the very devil incarnation, 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. Enter old GOBBO, with a basket. Gob. Master, young man, you, I pray you, which is the way to Master Jew's? 530 Laun. [Aside.] O heavens, this is my true-begotten father, who, being more than sand-blind, high gravel-blind, knows me not:-I will try confusions with him. 535 Gob. Master, young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to Master Jew's? Laun. Turn up on your right hand at the next turning, but at the next turning of all, on your left; marry, at the very next turning, turn of no hand, but turn down indirectly to the Jew's 540 house. Gob. By God's sonties, 'twill be a hard way to hit. Can you tell me, whether one Launcelot, that dwells with him, dwell with him, or no? Laun. Talk you of young Master Launcelot ?-[Aside.] Mark 545 me now; now will I raise the waters.-[To him.] Talk you of young Master Launcelot? Gob. No master, sir, but a poor man's son: his father, though I say it, is an honest exceeding poor man; and, God be thanked, well to live. Laun. Well, let his father be what a will, we talk of young Master Launcelot. Gob. Your worship's friend, and Launcelot, sir. Laun. But I pray you, ergo, old man, ergo, I beseech you, talk you of young Master Launcelot ? Gob. Of Launcelot, an't please your mastership. 550 555 Laun. Ergo, Master Launcelot. Talk not of Master Launcelot, father; for the young gentleman (according to Fates and Destinies, and such odd sayings, the Sisters Three, and such branches of learning) is, indeed, deceased; or, as you would say, in plain 560 terms, gone to heaven. Gob. Marry, God forbid! the boy was the very staff of my age, my very prop. Laun. Do I look like a cudgel, or a hovel-post, a staff, or a prop? Do you know me, father? 565 Gob. Alack the day! I know you not, young 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 570 knowing me; it is a wise father that knows his own child. Well, old man, I will tell you news of your son. [Kneels.] Give me your blessing. 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 Launce- 575 lot, 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. 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. 580 Gob. Her name is Margery, indeed: I'll be sworn, if thou be Launcelot, thou art mine own flesh and blood. Lord worshipped 585 might he be! what a beard hast thou got; thou hast got more hair on thy chin, than Dobbin my fill-horse has on his tail. Laun. 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 doest thou and thy master agree? I have brought him a present. How gree you now? 590 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. 595 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 any ground. 600 -O rare fortune, here comes the man :-to him, father; for I am a Jew, if I serve the Jew any longer. Enter BASSANIO, with LEONARDO, and other Followers. Bass. You may do so, but let it be so hasted, that supper be ready at the farthest by five of the clock. See these letters de livered, put the liveries to making, and desire Gratiano to come 605 anon to my lodging. Laun. To him, father. [Exit a Servant. Bass. Gramercy. Wouldst thou aught with me? Gob. God bless your worship! Gob. Here's my son, sir, a poor boy, Laun. Not a poor boy, sir, but the rich Jew's man, that would, sir, as my father shall specify,— Gob. He hath a great infection, sir, as one would say, to serve 610 Laun. Indeed, the short and the long is, I serve the Jew, and 615 have a desire, - -as my father shall specify,— 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 620 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 625 it, though old man, yet poor man, my father. 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 obtained thy suit: Shylock, thy master, spoke with me this day, And hath preferred thee, if it be preferment To leave a rich Jew's service, to become The follower of so poor a gentleman. 630 Laun. The old proverb is very well parted between my master 635 Shylock and you, sir: you have the grace of God, sir, and he hath enough. Bass. Thou speak'st it well. Go, father, with thy son. Take leave of thy old master, and inquire My lodging out. [To his Followers.] Give him a livery 640 618. Cater-cousins.--Word of doubtful origin-meaning cousins in a remote degree. 641. Guarded.-Laced--ornamented; the trimming is supposed to guard the edge from being worn. 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, 645 here's a small trifle of wives, alas, fifteen wives is nothing; eleven 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, 650 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. My best-esteemed acquaintance: hie thee, go. Enter GRATIANO. Yonder, sir, he walks. [Exit. Gra. Where is your master? 655 Leon. Gra. Signior Bassanio, Bass. Gratiano. Gra. I have a suit to you. Bass. You have obtained it. Gra. You must not deny me: I must go with you to Belmont. 660 Bass. Why, then you must. But hear thee, Gratiano : Thou art too wild, too rude, and bold of voice; Parts, that become thee happily enough, And in such eyes as ours appear not faults, 665 But where thou art not known, why, there they show Something too liberal. Pray thee, take pain To allay with some cold drops of modesty Thy skipping spirit, lest, through thy wild behaviour, 670 And lose my hopes. Gra. If I do not put on a sober habit, 644. Table.-I. e., the palm of his hand where he reads his fortune. Furness, following Allen's note, punctuates this with an exclamation after table, understanding the which," used like the Latin as a causal relative. The sense then is "for it doth offer to swear," etc. Signior Bassanio, hear me : Talk with respect, and swear but now and then, 675 Thus with my hat, and sigh, and say amen, Like one well studied in a sad ostent To please his grandam, never trust me more. Bass. Well, we shall see your bearing. 680 Gra. Nay, but I bar to-night; you shall not gage me By what we do to-night. No, that were pity. Bass. I would entreat you rather to put on Your boldest suit of mirth, for we have friends 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. 685 Jes. I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so: 690 And, Launcelot, soon at supper shalt thou see 695 And so farewell; I would not have my father See me in talk with thee. Laun. Adieu!-tears exhibit my tongue.-Most beautiful pagan, most sweet Jew, adieu! these foolish drops do somewhat drown my manly spirit: adieu ! 700 [Exit LAUNCelot. Jes. Farewell, good Launcelot.- But though I am a daughter to his blood, I am not to his manners. O Lorenzo, 676. Hat.-In Shakespeare's time, hats were worn at meals. 705 |