Dro. S. Marry, Sir, besides myself, I am due to a woman; one that claims me, one that haunts me, one that will have me.

Ant. S. What claim lays she to thee?

Dro. S. Marry, Sir, such claim as you would lay to your horse; and she would have me as a beast: not that, I being a beast, she would have me; but that she, being a very beastly creature, lays claim to me.

Ant. S. What is she?

Dro. S. A very reverent body; ay, such a one as a man may not speak of, without he say, sirreverence: I have but lean luck in the match, and yet is she a wondrous fat marriage.

Ant. S. How dost thou mean, a fat marriage? Dro. S. Marry, Sir, she's the kitchen-wench, and all grease; and I know not what use to put her to, but to make a lamp of her, and run from her by her own light. I warrant, her rags, and the tallow in them, will burn a Poland winter: if she lives till doomsday, she'll burn a week longer than the whole world.

Ant. S. What complexion is she of?

Dro. S.

Swart, like my shoe, but her face nothing like so clean kept: For why? she sweats, a man may go over shoes in the grime of it. Ant. S. That's a fault that water will mend. Dr. S. No, Sir, 'tis in grain; Noah's flood could not do it.

Dro. E. Nell, Sir: but her name and three quarters, that is, an ell and three quarters, will not measure her from hip to hip.

Ant. S. Then she bears some breadth?

Dro. No longer from head to foot, than from

hip to hip: she is sperical, like a globe; I could find out countrics in her.

Ant. S. In what part of her body stands Ire land?

Dro. S. Marry, Sir, in her buttocks; I found it out by the bogs.

Dro. S. I found it by the barrenness; hard, in the palm of the hand.

Dro. S. In her forehead; arm'd and reverted, making war against her hair.

Ant. S.

Where England?

Dro. S. I look'd for the chalky cliffs, but I could find no whiteness in them: but I guess, it stood in her chin, by the salt rheum that ran between France and it.

Ant. S. Where Spain?

Dro. S. Faith, I saw it not; but I felt it, hot in her breath.

Ant. S. Where America, the Indies?

Dro. S. O, Sir, upon her nose, all o'er embellish'd with rubies, carbuncles, sapphires, declining their rich aspect to the hot breath of Spain; who scnt whole armadas of carracks to be ballast at

her nose.

Ant. S.

Where stood Belgia, the Netherlands?

Dro. S. O, Sir, I did not look so low. Το conclude, this drudge, or diviner, laid claim to me; call'd me Dromio; swore, I was assur'd to her; told me what privy marks I had about me, as the mark on my shoulder, the mole in my neck, the great wart on my left arm, that I, amazed, ran from her as a witch: and, I think, if my breast had not been made of faith, and my heart of steel,

she had transform'd me to a curtail-dog, and made

Ant. S. Go, hie thee presently, post to the

road;

And if the wind blow any way from shore,
I will not harbour in this town to-night.
If any baik put forth, come to the mart,
Where I will walk, till thou return to me.
If every one know us, and we know none,
'Tis time, I think, to trudge, pack, and be gone.
Dro. S. As from a bear a man would run for

life,

So fly I from her that would be my wife. [Exit. 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 to 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;

I thought to have ta'en you at the Porcupine:
The chain unfinish'd made me stay thus long.
Ant. S. What is your will, that I shall do
with this?

Ang. What please yourself, Sir; I have made it for 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 his, 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
To Persia, and want gilders for my voyage:

Therefore make present satisfaction,

Or I'll attach you by this officer.

Ang. 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 boud, and thank you too.

Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Ephesus, and DROMIO, of Ephesus.

Off. That labour may you save; shee where he

comes.

Ant. E. While I go to the goldsmith's house, go thou

Ant 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.
Dro. E. I buy a thousand pound a year! I buy
a rope! [Exit DROMIO.
Ant. E. 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.
Ang. Saving your merry humour, here's the

note,

How much your chain weighs to the utmost carrat;

The fineness of the gold, and chargeful fashion; Which doth amount to three odd ducats more