Comedy of Errors: Act 4

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DROMIO OF EPHESUS
Money by me! heart and goodwill 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 to-day?
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 Courtezan

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.

Courtezan
When as your husband all in rage to-day
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 to-night for all the town;
Therefore away, to get our stuff aboard.

Exeunt

 

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