Jessica.
Lor.
The moon shines bright:—In such a night as this2 note
,
When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees,
And they did make no noise; in such a night,
Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan walls3 note
,
And sigh'd his soul towárd the Grecian tents,
Where Cressid lay that night.
Jes.
In such a night,
Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew;
And saw the lion's shadow ere himself,
And ran dismay'd away.
Lor.
In such a night,
-- 135 --
Stood Dido with a willow in her hand4 note
Upon the wild sea-banks, and wav'd her love
To come again to Carthage.
Jes.
In such a night5 note
,
Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs
That did renew old Æson.
Lor.
In such a night,
Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew:
And with an unthrift love did run from Venice,
As far as Belmont.
-- 136 --
Jes.
In such a night6 note
,
Did young Lorenzo swear he lov'd her well;
Stealing her soul with many vows of faith,
And ne'er a true one.
Lor.
In such a night,
Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew,
Slander her love, and he forgave it her.
Jes.
I would out-night you, did no body come:
But, hark, I hear the footing of a man.
Enter Stephano.
Lor.
Who comes so fast in silence of the night?
Steph.
A friend.
Lor.
A friend? what friend? your name, I pray you, friend?
Steph.
Stepháno is my name; and I bring word,
My mistress will before the break of day
Be here at Belmont: she doth stray about
By holy crosses7 note
, where she kneels and prays
For happy wedlock hours.
Lor.
Who comes with her?
Steph.
None, but a holy hermit, and her maid.
I pray you, is my master yet return'd?
-- 137 --
Lor.
He is not, nor we have not heard from him.—
But go we in, I pray thee, Jessica,
And ceremoniously let us prepare
Some welcome for the mistress of the house.
Enter Launcelot.
Laun.
Sola, sola, wo ha, ho, sola, sola!
Lor.
Who calls?
Laun.
Sola! did you see master Lorenzo, and
mistress Lorenzo! sola, sola!
Lor.
Leave hollaing, man; here.
Laun.
Sola! where? where?
Lor.
Here.
Laun.
Tell him, there's a post come from my
master, with his horn full of good news; my master
will be here ere morning.
[Exit.
Lor.
Sweet soul8 note
, let's in, and there expect their coming.
And yet no matter;—Why should we go in?
My friend Stepháno, signify, I pray you,
Within the house, your mistress is at hand;
And bring your musick forth into the air.—
[Exit Stephano.
-- 138 --
How sweet the moon-light sleeps upon this bank!
Here will we sit, and let the sounds of musick
Creep in our ears9 note
; soft stillness, and the night,
Become the touches of sweet harmony.
Sit, Jessica: Look, how the floor of heaven
Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold1 note
;
There's not the smallest orb, which thou behold'st,
But in his motion like an angel sings,
Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubins:
Such harmony is in immortal souls2 note
;
-- 139 --
But, whilst this muddy vesture of decay
Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it3 note
.—
-- 140 --
Enter Musicians.
Come, ho, and wake Diana with a hymn4 note;
With sweetest touches pierce your mistress' ear,
And draw her home with musick5 note.
Jes.
I am never merry, when I hear sweet musick6 note
.
[Musick.
-- 141 --
Lor.
The reason is, your spirits are attentive:
For do but note a wild and wanton herd,
Or race of youthful and unhandled colts,
Fetching mad bounds, bellowing, and neighing loud,
Which is the hot condition of their blood;
If they but hear perchance a trumpet sound,
Or any air of musick touch their ears,
You shall perceive them make a mutual stand7 note
,
Their savage eyes turn'd to a modest gaze,
By the sweet power of musick: Therefore, the poet
Did feign that Orpheus drew trees, stones, and floods;
Since nought so stockish, hard, and full of rage,
But musick for the time doth change his nature:
The man that hath no musick in himself,
Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds8 note
,
-- 142 --
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus:
Let no such man be trusted.—Mark the musick.
-- 143 --
Enter Portia and Nerissa, at a distance.
Por.
That light we see, is burning in my hall.
How far that little candle throws his beams!
So shines a good deed in a naughty world.
Ner.
When the moon shone, we did not see the candle.
Por.
So doth the greater glory dim the less:
A substitute shines brightly as a king,
Until a king be by; and then his state
Empties itself, as doth an inland brook
Into the main of waters. Musick! hark!
Ner.
It is your musick, madam, of the house.
Por.
Nothing is good, I see, without respect9 note;
Methinks, it sounds much sweeter than by day.
Ner.
Silence bestows that virtue on it, madam.
Por.
The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark,
When neither is attended; and, I think,
The nightingale1 note
, if she should sing by day,
When every goose is cackling, would be thought
No better a mucician than the wren.
How many things by season season'd are
To their right praise, and true perfection!—
Peace, hoa! the moon sleeps with Endymion,
And would not be awak'd2 note
!
[Musick ceases.
-- 144 --
Lor.
That is the voice,
Or I am much deceiv'd, of Portia.
Por.
He knows me, as the blind man knows the cuckoo,
By the bad voice.
Lor.
Dear lady, welcome home.
Por.
We have been praying for our husbands' welfare* note,
Which speed, we hope, the better for our words.
Are they return'd?
Lor.
Madam, they are not yet;
But there is come a messenger before,
To signify their coming.
Por.
Go in, Nerissa,
Give order to my servants, that they take
No note at all of our being absent hence;—
Nor you, Lorenzo;—Jessica, nor you.
[A tucket3 note sounds.
-- 145 --
Lor.
Your husband is at hand, I hear his trumpet:
We are no tell-tales, madam; fear you not.
Por.
This night, methinks, is but the daylight sick,
It looks a little paler3 note
; 'tis a day,
Such as the day is when the sun is hid.
Enter Bassanio, Antonio, Gratiano, and their Followers.
Bass.
We should hold day4 note with the Antipodes,
If you would walk in absence of the sun5 note
.
Por.
Let me give light6 note
, but let me not be light;
-- 146 --
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.
Ant.
No more than I am well acquitted of.
Por.
Sir, you are very welcome to our house:
It must appear in other ways than words,
Therefore, I scant this breathing courtesy7 note
.
[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,
Since you do take it, love, so much at heart.
Por.
A quarrel, ho, already? what's the matter?
Gra.
About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring
That she did give me; whose poesy* note was8 note
For all the world, like cutler's poetry9 note
Upon a knife, Love me, and leave me not.
-- 147 --
Ner.
What talk you of the poesy, or the value?
You swore to me, when I did give it you,
That you should wear it till your hour of death;
And that it should lie with you in your grave:
Though not for me, yet for your vehement oaths,
You should have been respective1 note
, and have kept it.
Gave it a judge's clerk! but well I know* note,
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 boy2 note
, that begg'd it as a fee;
-- 148 --
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.
-- 149 --
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.
Nor I in yours,
Till I again see mine.
Bass.
Sweet Portia,
If you did know to whom I gave the ring,
If you did know for whom I gave the ring,
And would conceive for what I gave the ring,
And how unwillingly I left the ring,
When naught would be accepted but the ring,
You would abate the strength of your displeasure.
Por.
If you had known the virtue of the ring,
Or half her worthiness that gave the ring,
Or your own honour to contain the ring3 note
,
You would not then have parted with the ring.
What man is there so much unreasonable,
If you had pleas'd to have defended it
With any terms of zeal, wanted the modesty
To urge the thing held as a ceremony4 note
?
-- 150 --
Nerissa teaches me what to believe;
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,
And begg'd the ring; the which I did deny him,
And suffer'd him to go displeas'd away;
Even he that had held up the very life
Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady?
I was enforc'd to send it after him;
I was beset with shame and courtesy;
My honour would not let ingratitude
So much besmear it: Pardon me, good lady,
For,* note by these blessed candles of the night5 note
,
Had you been there, I think, you would have begg'd
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 will become as liberal as you;
I'll not deny him any thing I have,
No, not my body, nor my husband's bed:
Know him I shall, I am well sure of it:
-- 151 --
Lie not a night from home; watch me, like Argus:
If you do not, if I be left alone,
Now, by mine honour, which is yet my own,
I'll have that doctor for my bedfellow.
Ner.
And I his clerk; therefore be well advis'd,
How you do leave me to mine own protection.
Gra.
Well, do you so: let not me take him then;
For, if I do, I'll mar the young clerk's pen.
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;
And, in the hearing of these many friends,
I swear to thee, even by thine own fair eyes,
Wherein I see myself,—
Por.
Mark you but that!
In both my eyes he doubly sees himself:
In each eye, one:—swear by your double self6 note,
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 wealth7 note
;
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.
-- 152 --
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 deserv'd 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 find, three of your argosies
Are richly come to harbour suddenly:
You shall not know by what strange accident
I chanced on this letter.
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.
-- 153 --
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,
After his death, of all he dies possess'd of.
Lor.
Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way
Of starved people.
Por.
It is almost morning,
And yet, I am sure, you are not satisfied
Of these events at full: Let us go in;
And charge us there upon intergatories,
And we will answer all things faithfully.
Gra.
Let it be so: The first intergatory,
That my Nerissa shall be sworn on, is,
Whether till the next night she had rather stay;
Or go to bed now, being two hours to-day:
But were the day come, I should wish it dark,
That* note I were couching with the doctor's clerk.
Well, while I live, I'll fear no other thing
So sore, as keeping safe Nerissa's ring.
[Exeunt.8
