The Merchant Of Venice

1 Enter Launcelet Gobbo, the clown, alone.
2 LAUNCELET.
3 Certainly my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew my master.
4 The fiend is at mine elbow and tempts me, saying to me “Gobbo,
5 Launcelet Gobbo, good Launcelet” or “good Gobbo,” or “good Launcelet
6 Gobbo, use your legs, take the start, run away.” My conscience says
7 “No; take heed, honest Launcelet, take heed, honest Gobbo” or, as
8 aforesaid, “honest Launcelet Gobbo, do not run, scorn running with thy
9 heels.” Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack. “Fia!” says the
10 fiend, “away!” says the fiend. “For the heavens, rouse up a brave
11 mind,” says the fiend, “and run.” Well, my conscience, hanging about
12 the neck of my heart, says very wisely to me “My honest friend
13 Launcelet, being an honest man’s son”—or rather an honest woman’s son,
14 for indeed my father did something smack, something grow to, he had a
15 kind of taste;—well, my conscience says “Launcelet, budge not.”
16 “Budge,” says the fiend. “Budge not,” says my conscience. “Conscience,”
17 say I, “you counsel well.” “Fiend,” say I, “you counsel well.” To be
18 ruled by my conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master, who, (God
19 bless the mark) is a kind of devil; and, to run away from the Jew, I
20 should be ruled by the fiend, who (saving your reverence) is the devil
21 himself. Certainly the Jew is the very devil incarnation, and, in my
22 conscience, my conscience is but a kind of hard conscience, to offer to
23 counsel me to stay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more friendly
24 counsel. I will run, fiend, my heels are at your commandment, I will
25 run.
26 Enter Old Gobbo with a basket.
27 GOBBO.
28 Master young man, you, I pray you; which is the way to Master Jew’s?
29 LAUNCELET.
30 [_Aside._] O heavens, this is my true-begotten father, who being more
31 than sand-blind, high-gravel blind, knows me not. I will try confusions
32 with him.
33 GOBBO.
34 Master young gentleman, I pray you, which is the way to Master Jew’s?
35 LAUNCELET.
36 Turn up on your right hand at the next turning, but at the next turning
37 of all on your left; marry, at the very next turning, turn of no hand,
38 but turn down indirectly to the Jew’s house.
39 GOBBO.
40 Be God’s sonties, ’twill be a hard way to hit. Can you tell me whether
41 one Launcelet, that dwells with him, dwell with him or no?
42 LAUNCELET.
43 Talk you of young Master Launcelet? [_Aside._] Mark me now, now will I
44 raise the waters. Talk you of young Master Launcelet?
45 GOBBO.
46 No master, sir, but a poor man’s son, his father, though I say’t, is an
47 honest exceeding poor man, and, God be thanked, well to live.
48 LAUNCELET.
49 Well, let his father be what he will, we talk of young Master
50 Launcelet.
51 GOBBO.
52 Your worship’s friend, and Launcelet, sir.
53 LAUNCELET.
54 But I pray you, _ergo_, old man, _ergo_, I beseech you, talk you of
55 young Master Launcelet?
56 GOBBO.
57 Of Launcelet, an’t please your mastership.
58 LAUNCELET.
59 _Ergo_, Master Launcelet. Talk not of Master Launcelet, father, for the
60 young gentleman, according to Fates and Destinies, and such odd
61 sayings, the Sisters Three and such branches of learning, is indeed
62 deceased, or, as you would say in plain terms, gone to heaven.
63 GOBBO.
64 Marry, God forbid! The boy was the very staff of my age, my very prop.
65 LAUNCELET.
66 [_Aside._] Do I look like a cudgel or a hovel-post, a staff or a prop?
67 Do you know me, father?
68 GOBBO.
69 Alack the day! I know you not, young gentleman, but I pray you tell me,
70 is my boy, God rest his soul, alive or dead?
71 LAUNCELET.
72 Do you not know me, father?
73 GOBBO.
74 Alack, sir, I am sand-blind, I know you not.
75 LAUNCELET.
76 Nay, indeed, if you had your eyes, you might fail of the knowing me: it
77 is a wise father that knows his own child. Well, old man, I will tell
78 you news of your son. Give me your blessing, truth will come to light,
79 murder cannot be hid long, a man’s son may, but in the end truth will
80 out.
81 GOBBO.
82 Pray you, sir, stand up, I am sure you are not Launcelet my boy.
83 LAUNCELET.
84 Pray you, let’s have no more fooling about it, but give me your
85 blessing. I am Launcelet, your boy that was, your son that is, your
86 child that shall be.
87 GOBBO.
88 I cannot think you are my son.
89 LAUNCELET.
90 I know not what I shall think of that; but I am Launcelet, the Jew’s
91 man, and I am sure Margery your wife is my mother.
92 GOBBO.
93 Her name is Margery, indeed. I’ll be sworn if thou be Launcelet, thou
94 art mine own flesh and blood. Lord worshipped might he be, what a beard
95 hast thou got! Thou hast got more hair on thy chin than Dobbin my
96 fill-horse has on his tail.
97 LAUNCELET.
98 It should seem, then, that Dobbin’s tail grows backward. I am sure he
99 had more hair on his tail than I have on my face when I last saw him.
100 GOBBO.
101 Lord, how art thou changed! How dost thou and thy master agree? I have
102 brought him a present. How ’gree you now?
103 LAUNCELET.
104 Well, well. But for mine own part, as I have set up my rest to run
105 away, so I will not rest till I have run some ground. My master’s a
106 very Jew. Give him a present! Give him a halter. I am famished in his
107 service. You may tell every finger I have with my ribs. Father, I am
108 glad you are come, give me your present to one Master Bassanio, who
109 indeed gives rare new liveries. If I serve not him, I will run as far
110 as God has any ground. O rare fortune, here comes the man! To him,
111 father; for I am a Jew, if I serve the Jew any longer.
112 Enter Bassanio with Leonardo and a follower or two.
113 BASSANIO.
114 You may do so, but let it be so hasted that supper be ready at the
115 farthest by five of the clock. See these letters delivered, put the
116 liveries to making, and desire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging.
117 [_Exit a Servant._]
118 LAUNCELET.
119 To him, father.
120 GOBBO.
121 God bless your worship!
122 BASSANIO.
123 Gramercy, wouldst thou aught with me?
124 GOBBO.
125 Here’s my son, sir, a poor boy.
126 LAUNCELET.
127 Not a poor boy, sir, but the rich Jew’s man, that would, sir, as my
128 father shall specify.
129 GOBBO.
130 He hath a great infection, sir, as one would say, to serve.
131 LAUNCELET.
132 Indeed the short and the long is, I serve the Jew, and have a desire,
133 as my father shall specify.
134 GOBBO.
135 His master and he (saving your worship’s reverence) are scarce
136 cater-cousins.
137 LAUNCELET.
138 To be brief, the very truth is that the Jew, having done me wrong, doth
139 cause me, as my father, being I hope an old man, shall frutify unto
140 you.
141 GOBBO.
142 I have here a dish of doves that I would bestow upon your worship, and
143 my suit is—
144 LAUNCELET.
145 In very brief, the suit is impertinent to myself, as your worship shall
146 know by this honest old man, and though I say it, though old man, yet
147 poor man, my father.
148 BASSANIO.
149 One speak for both. What would you?
150 LAUNCELET.
151 Serve you, sir.
152 GOBBO.
153 That is the very defect of the matter, sir.
154 BASSANIO.
155 I know thee well; thou hast obtain’d thy suit.
156 Shylock thy master spoke with me this day,
157 And hath preferr’d thee, if it be preferment
158 To leave a rich Jew’s service to become
159 The follower of so poor a gentleman.
160 LAUNCELET.
161 The old proverb is very well parted between my master Shylock and you,
162 sir: you have “the grace of God”, sir, and he hath “enough”.
163 BASSANIO.
164 Thou speak’st it well. Go, father, with thy son.
165 Take leave of thy old master, and inquire
166 My lodging out. [_To a Servant._] Give him a livery
167 More guarded than his fellows’; see it done.
168 LAUNCELET.
169 Father, in. I cannot get a service, no! I have ne’er a tongue in my
170 head! [_Looking on his palm._] Well, if any man in Italy have a fairer
171 table which doth offer to swear upon a book, I shall have good fortune;
172 go to, here’s a simple line of life. Here’s a small trifle of wives,
173 alas, fifteen wives is nothing; eleven widows and nine maids is a
174 simple coming-in for one man. And then to scape drowning thrice, and to
175 be in peril of my life with the edge of a feather-bed; here are simple
176 ’scapes. Well, if Fortune be a woman, she’s a good wench for this gear.
177 Father, come; I’ll take my leave of the Jew in the twinkling.
178 [_Exeunt Launcelet and Old Gobbo._]
179 BASSANIO.
180 I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this.
181 These things being bought and orderly bestow’d,
182 Return in haste, for I do feast tonight
183 My best esteem’d acquaintance; hie thee, go.
184 LEONARDO.
185 My best endeavours shall be done herein.
186 Enter Gratiano.
187 GRATIANO.
188 Where’s your master?
189 LEONARDO.
190 Yonder, sir, he walks.
191 [_Exit._]
192 GRATIANO.
193 Signior Bassanio!
194 BASSANIO.
195 Gratiano!
196 GRATIANO.
197 I have suit to you.
198 BASSANIO.
199 You have obtain’d it.
200 GRATIANO.
201 You must not deny me, I must go with you to Belmont.
202 BASSANIO.
203 Why, then you must. But hear thee, Gratiano,
204 Thou art too wild, too rude, and bold of voice,
205 Parts that become thee happily enough,
206 And in such eyes as ours appear not faults;
207 But where thou art not known, why there they show
208 Something too liberal. Pray thee, take pain
209 To allay with some cold drops of modesty
210 Thy skipping spirit, lest through thy wild behaviour
211 I be misconst’red in the place I go to,
212 And lose my hopes.
213 GRATIANO.
214 Signior Bassanio, hear me.
215 If I do not put on a sober habit,
216 Talk with respect, and swear but now and then,
217 Wear prayer-books in my pocket, look demurely,
218 Nay more, while grace is saying, hood mine eyes
219 Thus with my hat, and sigh, and say “amen”;
220 Use all the observance of civility
221 Like one well studied in a sad ostent
222 To please his grandam, never trust me more.
223 BASSANIO.
224 Well, we shall see your bearing.
225 GRATIANO.
226 Nay, but I bar tonight, you shall not gauge me
227 By what we do tonight.
228 BASSANIO.
229 No, that were pity.
230 I would entreat you rather to put on
231 Your boldest suit of mirth, for we have friends
232 That purpose merriment. But fare you well,
233 I have some business.
234 GRATIANO.
235 And I must to Lorenzo and the rest,
236 But we will visit you at supper-time.
237 [_Exeunt._]