Ant. S. There's none but witches do inhabit here; And therefore 'tis high time that I were hence. She, that doth call me husband, even my soul Doth for a wife abhor: but her fair sister, Possess'd with such a gentle sovereign grace, Of such enchanting presence and discourse, Hath almost made me traitor to myself: But, lest myself be guilty of self-wrong, I'll stop mine ears against the mermaid's song. Enter ANGELO. Ang. Master Antipholus? Ant. S. Ay, that 's my name. Ang. I know it well, sir: Lo, here is the chain; Ant. S. What is your will, that I shall do with this? you. Ant. S. Made it for me, sir! I bespoke it not. Ang. Not once, nor twice, but twenty times you have: Go home with it, and please your wife withal; And soon at supper-time I'll visit you, And then receive my money for the chain. Ant. S. I pray you, sir, receive the money now, For fear you ne'er see chain, nor money, more. Ang. You are a merry man, sir; fare you well. [Exit. Ant. S. What I should 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 see, a man here needs not live by shifts, When in the streets he meets such golden gifts. I'll to the mart, and there for Dromio stay; If any ship put out, then straight away. [Exit. ACT IV..... SCENE I. The same. Enter a Merchant, ANGELO, and an Officer. Mer. You know, since pentecost the sum is due, And since I have not much impórtun'd you; Nor now I had not, but that I am bound Or I'll attach you by this officer. Ang. Even just the sum, that I do owe to you, I shall receive the money for the same: Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Ephesus, and DROMIO of Ephesus. Offi. That labour may you save; see where he comes. Ant. E. 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,5 For locking me out of my doors by day.— Dro. E. I buy a thousand pound a year! I buy a rope! [Exit DRO. Ant. E. A man is well holp up, that trusts to you: I pray you, see him presently discharg'd, Ant. E. I am not furnish'd with the present money; Besides, I have some business in the town: 3 want gilders —] A gilder is a coin valued from one shilling and six-pence, to two shillings. Steevens. 4 Is growing to me —] i. e. accruing to me. 5 rates. Steevens. and her confederates,] The old copy has-their confedeThe emendation was made by Mr. Rowe. Malone. Good signior, take the stranger to my house, Ang. Then you will bring the chain to her yourself? enough. Ang. Well, sir, I will: Have you the chain about you? Ant. E. 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 stays for this gentleman, And I, to blame, have held him here too long. I should have chid you for not bringing it, Mer. The hour steals on; I pray you, sir despatch. money. Ang. Come, come, you know, I gave it you even now; Either send the chain, or send me by some token. Ant. E. Fy! now you run this humour out of breath: Ant. E. I answer you! What should I answer you? Ang. You wrong me more, sir, in denying it: Mer. Well officer, arrest him at my suit. Offi. I do; and charge you, in the duke's name, to obey me. 6 Perchance, I will be there as soon as you.] I will, instead of F shall, is a Scoticism. Douce. And an Irishism too. Reed. Ang. This touches me in reputation:- Ant. E. Consent to pay thee that I never had! Ang. Here is thy fee; arrest him officer;- Offi. I do arrest you, sir; you hear the suit. Enter DROMIO of Syracuse. Dro. S. Master, there is a bark of Epidamnum, Ant. E. How now! a madman? Why thou peevish sheep,8 What ship of Epidamnum stays for me? Dro. S. A ship you sent me to, to hire waftage. Ant. E. Thou drunken slave, I sent thee for a rope; And told thee to what purpose, and what end. Dro. S. You sent me, sir, for a rope's-end as soon:9 You sent me to the bay, sir, for a bark. Ant. E. I will debate this matter at more leisure, 7 And then, sir, bears away:] The old copy redundantly readsAnd then, sir, she bears away. Steevens. thou peevish sheep,] Peevish is silly. So, in Cymbeline: "Desire my man's abode where I did leave him: "He's strange and peevish" Steevens. 9 You sent me, sir, for a rope's-end as soon:] I suppose, a word has been casually omitted in the old copy, and that we should read as I have printed. So, above, the same speaker says "And then, sir, bears away: our fraughtage, sir, -" Steevens And teach your ears to listen with more heed. Give her this key, and tell her, in the desk And that shall bail me: hie thee, slave; be gone. [Exeunt Mer. ANG. Offi. and ANT. E. SCENE II. The same. Enter ADRIANA and LUCIANA. Adr. Ah, Luciana, did he tempt thee so? Might'st thou perceive austerely in his eye That he did plead in earnest, yea or no? [Exit. Look'd he or red, or pale; or sad, or merrily? What observation mad'st thou in this case, Of his heart's meteors tilting in his face?1 Luc. First, he denied you had in him no right. 1 - meteors tilting in his face?] Alluding to those meteors in the sky, which have the appearance of lines of armies meeting in the shock. To this appearance he compares civil wars in another place-King Henry IV, P. I, sc. i: "Which like the meteors of a troubled heaven, "All of one nature, of one substance bred, "Did lately meet in the intestine shock "And furious close of civil butchery." Warburton. The allusion is more clearly explained by the following comparison in the second Book of Paradise Lost: "As when, to warn proud cities, war appears "Wag'd in the troubled sky, and armies rush "Prick forth the aery knights, and couch their spears "From either end of heaven the welkin burns." Steevens. The original copy reads-Oh, his heart's meteors, &c. The correction was made in the second folio. Malone. |