Enter Bassanio, Antonio, Gratiano, and their fol If lowers. Bass. We should hold day with the Antipodes, you would walk in absence of the sun. Por. Let me give light, but let me not be light; For a light wife doth make a heavy husband, And never be Bassanio so for me; But God sort all!-You are welcome home, my lord. Bass. I thank you, madam: give welcome to my friend. This is the man, this is Antonio, To whom I am so infinitely bound. Por. You should in all sense be much bound to him, For, as I hear, he was much bound for you. [Gratiano and Nerissa seem to talk apart. Gra. By yonder moon, I swear, you do me wrong; In faith, I gave it to the judge's clerk: Would he were gelt that had it, for my part, you would wear it till your hour of death; And that it should lie with you in your grave: Verbal, complimentary form. Though not for me, yet for your vehement oaths, You should have been respective, and have kept it. Gave it a judge's clerk!-but well I know, The clerk will ne'er wear hair on his 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 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; Bass. Why, I were best to cut my left hand off, 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. • Regardful. By heaven, I will ne'er come in your bed If you did know to whom I gave the ring, When naught would be accepted but the ring, Or your own honour to contain the ring, I'll die for't, but some woman had the ring. Bass. No, by mine honour, madam, by my soul, No woman had it, but a civil doctor, Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me, Even he that had held up the very life Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady? I was beset with shame and courtesy ; So much besmear it: Pardon me, good lady; For, by these blessed candles of the night, Had you been there, I think, you would have begg't The ring of me to give the worthy doctor. Por. Let not that doctor e'er come near my house: Since he hath got the jewel that I lov'd, And that which you did swear 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: Now, by mine honour, which is yet my own, Ner. Aud I his clerk; therefore be well advis'd, Ant. I am the unhappy subject of these quarrels. Por. Sir, grieve not you; You are welcome notwithstanding. Bass. Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong; Por. Mark you but that! In both my eyes he doubly sees himself: In each eye one-swear by your double self, Bass. Nay, but hear me: Pardon this fault, and by my soul I swear, 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. For by this ring the doctor lay with me. • Advantage. For that same scrubbed boy, the doctor's clerk, Gra. Why, this is like the mending of highways It comes from Padua, from Bellario: There you shall find, that Portia was the doctor; You shall not know by what strange accident Ant. I am dumb. Bass. Were you the doctor, and I knew you not! 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 Are safely come to road. Por. How now, Lorenzo? My clerk hath some good comforts too for you. Ner. Ay, and I'll give them him without a fee.There do I give to you, and Jessica, From the rich Jew, a special deed of gift, Lor. Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way Of starved people. |