Or race of youthful and unhandled colts, Fetching mad bounds, bellowing, and neighing loud, You shall perceive them make a mutual stand, By the sweet power of music: therefore the poet Let no such man be trusted.-Mark the music. Enter PORTIA and NERISSA, at a distance. Por. That light we see is burning in my hall. How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world. Ner. When the moon shone, we did not see the candle. A substitute shines brightly as a king, Until a king be by; and then his state Ner. It is your music, madam, of the house. How many things by season season'd are Lor. [Music ceases. That is the voice, Or I am much deceiv'd, of Portia. Por. He knows me, as the blind man knows the cuckoo, By the bad voice. Lor. Dear lady, welcome home. 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 ;- [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. Por. Let me give light, but let me not be light; 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. [To NERISSA.] 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. Por. A quarrel, ho, already! what's the matter? That she did give me; whose posy was For all the world like cutler's poetry 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 scrubbèd boy, No higher than thyself, the judge's clerk; A prating boy, that begg'd it as a fee: 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 'twere to me, I should be mad at it. Bass. [Aside.] Why, I were best to cut my left hand off, And swear I lost the ring defending it. Gra. My lord Bassanio gave his ring away Unto the judge that begg'd it, and indeed Por. Por. Even so void is your false heart of truth. If you did know to whom I gave the ring, When naught would be accepted but the ring, 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: Know him I shall, I am well sure of it : Lie not a night from home; watch me like Argus : If you do not, if I be left alone, Now, by mine honour, which is yet mine own, I'll have that doctor for my bedfellow. Ner. And I his clerk; therefore be well advis'd How you do leave me to mine own protection. 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 th' 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 : 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 ; And bid him keep it better than the other. Ant. Here, lord Bassanio; swear to keep this ring. 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, Gra. Why, this is like the mending of highways In summer, when the ways are fair enough: It comes from Padua, from Bellario: There you shall find that Portia was the doctor; Shall witness I set forth as soon as you, And even but now return'd; I have not yet And I have better news in store for you |