The Merchant Of Venice

1 Enter Lorenzo and Jessica.
2 LORENZO.
3 The moon shines bright. In such a night as this,
4 When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees,
5 And they did make no noise, in such a night,
6 Troilus methinks mounted the Trojan walls,
7 And sigh’d his soul toward the Grecian tents
8 Where Cressid lay that night.
9 JESSICA.
10 In such a night
11 Did Thisbe fearfully o’ertrip the dew,
12 And saw the lion’s shadow ere himself,
13 And ran dismay’d away.
14 LORENZO.
15 In such a night
16 Stood Dido with a willow in her hand
17 Upon the wild sea-banks, and waft her love
18 To come again to Carthage.
19 JESSICA.
20 In such a night
21 Medea gathered the enchanted herbs
22 That did renew old Æson.
23 LORENZO.
24 In such a night
25 Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew,
26 And with an unthrift love did run from Venice
27 As far as Belmont.
28 JESSICA.
29 In such a night
30 Did young Lorenzo swear he loved her well,
31 Stealing her soul with many vows of faith,
32 And ne’er a true one.
33 LORENZO.
34 In such a night
35 Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew,
36 Slander her love, and he forgave it her.
37 JESSICA.
38 I would out-night you did no body come;
39 But hark, I hear the footing of a man.
40 Enter Stephano.
41 LORENZO.
42 Who comes so fast in silence of the night?
43 STEPHANO.
44 A friend.
45 LORENZO.
46 A friend! What friend? Your name, I pray you, friend?
47 STEPHANO.
48 Stephano is my name, and I bring word
49 My mistress will before the break of day
50 Be here at Belmont. She doth stray about
51 By holy crosses where she kneels and prays
52 For happy wedlock hours.
53 LORENZO.
54 Who comes with her?
55 STEPHANO.
56 None but a holy hermit and her maid.
57 I pray you is my master yet return’d?
58 LORENZO.
59 He is not, nor we have not heard from him.
60 But go we in, I pray thee, Jessica,
61 And ceremoniously let us prepare
62 Some welcome for the mistress of the house.
63 Enter Launcelet.
64 LAUNCELET. Sola, sola! wo ha, ho! sola, sola!
65 LORENZO.
66 Who calls?
67 LAUNCELET.
68 Sola! Did you see Master Lorenzo? Master Lorenzo! Sola, sola!
69 LORENZO.
70 Leave holloaing, man. Here!
71 LAUNCELET.
72 Sola! Where, where?
73 LORENZO.
74 Here!
75 LAUNCELET.
76 Tell him there’s a post come from my master with his horn full of good
77 news. My master will be here ere morning.
78 [_Exit._]
79 LORENZO.
80 Sweet soul, let’s in, and there expect their coming.
81 And yet no matter; why should we go in?
82 My friend Stephano, signify, I pray you,
83 Within the house, your mistress is at hand,
84 And bring your music forth into the air.
85 [_Exit Stephano._]
86 How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!
87 Here will we sit and let the sounds of music
88 Creep in our ears; soft stillness and the night
89 Become the touches of sweet harmony.
90 Sit, Jessica. Look how the floor of heaven
91 Is thick inlaid with patens of bright gold.
92 There’s not the smallest orb which thou behold’st
93 But in his motion like an angel sings,
94 Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins;
95 Such harmony is in immortal souls,
96 But whilst this muddy vesture of decay
97 Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.
98 Enter Musicians.
99 Come, ho! and wake Diana with a hymn.
100 With sweetest touches pierce your mistress’ ear,
101 And draw her home with music.
102 [_Music._]
103 JESSICA.
104 I am never merry when I hear sweet music.
105 LORENZO.
106 The reason is, your spirits are attentive.
107 For do but note a wild and wanton herd
108 Or race of youthful and unhandled colts,
109 Fetching mad bounds, bellowing and neighing loud,
110 Which is the hot condition of their blood,
111 If they but hear perchance a trumpet sound,
112 Or any air of music touch their ears,
113 You shall perceive them make a mutual stand,
114 Their savage eyes turn’d to a modest gaze
115 By the sweet power of music: therefore the poet
116 Did feign that Orpheus drew trees, stones, and floods,
117 Since naught so stockish, hard, and full of rage,
118 But music for the time doth change his nature.
119 The man that hath no music in himself,
120 Nor is not mov’d with concord of sweet sounds,
121 Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils;
122 The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
123 And his affections dark as Erebus.
124 Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.
125 Enter Portia and Nerissa.
126 PORTIA.
127 That light we see is burning in my hall.
128 How far that little candle throws his beams!
129 So shines a good deed in a naughty world.
130 NERISSA.
131 When the moon shone we did not see the candle.
132 PORTIA.
133 So doth the greater glory dim the less.
134 A substitute shines brightly as a king
135 Until a king be by, and then his state
136 Empties itself, as doth an inland brook
137 Into the main of waters. Music! hark!
138 NERISSA.
139 It is your music, madam, of the house.
140 PORTIA.
141 Nothing is good, I see, without respect.
142 Methinks it sounds much sweeter than by day.
143 NERISSA.
144 Silence bestows that virtue on it, madam.
145 PORTIA.
146 The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark
147 When neither is attended; and I think
148 The nightingale, if she should sing by day
149 When every goose is cackling, would be thought
150 No better a musician than the wren.
151 How many things by season season’d are
152 To their right praise and true perfection!
153 Peace! How the moon sleeps with Endymion,
154 And would not be awak’d!
155 [_Music ceases._]
156 LORENZO.
157 That is the voice,
158 Or I am much deceiv’d, of Portia.
159 PORTIA.
160 He knows me as the blind man knows the cuckoo,
161 By the bad voice.
162 LORENZO.
163 Dear lady, welcome home.
164 PORTIA.
165 We have been praying for our husbands’ welfare,
166 Which speed, we hope, the better for our words.
167 Are they return’d?
168 LORENZO.
169 Madam, they are not yet;
170 But there is come a messenger before
171 To signify their coming.
172 PORTIA.
173 Go in, Nerissa.
174 Give order to my servants, that they take
175 No note at all of our being absent hence,
176 Nor you, Lorenzo; Jessica, nor you.
177 [_A tucket sounds._]
178 LORENZO.
179 Your husband is at hand, I hear his trumpet.
180 We are no tell-tales, madam, fear you not.
181 PORTIA.
182 This night methinks is but the daylight sick,
183 It looks a little paler. ’Tis a day
184 Such as the day is when the sun is hid.
185 Enter Bassanio, Antonio, Gratiano and their Followers.
186 BASSANIO.
187 We should hold day with the Antipodes,
188 If you would walk in absence of the sun.
189 PORTIA.
190 Let me give light, but let me not be light,
191 For a light wife doth make a heavy husband,
192 And never be Bassanio so for me.
193 But God sort all! You are welcome home, my lord.
194 BASSANIO.
195 I thank you, madam. Give welcome to my friend.
196 This is the man, this is Antonio,
197 To whom I am so infinitely bound.
198 PORTIA.
199 You should in all sense be much bound to him,
200 For, as I hear, he was much bound for you.
201 ANTONIO.
202 No more than I am well acquitted of.
203 PORTIA.
204 Sir, you are very welcome to our house.
205 It must appear in other ways than words,
206 Therefore I scant this breathing courtesy.
207 GRATIANO.
208 [_To Nerissa_.] By yonder moon I swear you do me wrong,
209 In faith, I gave it to the judge’s clerk.
210 Would he were gelt that had it, for my part,
211 Since you do take it, love, so much at heart.
212 PORTIA.
213 A quarrel, ho, already! What’s the matter?
214 GRATIANO.
215 About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring
216 That she did give me, whose posy was
217 For all the world like cutlers’ poetry
218 Upon a knife, “Love me, and leave me not.”
219 NERISSA.
220 What talk you of the posy, or the value?
221 You swore to me when I did give it you,
222 That you would wear it till your hour of death,
223 And that it should lie with you in your grave.
224 Though not for me, yet for your vehement oaths,
225 You should have been respective and have kept it.
226 Gave it a judge’s clerk! No, God’s my judge,
227 The clerk will ne’er wear hair on’s face that had it.
228 GRATIANO.
229 He will, and if he live to be a man.
230 NERISSA.
231 Ay, if a woman live to be a man.
232 GRATIANO.
233 Now, by this hand, I gave it to a youth,
234 A kind of boy, a little scrubbed boy,
235 No higher than thyself, the judge’s clerk,
236 A prating boy that begg’d it as a fee,
237 I could not for my heart deny it him.
238 PORTIA.
239 You were to blame,—I must be plain with you,—
240 To part so slightly with your wife’s first gift,
241 A thing stuck on with oaths upon your finger,
242 And so riveted with faith unto your flesh.
243 I gave my love a ring, and made him swear
244 Never to part with it, and here he stands.
245 I dare be sworn for him he would not leave it
246 Nor pluck it from his finger for the wealth
247 That the world masters. Now, in faith, Gratiano,
248 You give your wife too unkind a cause of grief,
249 An ’twere to me I should be mad at it.
250 BASSANIO.
251 [_Aside._] Why, I were best to cut my left hand off,
252 And swear I lost the ring defending it.
253 GRATIANO.
254 My Lord Bassanio gave his ring away
255 Unto the judge that begg’d it, and indeed
256 Deserv’d it too. And then the boy, his clerk,
257 That took some pains in writing, he begg’d mine,
258 And neither man nor master would take aught
259 But the two rings.
260 PORTIA.
261 What ring gave you, my lord?
262 Not that, I hope, which you receiv’d of me.
263 BASSANIO.
264 If I could add a lie unto a fault,
265 I would deny it, but you see my finger
266 Hath not the ring upon it, it is gone.
267 PORTIA.
268 Even so void is your false heart of truth.
269 By heaven, I will ne’er come in your bed
270 Until I see the ring.
271 NERISSA.
272 Nor I in yours
273 Till I again see mine!
274 BASSANIO.
275 Sweet Portia,
276 If you did know to whom I gave the ring,
277 If you did know for whom I gave the ring,
278 And would conceive for what I gave the ring,
279 And how unwillingly I left the ring,
280 When nought would be accepted but the ring,
281 You would abate the strength of your displeasure.
282 PORTIA.
283 If you had known the virtue of the ring,
284 Or half her worthiness that gave the ring,
285 Or your own honour to contain the ring,
286 You would not then have parted with the ring.
287 What man is there so much unreasonable,
288 If you had pleas’d to have defended it
289 With any terms of zeal, wanted the modesty
290 To urge the thing held as a ceremony?
291 Nerissa teaches me what to believe:
292 I’ll die for’t but some woman had the ring.
293 BASSANIO.
294 No, by my honour, madam, by my soul,
295 No woman had it, but a civil doctor,
296 Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me,
297 And begg’d the ring, the which I did deny him,
298 And suffer’d him to go displeas’d away,
299 Even he that had held up the very life
300 Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady?
301 I was enforc’d to send it after him.
302 I was beset with shame and courtesy.
303 My honour would not let ingratitude
304 So much besmear it. Pardon me, good lady;
305 For by these blessed candles of the night,
306 Had you been there, I think you would have begg’d
307 The ring of me to give the worthy doctor.
308 PORTIA.
309 Let not that doctor e’er come near my house,
310 Since he hath got the jewel that I loved,
311 And that which you did swear to keep for me,
312 I will become as liberal as you,
313 I’ll not deny him anything I have,
314 No, not my body, nor my husband’s bed.
315 Know him I shall, I am well sure of it.
316 Lie not a night from home. Watch me like Argus,
317 If you do not, if I be left alone,
318 Now by mine honour which is yet mine own,
319 I’ll have that doctor for mine bedfellow.
320 NERISSA.
321 And I his clerk. Therefore be well advis’d
322 How you do leave me to mine own protection.
323 GRATIANO.
324 Well, do you so. Let not me take him then,
325 For if I do, I’ll mar the young clerk’s pen.
326 ANTONIO.
327 I am th’ unhappy subject of these quarrels.
328 PORTIA.
329 Sir, grieve not you. You are welcome notwithstanding.
330 BASSANIO.
331 Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong,
332 And in the hearing of these many friends
333 I swear to thee, even by thine own fair eyes,
334 Wherein I see myself—
335 PORTIA.
336 Mark you but that!
337 In both my eyes he doubly sees himself,
338 In each eye one. Swear by your double self,
339 And there’s an oath of credit.
340 BASSANIO.
341 Nay, but hear me.
342 Pardon this fault, and by my soul I swear
343 I never more will break an oath with thee.
344 ANTONIO.
345 I once did lend my body for his wealth,
346 Which but for him that had your husband’s ring
347 Had quite miscarried. I dare be bound again,
348 My soul upon the forfeit, that your lord
349 Will never more break faith advisedly.
350 PORTIA.
351 Then you shall be his surety. Give him this,
352 And bid him keep it better than the other.
353 ANTONIO.
354 Here, Lord Bassanio, swear to keep this ring.
355 BASSANIO.
356 By heaven, it is the same I gave the doctor!
357 PORTIA.
358 I had it of him: pardon me, Bassanio,
359 For by this ring, the doctor lay with me.
360 NERISSA.
361 And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano,
362 For that same scrubbed boy, the doctor’s clerk,
363 In lieu of this, last night did lie with me.
364 GRATIANO.
365 Why, this is like the mending of highways
366 In summer, where the ways are fair enough.
367 What, are we cuckolds ere we have deserv’d it?
368 PORTIA.
369 Speak not so grossly. You are all amaz’d.
370 Here is a letter; read it at your leisure.
371 It comes from Padua from Bellario.
372 There you shall find that Portia was the doctor,
373 Nerissa there, her clerk. Lorenzo here
374 Shall witness I set forth as soon as you,
375 And even but now return’d. I have not yet
376 Enter’d my house. Antonio, you are welcome,
377 And I have better news in store for you
378 Than you expect: unseal this letter soon.
379 There you shall find three of your argosies
380 Are richly come to harbour suddenly.
381 You shall not know by what strange accident
382 I chanced on this letter.
383 ANTONIO.
384 I am dumb.
385 BASSANIO.
386 Were you the doctor, and I knew you not?
387 GRATIANO.
388 Were you the clerk that is to make me cuckold?
389 NERISSA.
390 Ay, but the clerk that never means to do it,
391 Unless he live until he be a man.
392 BASSANIO.
393 Sweet doctor, you shall be my bedfellow.
394 When I am absent, then lie with my wife.
395 ANTONIO.
396 Sweet lady, you have given me life and living;
397 For here I read for certain that my ships
398 Are safely come to road.
399 PORTIA.
400 How now, Lorenzo!
401 My clerk hath some good comforts too for you.
402 NERISSA.
403 Ay, and I’ll give them him without a fee.
404 There do I give to you and Jessica,
405 From the rich Jew, a special deed of gift,
406 After his death, of all he dies possess’d of.
407 LORENZO.
408 Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way
409 Of starved people.
410 PORTIA.
411 It is almost morning,
412 And yet I am sure you are not satisfied
413 Of these events at full. Let us go in,
414 And charge us there upon inter’gatories,
415 And we will answer all things faithfully.
416 GRATIANO.
417 Let it be so. The first inter’gatory
418 That my Nerissa shall be sworn on is,
419 Whether till the next night she had rather stay,
420 Or go to bed now, being two hours to day.
421 But were the day come, I should wish it dark
422 Till I were couching with the doctor’s clerk.
423 Well, while I live, I’ll fear no other thing
424 So sore as keeping safe Nerissa’s ring.
425 [_Exeunt._]