Enter a Second Merchant, Angelo the Goldsmith,
and an Officer. SECOND MERCHANT, to Angelo
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, 5
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. | At the marketplace in Ephesus, Angelo the goldsmith talks with a merchant. Apparently, Angelo owes him some money, and the Merchant wants to collect it before he sets sail to Persia. Angelo expects to pay off the Merchant with the money he’ll get from E. Antipholus, who he thinks owes him for Adriana’s necklace...which he would, if Angelo hadn't just given the necklace to S. Antipholus. |
Enter Antipholus of Ephesus and Dromio of
Ephesus from the Courtesan’s. OFFICER
That labor may you save. See where he comes. ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS, to Dromio of Ephesus
While I go to the goldsmith’s house, go thou 15
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! Dromio exits. ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS, to Angelo
A man is well holp up that trusts to you!
I promisèd your presence and the chain,
But neither chain nor goldsmith came to me.
Belike you thought our love would last too long 25
If it were chained together, and therefore came not. ANGELO, handing a paper to Antipholus of Ephesus
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 furnished with the present money.
Besides, I have some business in the town. 35
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. 45
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, to Angelo
The hour steals on. I pray you, sir, dispatch. ANGELO, to Antipholus of Ephesus
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. 55
Either send the chain, or send by me some token. ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
Fie, now you run this humor out of breath.
Come, where’s the chain? I pray you, let me see it. SECOND MERCHANT
My business cannot brook this dalliance.
Good sir, say whe’er 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. 65 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, to Angelo
I do, and charge you in the Duke’s name to obey 70
me. ANGELO, to Antipholus of Ephesus
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?— 75
Arrest me, foolish fellow, if thou dar’st. ANGELO, to Officer
Here is thy fee. Arrest him, officer. Giving money.
I would not spare my brother in this case
If he should scorn me so apparently. OFFICER, to Antipholus of Ephesus
I do arrest you, sir. You hear the suit. 80 ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
I do obey thee till I give thee bail.
To Angelo. But, sirrah, you shall buy this sport as
dear
As all the metal in your shop will answer. ANGELO
Sir, sir, I shall have law in Ephesus, 85
To your notorious shame, I doubt it not. | E. Antipholus and E. Dromio enter the scene, having just left the Porpentine. E. Antipholus has arrived, expecting to collect the necklace from Angelo, who never showed up with it at the Porpentine. He sends E. Dromio off to buy some rope and then chides Angelo for not showing up at the Porpentine with the necklace. A squabble ensues, where it becomes clear that neither man has the necklace. Angelo insists he gave it to Antipholus not half an hour ago (which he did), but E. Antipholus insists he got no such thing (becuase he didn’t). Are you following this? Payment for the chain is increasingly important, as the Merchant can't sail until Angelo pays him, and Angelo needs to get the money from Antipholus first. Ultimately, the Merchant calls for E. Antipholus to be arrested. Though Angelo regrets it, as he isn’t getting paid, he corroborates with the Merchant to get E. Antipholus jailed. Needless to say, E. Antipholus is angry and confused. |
Enter Dromio of Syracuse from the bay. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
Master, there’s a bark of Epidamium
That stays but till her owner comes aboard,
And then, sir, she bears away. Our fraughtage, sir,
I have conveyed aboard, and I have bought 90
The oil, the balsamum, and aqua vitae.
The ship is in her trim; the merry wind
Blows fair from land. They stay for naught at all
But for their owner, master, and yourself. ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
How now? A madman? Why, thou peevish sheep, 95
What ship of Epidamium 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. 100
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.
He gives a key.
Give her this key, and tell her in the desk 105
That’s covered 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. Begone.—
On, officer, to prison till it come. 110 All but Dromio of Syracuse exit. 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 fulfill. 115 He exits. | Time for another Dromio-imbroglio. S. Dromio arrives, mistakes E. Antipholus for his master, and informs him that he’s secured the ship to get out of Ephesus. E. Antipholus curses S. Dromio for talking nonsense (again), and then gives him instructions to go to Adriana and get money for his bail. As the jailer runs off with E. Antipholus, S. Dromio is left to wonder why he’s instructed to go back to the awful place where they had dinner. Still, he follows E. Antipholus’s instructions, because he knows his place as a servant. |