Por. We have been praying for our husbands' welfare, Which speed, we hope, the better for our words. Give order to my servants, that they take No note at all of our being absent hence; 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; 't is 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, If you would walk in absence of the sun. Por. Let me give light, but let me not be light; 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 courtesy. [GRA. and NER. 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, Ner. What talk you of the posy, or the value? The clerk will ne'er wear hair on 's face that had it. 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, To part so slightly with your wife's first gift; A thing stuck on with oaths upon your finger, And so riveted 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 't were to me, I should be mad at it. Bass. Why, I were best to cut my left hand off, Gra. My lord Bassanio gave his ring away a [Aside. Unto the judge that begg'd it, and, indeed, 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, Sweet Portia, Till I again see mine. Bass. If you did know to whom I gave the ring, the ring, And would conceive for what I gave the ring, And how unwillingly I left the ring, When nought would be accepted but the ring, you had pleas'd to have defended it With any terms of zeal, wanted the modesty 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, a Contain and retain are here synonymous. And suffer'd him to go displeas'd away; Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady? I was beset with shame and courtesy ; My honour would not let ingratitude So much besmear it: Pardon me, good lady; Had you been there, I think, you would have begg'd 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'll not deny him anything 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; 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, 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. 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; Gra. Why, this is like the mending of highways It comes from Padua, from Bellario: There you shall find, that Portia was the doctor; Shall witness, I set forth as soon as you, You shall not know by what strange accident Bass. Were you the doctor, and I knew you not? Gra. Were you the clerk, that is to make me cuckold? |