SCENE II. Venice. A street. {Por. In terms of choice I am not solely led By nice1 direction of a maiden's eyes; Besides, the lottery of my destiny 14 Bars me the right of voluntary choosing: you, Yourself, renowned prince, then stood as fair As any comer I have look'd on yet For my affection. 21 Mor. Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey, 29 Por. You must take your chance; And either not attempt to choose at all, Or swear before you choose,-if you choose wrong, Never to speak to lady afterward 40 In way of marriage: therefore be advis'd." Mor. Nor will not.8 Come, bring me unto my chance. Por. First, forward to the temple: after dinner Your hazard shall be made. Enter LAUNCELOT. Laun. Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew my master. The fiend is at mine elbow, and tempts me, saying to me, "Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot," or "good Gobbo," or "good Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away." My conscience says, "No; take heed, honest Launcelot; take heed, honest Gobbo," or, as aforesaid, “honest Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; scorn running with thy heels." Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack:9 “Via!”1o says the fiend; "away!" says the fiend; "for the heavens, rouse up a brave mind," says the fiend, "and run. Well, my conscience, hanging about the neck of my heart, says very wisely to me, "My honest friend Launcelot, being an honest man's son," or rather an honest woman's son-for, indeed, my father did something smack, something grow to," he had a kind of taste; well, my conscience says, "Launcelot, budge not." "Budge," says the fiend. “Budge not," says my conscience. Conscience, say I, you counsel well; fiend, say I, you counsel well to be ruled by my conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master, who-God bless the mark-is a kind of devil; and, to run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the fiend, who, saving your reverence, is the devil himself. Certainly the Jew is the very devil incarnation; 12 and, in my conscience, my conscience is but a kind of hard conscience, to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more friendly counsel: I will run, fiend; my heels are at your commandment; I will run. 34 Enter Old GOBBO, with a basket. Gob. Master young man, you, I pray you, which is the way to master Jew's? Laun. [Aside] O heavens, this is my truebegotten father! who, being more than sand 9 Bids me pack, bids me be off 10 Via! (Italian) go ou! 11 Grow to, ie. taste ke burnt milk 12 Incarnation, i.e. incarnate. Laun. Turn up on your right hand at the next turning, but, at the next turning of all, on your left.-(Act ii. 2. 42-44.) 75 gentleman: but, I pray you, tell me, is my boy-God rest his soul!-alive or dead? Laun. Do you not know me, father? Gob. Alack, sir, I am sand-blind; I know you not. Laun. Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the knowing me: it is a wise father that knows his own child. Well, old man, I will tell you news of your son: give me your blessing [kneels, with his back to Gobbo]: truth will come to light; murder cannot be hid long, a man's son may; but, in the end, truth will out. Gob. Pray you, sir, stand up: I am sure you are not Launcelot, my boy. Laun. Pray you, let's have no more fooling about it, but give me your blessing: I am Launcelot, your boy that was, your son that is, your child that shall be. 91 Gob. I cannot think you are my son. Laun. I know not what I shall think of that: but I am Launcelot, the Jew's man; and I am sure Margery your wife is my mother. Gob. Her name is Margery, indeed: I'll be sworn, if thou be Launcelot, thou art mine own flesh and blood. [Taking hold of Launcelot's back hair] Lord worshipped might he be! what a beard hast thou got! thou hast got more hair on thy chin than Dobbin my fillhorse1 has on his tail. 101 Laun. [Rising] It should seem, then, that Dobbin's tail grows backward; I am sure he had more hair of his tail than I have of my face when I last saw him. Gob. Lord, how art thou changed! How dost thou and thy master agree? I have brought him a present. How gree2 you now? Laun. Well, well: but, for mine own part, as I have set up my rest to run away, so I will not rest till I have run some ground. My master's a very Jew: give him a present! give him a halter: I am famished in his service; you may tell every finger I have with my ribs. Father, I am glad you are come: give me your present to one Master Bassanio, who, indeed, gives rare new liveries: if I serve not him, I will run as far as God has Bass. You may do so;-but let it be so hasted, that supper be ready at the furthest by five of the clock. See these letters delivered; put the liveries to making; and desire Gratiano to come anon3 to my lodging. [Exit a Servant. Laun. To him, father. Bass. Gramercy:4 wouldst thou aught with me? Gob. Here's my son, sir, a poor boy,— 129 Laun. Not a poor boy, sir, but the rich Jew's man; that would, sir, shall specify, as my father Gob. He hath a great infection,5 sir, as one would say, to serve, Laun. Indeed, the short and the long is, I serve the Jew, and have a desire, -as my father shall specify, 137 Gob. His master and he-saving your worship's reverence-are scarce cater-cousins,— Laun. To be brief, the very truth is, that the Jew having done me wrong, doth cause me,- -as my father, being, I hope, an old man, shall frutify unto you, Gob. I have here a dish of doves that I would bestow upon your worship; and my suit is, Laun. In very brief, the suit is impertinent to myself, as your worship shall know by this honest old man; and, though I say it, though old man, yet, poor man, my father. 149 Bass. One speak for both.-What would you? Laun. Serve you, sir. Gob. That is the very defect of the matter, sir. Bass. I know thee well; thou hast obtain'd thy suit: Shylock thy master spoke with me this day, And hath preferr'd thee--if it be preferment More guarded1 than his fellows': see it done. Laun. Father, in.-I cannot get a service, no;-I have ne'er a tongue in my head.-Well [looking on his palm], if any man in Italy have a fairer table," which doth offer to swear upon a book. I shall have good fortune!-Go to, here's a simple line of life! here's a small trifle of wives! alas, fifteen wives is nothing! aleven3 widows and nine maids is a simple coming-in for one man; and then to scape drowning thrice, and to be in peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed, - here are simple scapes! Well, if Fortune be a woman, she's a good wench for this gear.+-Father, come; I'll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling of an eye. [Exeunt Launcelot and Old Gobbo. Bass. I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this: These things being bought and orderly bestow'd, I would entreat you rather to put on Gra. And I must to Lorenzo and the rest: But we will visit you at supper-time. [Exeunt. [SCENE III. The same. A room in Shylock's house. Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT. Jes. I'm sorry thou wilt leave my father so: Our house is hell; and thou, a merry devil, Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness. But fare thee well; there is a ducat for thee: And, Launcelot, soon at supper shalt thou see Lorenzo, who is thy new master's guest: Give him this letter; do it secretly;— 5 Liberal, free, bold. 6 Thy skipping spirit, i.e. thy too lively disposition. 7 Respect, decency, sobriety. 8 A sad ostent, a show of seriousness. |