Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

S. Ant. Then she bears fome breadth?

S. Dro. No longer from head to foot, than from hip to hip; she is sperical, like a globe: I could find out countries in her. S. Ant. In what part of her body stands Ireland?

S. Dro. Marry, fir, in her buttocks; I found it out by the bogs. S. Ant. Where Scotland?

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

S. Ant. Where France?

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

a

S. Ant. Where England?

S. Dro. 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 falt rheum that ran between France and it.

S. Ant. Where Spain?

S. Dro. 'Faith, I faw it not, but I felt it hot in her breath. S. Ant. Where America, the Indies?

S. Dro. O, fir, upon her nose, all o'er embellish'd with rubies, carbuncles, faphires, declining their rich aspect to the hot breath of Spain, who fent whole armadoes of caracks to be ballaft at her nose.

S. Ant. Where ftood Belgia, the Netherlands?

S. Dro. O, fir, I did not look fo low. To conclude, this drudge, or diviner, lay'd claim to me, call'd me Dromio, fwore I was affur'd to her, told me what privy marks I had about me, as, the marks of my shoulder, the mole in my neck, the great wart on my left arm, that I amaz'd ran from her as a witch. And, I think, if my breaft had not been made of flint, and my heart of steel, she had transform'd me to a cur-tail dog, and made me turn i' th' wheel.

S. Ant. Go, hie thee presently; poft to the road;.

And if the wind blow any way from shore,

I will not harbour in this town to-night.

1 A jingle intended between the words hair and heir; France being then in arms against the he'r of the crown Henry IV.

If

If any bark put forth, come to the mart;
Where I will walk 'till thou return to me:
If every one knows us, and we know none,
'Tis time, I think, to trudge, pack, and be gone.
S. Dro. As from a bear a man would run for life,
So fly I from her that would be my wife.

SCENE IV.

S. Ant. There's none but witches do inhabit here;
And therefore 'tis high time that I were hence:
She that doth call me hufband, even my foul
Doth for a wife abhor. But her fair fifter,
Poffefs'd with fuch a gentle fovereign grace,
Of fuch enchanting prefence and discourse,
Hath almost made me traitor to myself:
But left myself be guilty of felf-wrong,
I'll stop mine ears against the mermaid's song.

Enter Angelo, with a chain.

Ang. Mafter Antipholis !

S. Ant. Ay, that's my name.

Ang. I know it well, fir; lo, here is the chain

I thought t' have ta'en you at the porcupine;

The chain unfinish'd made me stay thus long.

;

[Exit.

S. Ant. What is your will that I fhall do with this? Ang. What please yourself, fir; I have made it for you. S. Ant. Made it for me, fir! I bespoke it not.

Ang. Not once, nor twice, but twenty times you have: Go home with it, and please your wife withal; And foon at fupper-time I'll vifit you,

And then receive my money for the chain.

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.
S. Ant. What I fhould think of this, I cannot tell:

[Exit.

But

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 fuch golden gifts:
I'll to the mart, and there for Dromio ftay;
If any ship put out, then straight away.

[Exit.

You

[blocks in formation]

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. Ev'n juft the fum that I do owe to you,
Is owing to me by Antipholis ;

And, in the inftant that I met with you,
He had of me a chain: at five o'clock

I shall 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 Antiph. Eph. and Dro. Eph. as from the courtezan's.
Offi. That labour you may fave: see, where he comes.
E. Ant. While I go to the goldfmith's house, go thou
And buy a rope's end; that I will bestow

Among my wife and her confederates,
For locking me out of my doors to-day.
VOL. I.

Fff

But,

But, soft; I see 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 trufts to you:
I promised your prefence, and the chain:
But neither chain nor goldfmith came to me:
Belike, you thought, our love would last too long
If it were chain'd together; therefore came not.

Ang. Saving your merry humour, here's the note,
How much your chain weighs to the utmost carat,
The fineness of the gold, the chargeful fashion,
Which doth amount to three odd ducats more
Than I ftand debted to this gentleman;

I pray you, fee him presently discharg'd;
For he is bound to fea, and stays but for it.

E. Ant. I am not furnish'd with the present money;

Befides, I have fome business 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 yourself?
E. Ant. No; bear it with you, left I come not in time.
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 the gentleman;

And I, to blame, have held him here too long.

E. Ant. Good lord, you use this dalliance to excuse
Your breach of promise to the porcupine:
I should have chid you for not bringing it;
But, like a fhrew, you firft begin to brawl.
Mer. The hour teals on; I pray you, fir, dispatch.
Ang. You hear how he importunes me; the chain.

E. Ant.

E. Ant. Why, give it to my wife, and fetch your money. Ang. Come, come; you know, I gave it you ev'n now. Or fend the chain, or fend me by some token.

E. Ant. Fie, 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, if 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 fay fo.
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. This touches me in reputation.
Either consent to pay the sum for me,

Or I attach you by this officer.

E. Ant. Confent to pay for that I never had!
Arrest me, foolish fellow, if thou dar'ft.

Ang. Here is thy fee; arreft him, officer
I would not fpare my brother in this cafe,
If he should fcorn me fo apparently.

[ocr errors]

Offi. I do arrest you, fir; you hear the fuit.
E. Ant. I do obey thee 'till I give thee bail.
But, firrah, you shall buy this sport as dear
As all the metal in your fhop will answer.

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

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »