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Dramatis Personae
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/ Home / Library / Complete Shakespeare / The Comedy of Errors / Act IV Scene I
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The Comedy of Errors: Act 4 Scene 1
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
- 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 labour 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.
- 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 humour, 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
- 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?
- 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,
- 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 humour 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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
- 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:
- 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]
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