The Comedy of Errors William Shakespeare (most read books TXT) 📖

a friend will save my life
And pay the sum that may deliver me. Duke Speak freely, Syracusian, what thou wilt. Aegeon

Is not your name, sir, call’d Antipholus?
And is not that your bondman, Dromio?

Dromio of Ephesus

Within this hour I was his bondman, sir,
But he, I thank him, gnaw’d in two my cords:
Now am I Dromio and his man unbound.

Aegeon I am sure you both of you remember me. Dromio of Ephesus

Ourselves we do remember, sir, by you;
For lately we were bound, as you are now.
You are not Pinch’s patient, are you, sir?

Aegeon Why look you strange on me? you know me well. Antipholus of Ephesus I never saw you in my life till now. Aegeon

O, grief hath changed me since you saw me last,
And careful hours with time’s deformed hand
Have written strange defeatures in my face:
But tell me yet, dost thou not know my voice?

Antipholus of Ephesus Neither. Aegeon Dromio, nor thou? Dromio of Ephesus No, trust me, sir, nor I. Aegeon I am sure thou dost. Dromio of Ephesus Ay, sir, but I am sure I do not; and whatsoever a man denies, you are now bound to believe him. Aegeon

Not know my voice! O time’s extremity,
Hast thou so crack’d and splitted my poor tongue
In seven short years, that here my only son
Knows not my feeble key of untuned cares?
Though now this grained face of mine be hid
In sap-consuming winter’s drizzled snow
And all the conduits of my blood froze up,
Yet hath my night of life some memory,
My wasting lamps some fading glimmer left,
My dull deaf ears a little use to hear:
All these old witnesses⁠—I cannot err⁠—
Tell me thou art my son Antipholus.

Antipholus of Ephesus I never saw my father in my life. Aegeon

But seven years since, in Syracusa, boy,
Thou know’st we parted: but perhaps, my son,
Thou shamest to acknowledge me in misery.

Antipholus of Ephesus

The duke and all that know me in the city
Can witness with me that it is not so:
I ne’er saw Syracusa in my life.

Duke

I tell thee, Syracusian, twenty years
Have I been patron to Antipholus,
During which time he ne’er saw Syracusa:
I see thy age and dangers make thee dote.

Re-enter Abbess, with Antipholus of Syracuse and Dromio of Syracuse. Abbess Most mighty duke, behold a man much wrong’d. All gather to see them. Adriana I see two husbands, or mine eyes deceive me. Duke

One of these men is Genius to the other;
And so of these. Which is the natural man,
And which the spirit? who deciphers them?

Dromio of Syracuse I, sir, am Dromio: command him away. Dromio of Ephesus I, sir, am Dromio: pray, let me stay. Antipholus of Syracuse Aegeon art thou not? or else his ghost? Dromio of Syracuse O, my old master! who hath bound him here? Abbess

Whoever bound him, I will loose his bonds
And gain a husband by his liberty.
Speak, old Aegeon, if thou be’st the man
That hadst a wife once call’d Aemilia
That bore thee at a burden two fair sons:
O, if thou be’st the same Aegeon, speak,
And speak unto the same Aemilia!

Aegeon

If I dream not, thou art Aemilia:
If thou art she, tell me where is that son
That floated with thee on the fatal raft?

Abbess

By men of Epidamnum he and I
And the twin Dromio all were taken up;
But by and by rude fishermen of Corinth
By force took Dromio and my son from them
And me they left with those of Epidamnum.
What then became of them I cannot tell;
I to this fortune that you see me in.

Duke

Why, here begins his morning story right:
These two Antipholuses, these two so like,
And these two Dromios, one in semblance⁠—
Besides her urging of her wreck at sea⁠—
These are the parents to these children,
Which accidentally are met together.
Antipholus, thou camest from Corinth first?

Antipholus of Syracuse No, sir, not I; I came from Syracuse. Duke Stay, stand apart; I know not which is which. Antipholus of Ephesus I came from Corinth, my most gracious lord⁠— Dromio of Ephesus And I with him. Antipholus of Ephesus

Brought to this town by that most famous warrior,
Duke Menaphon, your most renowned uncle.

Adriana Which of you two did dine with me today? Antipholus of Syracuse I, gentle mistress. Adriana And are not you my husband? Antipholus of Ephesus No; I say nay to that. Antipholus of Syracuse

And so do I; yet did she call me so:
And this fair gentlewoman, her sister here,
Did call me brother. To Luciana. What I told you then,
I hope I shall have leisure to make good;
If this be not a dream I see and hear.

Angelo That is the chain, sir, which you had of me. Antipholus of Syracuse I think it be, sir; I deny it not. Antipholus of Ephesus And you, sir, for this chain arrested me. Angelo I think I did, sir; I deny it not. Adriana

I sent you money, sir, to be your bail,
By Dromio; but I think he brought it not.

Dromio of Ephesus No, none by me. Antipholus of Syracuse

This purse of ducats I received from you
And Dromio my man did bring them me.
I see we still did meet each other’s man,
And I was ta’en for him, and he for me,
And thereupon these errors are arose.

Antipholus of Ephesus These ducats pawn I for my father here. Duke It shall not need; thy father hath his life. Courtesan Sir, I must have that diamond from you. Antipholus of Ephesus There, take it; and much thanks for my good cheer. Abbess

Renowned duke, vouchsafe to take the pains
To go with us into the abbey here
And hear at large discoursed all our fortunes:
And all that are assembled in this place,
That by this sympathized one day’s error
Have suffer’d wrong, go keep us company,
And we shall make full satisfaction.
Thirty-three years have I but gone in travail
Of you, my sons; and till this present hour
My heavy burden ne’er delivered.
The duke, my husband and my children both,
And you the calendars of their nativity,
Go to a gossips’ feast, and go with me;
After so long grief, such festivity!

Duke With all my heart, I’ll gossip at this feast. Exeunt all but Antipholus of