Lor.
Madam, although I speak it in your ^note presence,
You have a noble and a true conceit
Of god-like ^note amity; which appears most ^note strongly
In bearing thus the absence of your lord.
But if you knew to whom you show this honour,
How true a gentleman you send relief ^note,
How dear a lover of my lord your husband,

I know you would be prouder of the work
Than customary bounty can enforce you.

Por.
I never did repent for ^note doing good,
Nor ^note shall not now: for in companions
That do converse and waste the time together,
Whose souls do bear an equal ^note yoke of love,
There must be needs a like proportion
Of lineaments, of ^note manners and of spirit;
Which makes me think that this Antonio,
Being the bosom lover of my lord,
Must needs be like my lord. If it be so,
How little is the cost I have bestow'd
In purchasing the semblance of my soul
From out the state of hellish misery ^note!
This comes too near the praising of myself;
Therefore no more of it: hear other things. ^note
Lorenzo, I commit into your hands ^note
The husbandry and manage of my house
Until my lord's return: for mine own part,
I have toward heaven breathed a secret ^note vow
To live in prayer and contemplation,
Only attended by Nerissa here,
Until her husband and my lord's return:
There is a monastery two miles off;
And there will we ^note abide. I do desire you
Not to deny this imposition;
The which my love and some necessity
Now lays ^note upon you ^note.

Lor.
Madam, with all my heart;
I shall obey you in all fair commands.

Por.
My people do already know my mind,

And will acknowledge you and Jessica
In place of Lord Bassanio and myself.
And so farewell ^note, till we shall meet again.

Lor.
Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you!

Jes.
I wish your ladyship all heart's content.

Por.
I thank you for your wish, and am well pleased ^note
To wish it back on you: fare you well ^note, Jessica. [Exeunt Jessica and Lorenzo.
Now, Balthasar,
As I have ever found thee honest-true ^{note note},
So let me find thee still. Take this same letter,
And use thou all the endeavour of a man
In speed to Padua ^note: see thou render this
Into my cousin's hand, Doctor Bellario;
And, look, what notes and garments he doth give thee,
Bring them, I pray thee, with imagined speed
Unto the tranect ^note, to the common ferry
Which trades to Venice. Waste no time in words ^note,
But get thee gone: I shall be there before thee ^note.

Balth.
Madam, I go with all convenient speed. [Exit.

Por.
Come on, Nerissa; I have work in hand
That you yet know not of: we'll see our husbands
Before they think of us.

Ner.
Shall they see us?

Por.
They shall, Nerissa; but in such a habit,
That they shall think we are accomplished
With that ^note we lack. I'll hold thee any wager,
When we are both accoutred ^note like young men,
I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two,
And wear my dagger with the braver grace,
And speak between the change of man and boy

With a reed voice, and turn two mincing steps
Into a manly stride, and speak of frays
Like a fine bragging youth; and tell quaint lies,
How honourable ladies sought my love,
Which I denying, they fell sick and died;
I could not do withal ^note: then I'll repent,
And wish, for all that, that I had not kill'd them;
And twenty of these puny lies I'll tell,
That men shall swear I have ^note discontinued school
Above a twelvemonth. I have within my mind
A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks,
Which I will practise.

Ner.
Why, shall we turn to men?

Por.
Fie, what a question's that,
If thou wert near a lewd interpreter!
But come, I'll tell thee all my ^note whole device
When I am in my coach, which stays for us
At the park-gate; and therefore haste away,
For we must measure twenty miles to-day. [Exeunt. ^note

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