Nor + you, Lorenzo;-Jessica, nor you. [A tucket sounds. 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 paler; 'tis a day, Such as the day is when the sun is hid. Enter BASSANIO, ANTONIO, GRATIANO, and their Followers. Bass. We should hold day with the Antipodes, Por. Let me give light, but let me not be light; But God sort all!-You are welcome home, my lord. Bass. I thank you, madam: give welcome to my This is the man, this is Antonio, [friend.— 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, Since you do take it, love, so much at heart. 1 A tucket-] Toccata, Ital. a flourish on a trumpet. m If you would walk in absence of the sun.] A compliment to the beauty of Portia. I scant this breathing courtesy.] I abridge this complimentary form, made up only of breath, i. e. words.-MALONE. like cutler's poetry-] Knives, as Sir J. Hawkins observes, were formerly inscribed, by means of aqua fortis, with short sentences in distich.REED. Ner. What talk you of the posy, or the value? That you would wear it till your hour of death; The clerk will ne'er wear hair on his face, that had it. 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 ; I could not for my heart deny it him. Por. You were to blame, I must be plain with you, 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, Bass. Why, I were best to cut my left hand off, Gra. My lord Bassanio gave his ring away Por. VOL. III. P scrubbed-] Stunted and shrub-like. G [Aside. Por. Even so void is your false heart of truth. 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, You would not then have parted with 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 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 by these blessed candles of the night, 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: 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, 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, Por. Mark you but that! In both my eyes he doubly sees himself: 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 wealth;" Which, but for him that had your husband's ring, [TO PORTIA. Had quite miscarried: I dare be bound again, 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. swear by your double self,] Double is here used in a bad sense forfull of duplicity.-MALONE. r - for his wealth ;] For his advantage; to obtain his happiness. Wealth was, at that time, the term opposite to adversity, or calamity.-JOHNSON. Ner. And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano; Gra. Why, this is like the mending of high-ways It comes from Padua, from Bellario: There you shall find, that Portia was the doctor; Shall witness, I set forth as soon as you, 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, 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 |