The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare (find a book to read txt) 📕

the fellow finds his vein
And yielding to him humours well his frenzy. Antipholus of Ephesus Thou hast suborn’d the goldsmith to arrest me. Adriana

Alas, I sent you money to redeem you,
By Dromio here, who came in haste for it.

Dromio of Ephesus

Money by me! heart and good-will you might;
But surely, master, not a rag of money.

Antipholus of Ephesus Went’st not thou to her for a purse of ducats? Adriana He came to me and I deliver’d it. Luciana And I am witness with her that she did. Dromio of Ephesus

God and the rope-maker bear me witness
That I was sent for nothing but a rope!

Pinch

Mistress, both man and master is possess’d;
I know it by their pale and deadly looks:
They must be bound and laid in some dark room.

Antipholus of Ephesus

Say, wherefore didst thou lock me forth today?
And why dost thou deny the bag of gold?

Adriana I did not, gentle husband, lock thee forth. Dromio of Ephesus

And, gentle master, I received no gold;
But I confess, sir, that we were lock’d out.

Adriana Dissembling villain, thou speak’st false in both. Antipholus of Ephesus

Dissembling harlot, thou art false in all
And art confederate with a damned pack
To make a loathsome abject scorn of me:
But with these nails I’ll pluck out these false eyes
That would behold in me this shameful sport.

Enter three or four, and offer to bind him. He strives. Adriana O, bind him, bind him! let him not come near me. Pinch More company! The fiend is strong within him. Luciana Ay me, poor man, how pale and wan he looks! Antipholus of Ephesus

What, will you murder me? Thou gaoler, thou,
I am thy prisoner: wilt thou suffer them
To make a rescue?

Officer

Masters, let him go:
He is my prisoner, and you shall not have him.

Pinch Go bind this man, for he is frantic too. They offer to bind Dromio of Ephesus. Adriana

What wilt thou do, thou peevish officer?
Hast thou delight to see a wretched man
Do outrage and displeasure to himself?

Officer

He is my prisoner: if I let him go,
The debt he owes will be required of me.

Adriana

I will discharge thee ere I go from thee:
Bear me forthwith unto his creditor
And, knowing how the debt grows, I will pay it.
Good master doctor, see him safe convey’d
Home to my house. O most unhappy day!

Antipholus of Ephesus O most unhappy strumpet! Dromio of Ephesus Master, I am here entered in bond for you. Antipholus of Ephesus Out on thee, villain! wherefore dost thou mad me? Dromio of Ephesus Will you be bound for nothing? be mad, good master: cry, “The devil!” Luciana God help, poor souls, how idly do they talk! Adriana

Go bear him hence. Sister, go you with me. Exeunt all but Adriana, Luciana, Officer, and Courtesan.
Say now, whose suit is he arrested at?

Officer One Angelo, a goldsmith: do you know him? Adriana I know the man. What is the sum he owes? Officer Two hundred ducats. Adriana Say, how grows it due? Officer Due for a chain your husband had of him. Adriana He did bespeak a chain for me, but had it not. Courtesan

When as your husband all in rage today
Came to my house and took away my ring⁠—
The ring I saw upon his finger now⁠—
Straight after did I meet him with a chain.

Adriana

It may be so, but I did never see it.
Come, gaoler, bring me where the goldsmith is:
I long to know the truth hereof at large.

Enter Antipholus of Syracuse with his rapier drawn, and Dromio of Syracuse. Luciana God! for thy mercy! they are loose again. Adriana

And come with naked swords.
Let’s call more help to have them bound again.

Officer Away! they’ll kill us. Exeunt all but Antipholus of Syracuse and Dromio of Syracuse. Antipholus of Syracuse I see these witches are afraid of swords. Dromio of Syracuse She that would be your wife now ran from you. Antipholus of Syracuse

Come to the Centaur; fetch our stuff from thence:
I long that we were safe and sound aboard.

Dromio of Syracuse Faith, stay here this night; they will surely do us no harm: you saw they speak us fair, give us gold: methinks they are such a gentle nation that, but for the mountain of mad flesh that claims marriage of me, I could find in my heart to stay here still and turn witch. Antipholus of Syracuse

I will not stay tonight for all the town;
Therefore away, to get our stuff aboard. Exeunt.

Act V Scene I

A street before a Priory.

Enter Second Merchant and Angelo. Angelo

I am sorry, sir, that I have hinder’d you;
But, I protest, he had the chain of me,
Though most dishonestly he doth deny it.

Second Merchant How is the man esteem’d here in the city? Angelo

Of very reverend reputation, sir,
Of credit infinite, highly beloved,
Second to none that lives here in the city:
His word might bear my wealth at any time.

Second Merchant Speak softly: yonder, as I think, he walks. Enter Antipholus of Syracuse and Dromio of Syracuse. Angelo

’Tis so; and that self chain about his neck
Which he forswore most monstrously to have.
Good sir, draw near to me, I’ll speak to him.
Signior Antipholus, I wonder much
That you would put me to this shame and trouble;
And, not without some scandal to yourself,
With circumstance and oaths so to deny
This chain which now you wear so openly:
Beside the charge, the shame, imprisonment,
You have done wrong to this my honest friend,
Who, but for staying on our controversy,
Had hoisted sail and put to sea today:
This chain you had of me; can you deny it?

Antipholus of Syracuse I think I had; I never did deny it. Second Merchant Yes, that you did, sir, and forswore it too. Antipholus of Syracuse Who heard me to deny it or forswear it? Second Merchant

These ears of mine, thou know’st, did hear thee.
Fie on thee, wretch! ’tis pity that thou livest
To walk where any honest men resort.

Antipholus of