And neither man, nor master, would take aught But the two rings. Por. I would deny it; but you see my finger 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. Nor I in yours, Sweet Portia, Bass. When naught would be accepted but 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 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'd Por. Let not that doctor e'er come near my house: 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 mine own, Ner. And I his clerk; therefore be well advis'd, 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. Bass. Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong; Por. Mark you but that! In both my eyes he doubly sees himself: Bass. Ant. I once did lend my body for his wealth* ; Will never more break faith advisedly. Por. Then you shall be his surety: Give him this; * Advantage. 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 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 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 hear I read for certain, that my ships Por. How now, Lorenzo ? My clerk hath some good comforts too for you. 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 Por. Gra. Let it be so: The first intergatory, [Exeunt. Of the Merchant of Venice the stile is even and easy, with few peculiarities of diction, or anomalies of construction. The comic part raises laughter, and the serious fixes expectation. The probability of either one or the other story cannot be maintained. The union of two actions in one event is in this drama eminently happy. Dryden was much pleased with his own address in connecting the two plots of his Spanish Friar, which yet, I believe, the critic will find excelled by this play.-JOHNSON. |