So keen and greedy to confound a man: [Retires back. Por. (c.) Is it your dear friend that is thus in trouble? Bass. The dearest friend to me, the kindest man, The best condition'd and unwearied spirit In doing courtesies; and one in whom Por. What sum owes he the Jew? Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond; Shall lose a hair through Bassanio's fault. Bass. [Reads.] "Sweet Bassanio, my ships have all miscarried, my creditors grow cruel, my estate is very low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and since, in paying it, it is impossible I should live, all debts are cleared between you and me. If I might but see you at my death; notwithstanding, use your pleasure, if your love do not persuade you to come, let not my letter." Por. O love, despatch all business, and be gone. No bed shall e'er be guilty of my stay, No rest be interposer 'twixt us twain. [Exeunt, R. SCENE III.-A Street in Venice. Enter SHYLOCK, ANTONIO, SALARINO, and the Gaoler, L. Ant. (c.) Hear me yet, good Shylock. Shy. (R. C.) I'll have my bond; speak not against I have sworn an oath, that I will have my bond: The duke shall grant me justice.-I do wonder Ant. I pray thee, hear me speak. Shy. I'll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak ; To shake the head, relent, and sigh, and yield Ant. Let him alone; I'll follow him no more with bootless prayers Many that have at times-made moan to me; Sal. I am sure, the duke Will never grant this forfeiture to hold. Ant. The duke cannot deny the course of law, Will much impeach the justice of the state [Exit, R. [Exeunt, L. SCENE IV.-Portia's House at Belmont. Enter LORENZO, JESSICA, PORTIA, NERISSA, and Lor. (c.) Madam, although I speak it in your presence. You have a noble and a true conceit Of god-like amity; which appears most strongly But, if you knew to whom you shew this honour Por. (c.) I never did repent me doing good, This comes too near the praising of myself; The husbandry and manage of my house, Until her husband and my lord's return; And there we will abide. I do desire you Not to deny this imposition : The which my love, and some necessity, Lor. Madam, with all my heart; I shall obey you in all fair commands. Por. My people do already know my mind, Lor. Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you. Jes. (c.) I wish your ladyship all heart's content. Por. I thank you for your wish, and am well pleas'd To wish it back on you: fare you well, Jessica.[Exeunt Jessica and Lorenzo, L. [Balthazar advances, R. (R. C.) Now, Balthazar, So let me find thee still: take this same letter, In speed to Padua: 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 imagin'd speed Unto the tranect, to the common ferry Which trades to Venice: waste no time in words, Bul. Madam, I go with all convenient speed. [Exit R. That you yet know not of: we'll see our husbands Ner. Shall they see us? But come, I'll tell thee all my whole device Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT, L. Laun. (L. C.) Yes, truly: for look you, the sins of the father are to be laid upon the children; therefore, I promise you, I fear you. I was always plain with you, and so now I speak my agitation of the matter:-therefore be of good cheer; for, truly, I think you are damned. There is but one hope in it that can do you any good; and that is but a kind of bastard hope, neither. Jes. (c.) And what hope is that, I pray thee? Laun. Marry, you may partly hope that your father got you not, that you are not the Jew's daughter. Jes. That were a kind of bastard hope, indeed; so the sins of my mother should be visited upon me. Laun. Truly then, I fear you are damn'd both by father and mother: thus when I shun Scylla, your father, I fall into Charybdis, your mother: well, you are gone both ways. Jes. I shall be saved by my husband; he hath made me a Christian. Laun. Truly, the more to blame he: we were Christians enough before: e'en as many as could well live one by another. This making of Christians will raise the price of hogs; if we grow all to be pork-eaters, we shall not shortly have a rasher on the coals for money Jes. (R.) I'll tell my husband, Launcelot, what you say; here he comes. Enter LORENZO, R. Lor. I shall grow jealous of you shortly, Launcelot, if you thus get my wife into corners. Jes. Nay, you need not fear us, Lorenzo; Launcelot and I are out: he tells me flatly, there is no mercy for me in heaven, because I am a Jew's daughter. Lor. (c.) Go in, sirrah; bid them prepare for dinner. Laun. (R. c.) That is done, sir; they have all stomachs. Lor. Goodly lord, what a wit-snapper are you! then bid them prepare dinner. Laun. That is done too, sir; only cover is the word. Laun. Not so, sir, neither; I know my duty. Lor. Yet more quarrelling with occasion! wilt thou show the whole wealth of thy wit in an instant? I pray thee, understand a plain man in his plain meaning; go to thy fellows; bid them cover the table, serve in the meat, and we will come in to dinner. Laun. (R.) For the table, sir, it shall be served in; for the meat, sir, it shall be covered; for your coming in to dinner, sir, why let it be as humours and conceits shall govern. [Exit. R. Lor. O dear discretion, how his words are suited! The fool hath planted in his memory An army of good words: and I do know How dost thou like the lord Bassanio's wife? Lor. Even such a husband Hast thou of me, as she is for a wife. Jes. Nay, but ask my opinion too of that. DUET.-LORENZO and JESSICA. Jes. In vows of everlasting truth, You waste your idle hours, fond youth; Lor. Ah, do thyself no wrong, my dear, |