It looks a little paler; 'tis a day, Enter Bassanio, Anthonio, Gratiano, and their followers. Por. Let me give light, but let me not be light;" But God fort all!-You are welcome home, my lord. Baff. I thank you, madam. Give welcome to my friend. -This is the man, this is Anthonio, To whom I am fo infinitely bound. Por. You fhould in all fenfe be much bound to him, For, as I hear, he was much bound for you.' [Gratiano and Neriffa feem to talk apart. Gra. By yonder moon, I fwear, you do me wrong; In faith, I gave it to the judge's clerk: Would he were gelt that had it, for my part, Gra. About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring, Ner. What talk you of the poefy, or the value? Let me give light, &c.] There is fcarcely any word with which Shakespeare delights to trifle as with light, in its various fignifications. JOHNSON. That That you would wear it till your hour of death; 8 The clerk will ne'er wear hair on's face that 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 thyfelf,-the judge's clerk- I could not for my heart deny it him. Por. You were to blame, I must be plain with you, To part fo flightly with your wife's first gift; Baff. Why, I were beft to cut my left-hand off, And fwear, I loft the ring defending it. [Afide. Gra. My lord Baffanio gave his ring away. Por. What ring gave you, my lord? 8-have been refpective,] Refpe&tive has the fame meaning as reSpeful. See K. John, act i." STEEVENS. VOL. III. Р Not Not that, I hope, which you receiv'd of me. Por. Even fo void is your false heart of truth. Ner. Nor I in yours, 'Till I again fee niine. Baff. Sweet Portia, If you did know to whom I gave the ring, When nought would be accepted but the ring, I'll die for't, but fome woman had the ring. Baff. No, by mine honour, madam,-by my foul, No woman had it, but a Civil doctor, Who did refufe three thousand ducats of me, -retain-] The old copies concur in reading contain. 2 What man wanted the modesty To urge the thing held as a ceremony ?] JOHNSON. the This is a very licentious expreffion. The fenfe is, What man could have fo little mod fy or wanted modefly fo much, as to urge demand of a thing kept on an account in fome fort religious. JOHNSON. -1 And begg'd the ring; the which I did deny him, Even he, that did uphold the very life Of my dear friend. What fhould I fay, fweet lady? I was befet with fhame and courtesy; My honour would not let ingratitude So much befmear it. Pardon me, good lady, Had you been there, I think, you would have begg'd Por. Let not that doctor e'er come near my houfe: And that which you did fwear to keep for me, I'll not deny him any thing I have, No, not my body, nor my husband's bed: Lie not a night from home; watch me, like Argus: If Now, by mine honour, which is yet my own, I'll have that doctor for my bed-fellow. Ner. And I his clerk ;-therefore be well advis'd, How you do leave me to mine own protection. Gra. Well, do you fo: let me not take him then; For, if I do, I'll mar the young clerk's pen. Anth. I am the unhappy fubject of thefe quarrels. Baff. Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong; Por. Mark you but that! In both mine eyes he doubly fees himself; Baff. Nay, but hear me: Pardon this fault, and by my foul I swear, Anth. I once did lend my body for his wealth; Por. Then you fhall be his furety. Give him this, And bid him keep it better than the other. Anth. Here, lord Baffanio; fwear to keep this ring. Baff. By heaven, it is the fame I gave the doctor. Por. I had it of him:-pardon me, Baffanio; For by this ring the doctor lay with me. Ner. And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano, For that fame fcrubbed boy, the doctor's clerk, In lieu of this, last night did lie with me. Gra. Why, this is like the mending of high-ways In fummer, where the ways are fair enough. What! are we cuckolds, ere we have deferv'd it? Per. Speak not fo grofsly.-You are all amaz'd: Here is a letter, read it at your leisure; It comes from Padua, from Bellario: There you fhall find, that Portia was the doctor; 4 for his wealth.] For his advantage; to obtain his happinefs. Wealth was, at that time, the term oppofite to adverfity, or calamity. JOHNSON. You |