My mistress will before the break of day Lor. Who comes with her? Lor. He is not, nor we have not heard from But go we in, I pray thee, Jessica, Some welcome for the mistress of the house. Enter Launcelot. Laun. Sola, sola, wo ha, ho, soia, sola! Enter Portia and Nerissa, at a distance. Por. So doth the greater glory dim the less. Ner. It is your music, madam, of the house. Laun. Sola! did you see master Lorenzo, and When neither is attended; and, I think, mistress Lorenzo? sola, sola! Lor. Leave hollaing, man; here. Lor. Here. The nightingale, if she should sing by day, Laun. Tell him, there's a post come from my To their right praise, and true perfection!master, with his horn full of good news; my mas- Peace, hoa! the moon sleeps with Endymion, ter will be here ere morning. [Exit. And would not be awak'd!' [Music ceases. Lor. Sweet soul, let's in, and there expect their That is the voice, coming. Or I am much deceiv'd, of Portia. And yet no matter;-Why should we go in? [Exit Stephano. (How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears; soft stillness, and the night, Become the touches of sweet harmony. Sit, Jessica: Look, how the floor of heaven it. Lor. The reason is, your spirits are attentive: Which is the hot condition of their blood; Since nought so stockish, hard, and fun of rage, Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds, Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music. (1) A small flat dish, used in the administration! of the Eucharist. Lor. Por. He knows me, as the blind man knows the Dear lady, welcome home. Which speed, we hope, the better for our words. Lor. Madam, they are not yet; Por. [A tucket sounds. It looks a little paler; 'tis a day, Such as the day is when the sun is hid. Enter Bassanio, Antonio, Gratiano, and their followers. Bass. We should hold day with the Antipodes, Por. Let me give light, but let me not be light; But God sort all!-You are welcome home, my lord. This is the man, this is Antonio, Por. You should in all sense be much bound to In faith, gave it to the judge's clerk: Ner. What talk you of the posy, or the value? had it. Gra. He will, an if he live to be a man. Ner. Ay, if a woman live to be a man. Gra. Now, by this hand, I gave it to a youth,A kind of boy; a little scrubbed boy, No higher than thyself, the judge's clerk; A prating boy, that begg'd it as a fee; I could not for my heart deny it him. Por. You were to blame, I must be plain with you, To part so slightly with your wife's first gift; A thing stuck on with oaths upon your finger, And riveted so with faith unto your flesh. I gave my love a ring, and made him swear Never to part with it; and here he stands; I dare be sworn for him, he would not leave it, Nor pluck it from his finger, for the wealth That the world masters. Now, in faith, Gratiano, You give your wife too unkind a cause of grief; An 'twere to me, I should be mad at it. Bass. Why, I were best to cut my left hand off, And swear, I lost the ring defending it. [Aside. Gra. My lord Bassanio gave his ring away Unto the judge that begg'd it, and, indeed, Deserv'd it too; and then the boy, his clerk, That took some pains in writing, he begg'd mine: And neither man, nor master, would take aught But the two rings. Por. What ring gave you, my lord? Not that, I hope, which you receiv'd of me. Bass. If I could add a lie unto a fault, I would deny it; but you see my finger Hath not the ring upon it, it is gone. Por. Even so void is your false heart of truth. By heaven, I will ne'er come in your bed Until I see the ring. Ner. Till I again see mine. Bass. Nor I in yours, Sweet Portia, If you did know to whom I gave the ring, Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me, Por. Let not that doctor e'er come near my house: Since he hath got the jewel that I lov'd, No, not my body, nor my husband's bed: Now, by mine honour, which is yet my own, Ner. And I his clerk; therefore be well advis'd, Bass. Portia, forgive me this enforc'd wrong; Por. Mark you but that! In both my eyes he doubly sees himself: In each eye one :-swear by your double self, And there's an oath of credit. Bass. Nay, but hear me: Pardon this fault, and by my soul I swear, I never more will break an oath with thee. Ant. I once did lend my body for his wealth; Which, but for him that had your husband's ring, {To Portia. Had quite miscarried: I dare be bound again, My soul upon the forfeit, that your lord Will never more break faith advisedly. Por. Then you shall be his surety: Give him this; And bid him keep it better than the other. Ant. Here, lord Bassanio; swear to keep this ring. Bass. By heaven, it is the same I gave the doctor! Por. I had it of him: pardon me, Bassanio; For by this ring the doctor lay with me. Ner. And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano; For that same scrubbed boy, the doctor's clerk, In lieu of this, last night did lie with me. Gra. Why, this is like the mending of highways In summer, where the ways are fair enough: What! are we cuckolds, ere we have deserved it? Por. Speak not so grossly.-You are all amaz'd: Here is a letter, read it at your leisure; It comes from Padua, from Bellario: There you shall find, that Portia was the doctor; Nerissa there, her clerk: Lorenzo here Shall witness, I set forth as soon as you, And but even now return'd; I have not yet Enter'd my house.-Antonio, you are welcome; And I have better news in store for you, Than you expect: unseal this letter soon; There you shall, three of your argosies Are richly come to harbour suddenly: You shall not know by what strange accident I chanced on this letter. Gra. Were you the clerk, that is to make me cuckold? Ner. Ay; but the clerk that never means to do it, Unless he live until he be a man. Bass. Sweet doctor, you shall be my bedfellow; When I am absent, then lie with my wife. Ant. Sweet lady, you have given me life, and living; For here I read for certain, that my ships Por. How now, Lorenzo? My clerk hath some good comforts too for you. Ner. Ay, and I'll give them him without fee. There do I give to you, and Jessica, Por. a |