LAUN. Sola! where? where? LOR. Here. LAUN. Tell him, there's a poft come from my master, with his horn full of good news. My mafter will be here ere morning. [Exit Stephano. LOR. Sweet love, lets in, and there expect their coming. Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubims; Doth grofly close us in, we cannot hear it. Come, ho, and wake Diana with a hymn; JES. I'm never weary, when I hear fweet mufick. LOR. The reafon is, your fpirits are attentive; For do but note a wild and wanton herd, Which is the hot condition of their blood, [Mufick If they perchance but hear a trumpet found, By the fweet power of mufick. Therefore, the poet Let no fuch man be trusted.- -Mark the mufick. POR. That light we fee, is burning in my hall : So fhines a good deed in a naughty world. NER. When the moon fhone, we did not fee the candle. POR. So doth the greater glory dim the less: A fubftitute fhines brightly as a king, Until a king be by; and then his state NER. It is your musick, madam, of the house. No better a mufician than the wren. How many things by season season'd are LOR. That is the voice, Or I am much deceiv'd, of Portia. [Mufick ceases. POR. He knows me, as the blind man knows the cuc kow, By the bad voice. LOR. Dear lady, welcome home. POR. We have been praying for our husband's healths; Which speed, we hope, the better for our words. Are they return'd? LOR. Madam, they are not yet; But there is come a meffenger before, To fignify their coming. POR. Go, Nerissa, Give order to my fervants, that they take No note at all of our being abfent hence, -Nor you, Lorenzo; Jeffica, 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 day-light fick; It looks a little paler; 'tis a day, Such as the day is when the fun is hid. Enter Baffanio, Anthonio, Gratiano, and their followers. BASS. We should hold day with the Antipodes, If you would walk in absence of the fun. POR. Let me give light, but let not me be light; But God fort all!-you're welcome home, my lord. BASS. I thank you, madam, give welcome to my friend. This is the man, this is Anthonio, To whom I am so infinitely bound. POR. You should in all fense be much bound to him; For, as I hear, he was much bound for you. ANTH. 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 fcant this breathing courtesy. [Gratiano and Neriffa seem to talk apart. GRA. By yonder moon, I fwear, 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? Upon a knife; "Love me, and leave me not." That NER. Ay, if a woman live to be a man. A kind of boy -a little fcrubbed boy, No higher than thyfelf-the judge's clerk- I could not for my heart deny it him. POR. You were to blame, I must be plain with you, 1 gave my love a ring, and made him fwear I dare be sworn for him, he would not leave it, BASS. Why, I were beft to cut my left hand off, GRA. My lord Baffanio gave his ring away Unto the judge that begg'd it, and, indeed, That took fome pains in writing, he begg'd mine; POR. What ring gave you, my lord? I would deny it; but you fee my finger POR. Even fo void is your false heart of truth, Until I fee the ring. NER. Nor I in yours, "Till I again fee mine. [Afide. |