife, and fetch your

money.

Ang. Come, come, you know, I gave it you even

now.

Or fend the chain, or send me by fome token.

E. Ant. Fy, now you run this humour out of breath:

Come, where's the chain? I pray you, let me fee it.
Mer. My bufinefs cannot brook this dalliance:
Good fir, fay, whether you'll anfwer me, or no;
If not, I'll leave him to the officer.

E. Ant. I anfwer you! why should I answer 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 say so.

Ang. You wrong me more, fir, 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.

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 spare my brother in this cafe,
If he thould fcorn me fo apparently.

Offi. I do arreft you, fir; you hear the suit.
E. Ant. I do obey thee, till I give thee bail:-
But, firran, you shall buy this sport as dear
As all the metal in your fhop will answer.

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

Enter Dromio of Syracufe, from the bay. S. Dro. Mafter, there is a bark of Epidamnum, That ftays but till her owner comes aboard, Then, fir, fhe bears away. Our fraughtage, fir, I have convey'd aboard; and I have bought The oil, the balfamum, and aqua-vitæ. 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 yourself.

E. Ant. How now! a madman! 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 purpose, and what end.

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

There is a purfe of ducats; let her fend it;
Tell her, I am arrested in the street,
And that fhall bail me: hie thee, flave; be gone;
On, officer, to prifon 'till it come.
[Exeunt.
S. Dro. To Adriana! that is where we din'd,
Where Dowfabel did claim me for her husband:
She is too big, I hope, for me to compass.
Thither I muft, altho' against my will,

For fervants muft their mafter's minds fulfil. [Exit.

SCENE II.

Changes to the house of Antipholis of Ephefus.
Enter Adriana and Luciana.

Adr. Ah, Luciana, did he tempt thee fo?
Might'ft thou perceive aufterely in his eye
That he did plead in earnest, yea or no?
Look'd he or red, or pale; or fad, or merrily?
What obfervation mad'ft thou in this cafe,
Of his heart's meteors tilting in his face?

Luc. First he deny'd you had in him no right.
Adr. He meant, he did me none; the more my
fpight.

Luc. Then fwore he, that he was a stranger here. Adr. And true he fwore, though yet forfworn he

were.

Luc. Then pleaded I for you.

Adr. And what faid he?

meteors tilting in his face?] Alluding to thofe meteors in the fky, which have the appearance of lines of armies meeting in the fhock. 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 fubftance bred,

Did lately meet in the inteftine fhock

And furious clofe of civil butchery.

WARBURTON.

Luc.