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 |
