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The Comedy of Errors

Act III, Scene 1

Before the house of ANTIPHOLUS of Ephesus.
 
[Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Ephesus, DROMIO of Ephesus, ANGELO, and BALTHAZAR]
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
        ,     2      , 2           ,        ,        ,
      Good Signior^|Angelo | you must | excuse | us all,  ??
           ,         ,         ,        ,          ,
      My wife | is shrew|ish when | I keep | not^hours;
       ,             ,         ,         ,          ,
      Say that | I ling|ered with | you at | your shop
          ,         ,       ,        ,     ,
      To see | the mak|ing of | her car|canet,
            ,       ,       ,           ,          ,
      And that | tomor|row you | will bring | it home.
             ,        ,         ,            ,         ,
      But here's | a vil|lain that | would face | me down
          ,        ,         ,     ,      2      ,
      He met | me on | the mart,| and that I | beat him,
             ,            ,        ,         ,          ,
      And charged | him with | a thous|and marks | in gold,
            ,       ,       ,        ,          ,
      And that | I did | deny | my wife | and house;
             ,         ,           ,            ,         ,
      Thou drunk|ard thou,| what didst | thou mean | by this?
 
DROMIO OF EPHESUS  (these next lines are oct for a while)
      ___     ,         __    ___       ,          ,        ,    oo
      Say | what you | will | sir,| but I | know what | I know,|
        ,          ,        ,         ,         ,           ,        __    oo
      That you | beat me | at the | mart, I | have your | hand to | show;|
       ,         ,           ,          ,          ,           ,         ___   oo
      If the | skin were | parchment,| and the | blows you | gave were | ink,|
            ,      ,  ,       .  oo           ,          ,        ,     oo
      Your own | handwri/ting  |    | would tell | you what | I think.|
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
          ,           ,        ,
      I think | thou art | an ass.
 
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
                                    ,       ,        ,      __    oo
                                   Marry | so it | doth ap|pear |
       ,          ,        ,       oo    ,          ,        __    oo
      By the | wrongs I | suffer,|    | and the | blows I | bear,|
      ,           __     ,         ,           ,       ,         __    oo
      I should | kick | being | kicked, and | being | at that | pass,|
       ,           __      ,        ___         ,       ,       ,    oo
      You would | keep | from my | heels,| and be|ware^of | an ass.|
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
              ,     ,         ,     ___    __     ,         ___    oo
      You're sad | Signior | Baltha|zar,| pray | God our | cheer |
           ,       ,          ,     ,          __     ,         __    oo
      May ans|wer my | good will,| and your | good | welcome | here.|
 
BALTHAZAR
          ,           ,         ,     ___    ,          ,         __    oo
      I hold | your dain|ties cheap | sir,| and your | welcome | dear.|
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
           ,        ,     ,     ,       __     ,         __    oo
      Oh Sign|ior Balth|azar,| either | at | flesh or | fish,|
         ,       ,        ,          ,       T    T    T       ,    oo
      A tab|le full | of wel|come, make | scarce one dain|ty dish.|
 
BALTHAZAR
        T    T   T        ,      o         ,       ,         ,     oo
      Good meat sir | is com|mon   | that eve|ry churl | affords.|
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
           ,         ,     ,       oo         ,          ,           ,     oo
      And wel|come more | common,|    | for that's | nothing | but words.|
 
BALTHAZAR
       ___     ___          ,      ,          ,        ,       ___    oo
      Small | cheer | and great | welcome,| makes a | merry | feast.|
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
      ___    ,      ,           ,     ,          ,         ___    oo
      Aye,| to a | niggard|ly host,| and more | sparing | guest:|
      ___      ,          ,         __      ,          T   T    T    oo
      But | though my | cates be | mean,| take them | in good part,|
       ,        ___     ,          ,          ,          ,        ___    oo
      Better | cheer | may you | have, but | not with | better | heart.|
      ___    __         ,          ,         ,          ,        ,   oo
      But | soft,| my door | is locked;| go bid | them let | us in.|
 
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
       __      ,        ,  2     ,       ,    __    __    oo
      Maud,| Bridget,| Marian,| Cicel,| Gilli|an,| Ginn.|
 
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
       T      T    T      ,       T   T    T   ,    ___    oo
      Mome, malt-horse,| capon,| coxcomb, id|iot,| patch,|
       ,        ,           ,          ,         ,         ,        ___    oo
      Either | get thee | from the | door, or | sit down^|at the | hatch:|
        ,          ,              ,         ,            ,           ,     ___    oo
      Dost thou | conjure | for wench|es, that | thou callst | for such | store,|
            ,     .  T   T   T      ,    ,           ,         __    oo
      When one | is one too man|y, go | get thee | from the | door.|
 
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
            ,           ,          ,       ,    ,         ,               ,     oo
      What patch | is made | our port|er? My | master | stays in | the street.|
 
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
       ,          ,            ,         __      ,         ,     ,              __
      Let him | walk from | whence he | came,| lest he | catch cold / on his | feet.
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
      ___    ___        ,     ___    __   ,            ,    oo
      Who | talks | within | there?| Ho,| open | the door.|
 
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
       ___    ___          ,          ,         ,          ,          ,    oo
      Right | sir,| I'll tell | you when,| and you | tell me | wherefore.|
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
        ,          ,        ,       oo       ,          ,        ,    oo
      Wherefore?| For my | dinner:|    | I have | not dined | today.|
 
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
       ,      ,          ,         ___     ,     __      ,        ___
      Nor to|day here*| you must | not | come a|gain | when you | may.
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
        ,          ,            ,        ___     ,          ,       ___   oo
      What art | thou that | keepst me | out | from the | house I | owe?|
 
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
           ,       ,           ,          ,         ,        ,    ,   oo
      The por|ter for | this time | sir, and | my name | is Dro|mio.|
 
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
         ,          ,          ,        ,          ,       ,         ,    oo
      O vil|lain, thou | hast sto|len both | mine of|fice and | my name,|
           ,          ,        ,        oo        ,       ,        ,    oo
      The one | nere got | me cred|it,|    | the oth|er mick|le blame:|
       ,          ,           ,    ,    ___    ,       ___    oo
      If thou | hadst been | Dromi|o to|day | in my | place,|
              ,               ,           ,      2     ,     ,         ,            ,    oo
      Thou wouldst | have changed | thy face | for a name,| or thy | name for | an ass.|
 
LUCE
        ,        ,         T    T  Tx        ,           ,         ,    oo
      What a | coil is | there Dromio?| Who^are | those^at | the gate?|
 
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
       ,        ,       __     T
      Let my | master | in | Luce.
 
LUCE
                                    T    T         ,           ,    oo
                                  Faith no,| he comes | too* late,|
       ,         ,           ,
      and so | tell your | master.|
 
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
                                     ,       ,        ___    oo
                                     O Lord^|I must^|laugh,|
             ,         ,        ,
       have^at | you^with | a prov|erb,
                                               ,        ,        ,     oo
                                         Shall I | set in | my staff.|
 
LUCE
            ,         ,      ,       o            ,     ,         __    oo
      Have at | you with | anoth|er,   | that's when?| Can you | tell?|
 
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
          ,          ,      T     T     T      ,          ,               ,    oo
      If thy | name^be | called Luce, Luce | thou hast | answered | him well.|
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
       ,         ,         ,       oo           ,        ,       ,    oo
      Do you | hear you | minion,|    | you'll let | us in,| I hope?
 
LUCE
      ,           ,          ,         oo
      I thought^|to have | asked you.|
 
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
                                                 ,     __    __   oo
                                            And you | said | no.|
 
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
           ,     __     __     ____      ,           ,         __    oo
      So come | help,| well | struck,| there was | blow for | blow.|
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
            ,        ,        ,   oo
      Thou bag|gage let | me in.|
 
LUCE
                                           ,           ,            ,    oo
                                      Can you | tell* for | whose^sake?|
 
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
       ,         ,          __     __
      Master,| knock the | door | hard.
 
LUCE
                                             ,      T     T   .   T    oo
                                        Let^him | knock till it ache.|
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
         ,          ,          ,        ,       ,         __     __    oo
      You'll cry | for this | minion,| if I | beat the | door | down.|
 
LUCE
             ,            ,     ,        ,         __      ,        __    oo
      What^needs | all* that,| and a | pair of | stocks | in the | town?|
 
ADRIANA
           ,    __     ,        __      ,          ,          ___    oo
      Who is | that | at the | door | that keeps^|all this | noise?|
 
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
       ,        ,            ,         ,          ,      ,      __    oo
      By my | troth your | town is | troubled | with un|ruly | boys.|
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
       ,         ___     __    oo         ,            ,        ,    oo
      Are you | there | wife?|    | You might | have come | before.|
 
ADRIANA
       __     __    ___    ___         ,          ,          ,    oo
      Your | wife | sir | knave?| go* get | you from | the door.|
 
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
       ,         ,        __     ,         T    T     T           ,    oo
      If you | went in | pain | master,| this knave would | go* sore.|
 
ANGELO
          2     ,        ,           ,         ,     ,           ,          ,       oo
      Here is neith|er cheer | sir, nor | welcome,| we would | fain have | either.|     ??
 
BALTHAZAR
       ,     ,         ,          __     ,           ,          ,        oo
      In de|bating | which was | best,| we shall | part with | neither.|
 
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
        ,          ,        __     ,        ,          ,         ,       oo
      They stand^|at the | door,| master,| bid them | welcome | hither.|
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
        ,          ,          ,        __     __    __       ,         ,
      There is | something | in the | wind,| that | we | cannot | get in.
 
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
       ,           ,       ___ ___    ,         ,          __     __
      You would | say so | mast|er,| if your | garments | were | thin.
        T    T    T          ,        ,          ,           ,         ,    oo
      Your cake there | is warm | within:| you stand | here in | the cold.|
        2        ,       ,         ,       ,        ,        ,            ,
      It would make | a man | mad^as | a buck | to be | so bought | and sold.
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
      __     ,         __   ___      ,          ,         __    oo
      Go | fetch me | some|thing,| I'll break^|ope the | gate.|
 
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
             ,     ,         ,     ,           ,            ___      __    oo
      Break^an|y break|ing here,| and I'll | break your | knave's | pate.|
 
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
         ,          ,         ,          ,          ,           ,          ,    oo
      A man | may break | a word | with you | sir, and | words^are | but wind:|
       ,          ,         ,         __     ,        ,         ,      __
      Aye and | break it | in your | face,| so he | break it | not be|hind.
 
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
           ,             ,       ,        oo    ,     ,          __    oo
      It seems | thou wantst | breaking,|    | out u|pon thee | hind.|
 
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
              ,          ,      ,          o       ,          ,        ,   oo
      Here's^too | much^out | upon | thee,   | I pray | thee let | me in.|
 
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
              ,      T     T   T     ,              ,      T   T  T    oo
      Aye*, when | fowls have no | feathers,| and fish | have no fin.|
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
       __     __     ___    __       ,       ,       ,    oo
      Well,| I'll | break | in:| go bor|row me | a crow.|
 
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
          ,         ,      ,       oo    ,         ,        __   oo
      A crow | without | feather,|    | Master | mean you | so;|
       ,        ,        ,      ___      ,          ,        ,       ,
      For a | fish with|out a | fin,| there's a | fowl with|out a | feather,
       ,       ,         ,       ,        ,        ,         ,      ,
      If a | crow help^|us in | sirrah,| we'll | pluck a | crow to|gether. (we'll is two syllables)
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
      __    ,          __    oo          ,       ,      ,    oo
      Go,| get thee | gone,|    | fetch^me | an ir|on crow.|
 
BALTHAZAR
       __     ,         ___   oo       ,        ,        ,   oo
      Have | patience | sir,|    | oh let | it not | be so,|
           ,        ,     x              ,    ,
      Herein | you war | against your | repu|tation,
            ,        ,         ,        ,        ,
      And draw | within | the comp|ass of | suspect
         2   ,   ,      ,      ,          ,
      The unvi|olat|ed hon|or of | your wife.
        ,      2         ,      ,  2       ,         ,
      Once this your | long ex|perience | of your | wisdom,  ??
           ,      ,         ,          ,     ,
      Her sob|er vir|tue, years,| and mod|esty,
        ,              ,            ,         ,        ,
      Plead on | her part | some* cause | to you | unknown;
            ,          ,         ,           ,        ,
      And doubt | not sir,| but she | will well | excuse
           ,          ,          ,           ,        ,         ->
      Why^at | this time | the doors | are made | against || you.
       ,     ,         ,       ,        ,
      Be | ruled by | me, de|part in | patience,
           ,        ,        ,      ,          x
      And let | us to | the Ti|ger all | to dinner,
              ,   ,         ,          ,       ,
      And a/bout eve|ning come | yourself | alone,
           ,         ,       ,           ,           ,
      To know | the reas|on of | this strange | restraint:
       .  T    T     T         ,            ,    ,
      If by strong hand | you of|fer to / break in
       ,             ,        ,        ,        ,
      Now in | the stir|ring pas|sage of | the day,
         ,       ,         ,         ,        ,
      A vul|gar com|ment will | be made | of it;
            ,        ,      ,        ,        ,
      And that | suppos|ed by | the com|mon rout
          ,           ,         ,      ,    ,
      Against | your yet | ungalled | esti|mation,
            ,           ,       ,        ,      ,
      That may | with foul | intru|sion ent|er in,
            ,       ,           ,           ,          ,
      And dwell | upon | your grave | when you | are dead;
            ,        ,       ,        ,     ,
      For sland|er lives | upon | succes|sion,
          ,        ,          2     ,        ,     ,
      For ev|er housed | where it gets | posses|sion.
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
       ,               ,         ,        ,         x
      You have | prevailed,| I will | depart | in quiet,
           ,       ,          ,       ,    2      ,
      And in | despite | of mirth | mean to be | merry:
          ,        ,         ,      ,          ,
      I know | a wench | of ex|cellent | discourse,
       ,            ,        ,         ,           x
      Pretty | and wit|ty; wild,| and yet | too gentle;
        ,               ,          ,       ,        ,
      There will | we dine:| this wom|an that | I mean
           ,        ,        ,         ,        ,
      My wife |(but I | protest | without | desert)
            ,      ,         ,       ,       ,
      Hath of|tentimes | upbraid|ed me | withal:
          ,          ,       ,        ,          ,
      To her | will we | to din|ner, Get | you home
            ,           ,          ,        ,          ,
      And fetch | the chain,| by this | I know |'tis made,
        ,            ,         ,        ,       ,
      Bring it | I pray | you to | the Por|pentine,
             ,            ,            ,          ,       ,
      For there's | the house:| that chain | will I | bestow
        ,           ,        ,         ,          ,
      (Be it | for noth|ing but | to spite | my wife)
        ,           ,        ,            ,           ,
      Upon | mine host|ess there,| good* sir | make^haste:
              ,          ,         ,        ,      ,       o
      Since^mine | own^doors | refuse | to ent|ertain | me,
             ,       T   T     .  T          ,           ,        o
      I'll knock | elsewhere, to see | if they'll | disdain | me.   (hex with prev)
 
ANGELO
             ,         ,          ,           ,      ,
      I'll meet | you at | that place | some ho|ur hence.
 
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
       ,             ,            ,         ,        ,
      Do so,| This jest | shall cost | me some | expense.
 
[Exeunt]

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