Though You shot Gave it The cler

Enter Bassanio, Antonio, Gratiano, and their fol

lowers.
Bass. We should hold day with the Autipodes,
If you would walk in absence of the sun.

Por. Let me give light, but let me not be light;
For a light wife doth make a heavy husband,
And never be Bassanio so for me;
But God sort all !-You are welcome home, miy

lord.
Bass. I thank you, madam : give welcome to my

friend.
This is the man, this is Antonio,
To whom I am so infinitely bound.
Por. You should in all sepse be much bound to

him,
For, as I hear, he was much bound for you.

Ant. 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 scant this breathing courtesy":

[Gratiano and Nerissa seem to talk apart. Gra. By yonder moon, I swear, 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 matteri
Gra. About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring
That she did give me; whose posy was
For all the world, like cutler's poetry
Upon a knife, Love me, und leade me not.

Ner, What talk you of the posy, or the value?
You swore to me, when I did give it you,
That you would wear it till your hour of death;
And that it should lie with you in your grave:

Nor plı

That tl

You gi

An'tw

Bass

And so

Gra Untot Deser That i And n But the

Por
Notti

Bas
I wou
Hath

Por

• Verbal, complimentary form.

should hold day with the App

walk la absence of these pe give light, but let me met die fe doth make a heary basta

Bassanio so for me;

nk you, madam; gire welke

this is Antonio, so Infinitely bound. hould in all sease be much har

he was much bound for her retiran I am vell acquistella

are very welcome to our hear

sther ways than words at this breathing courtesy

no and Nerissa sen to tulip oder moon, I swear,

to the judge's clerk: elt that had it, for my path it, love, so much at het

ho, already? what's the per hoop of gold, a paltry ring mo; whose posy 78

or it till your hour of death lie with you in your grow

complimentary formie

Act :

No, not my
Know him
Lie not an
If you don
Now, by
I'll have th

Ner. Ail
How you

Gra. We Tor, if I do

Ant. La Por, Sir

You would abate the strength of your displeasure.

332

MERCHANT OF
By heaven, I will ne'er come in your bed
Until I see the ring.
Ner.

Nor I in yours,
Till I again see mine.
Buss.

Sweet Portia,
If you did know to whom I gave the ring,
If you did kuow for whom I gave the ring,
And would conceive for what I gave the ring,
And how unwillingly I left the ring,
When naught would be accepted but the ring,

Por. If you had known the virtue of the ring,
Or half her worthiness that gave the ring,
Or your own honour to contain the ring,
You would not then have parted with the ring.
What man is there so much unreasonable,
If
you

had pleas'd to have defended it,
With any terms of zeal, wanted the modesty
To urge the thing held as a ceremony?
Nerissa teaches me what to believe;
I'll die for't, but some woman had the ring.

Bass. No, by mine honour, madam, by my soul,
No woman had it, but a civil doctor,
Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me,
And begg’d the ring; the which I did deny him,
And suffer'd him to go displeas'd away;
Even he that had held up the very life

Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady?

I was enforc'd to send it after him;
I was beset with shame and courtesy ;
My honour would not let ingratitude
So much besmear it: Pardon me, good lady;
For, by these blessed candles of the night,

Por. Aud bit

Ant. Bass

Por. For by

Ner

Had you been there, I think, you would have begg'a
The ring of me to give the worthy doctor.

Por. Let not that doctor e'er come near my house:
Since he hath got the jewel that I lov'd,
And that which you did swear to keep for me,
I will become as liberal as you:
I'll yot deny him any thing I have,

.
And yet, 1
Of these e
And charge
And we w

Gra. L
That my
Whether t
Or go to be
But were t
That I wer
Well, whil
So sore, a

Of the

For that same scrubbed boy, the doctor's clerk,
In lieu of this, last night did lie with me.

Gra. Why, this is like the mending of highways
In summer, where the ways are fair enough:
What! are we cuckolds, ere we have deservd it?

Por. Speak not so grossly. You are all amaz'd:
Ilere is a letter, read it at your leisure;
It comes from Padua, from Bellario:
There you shall find, that Portia was the doctor;
Nerissa tliere, her clerk: Lorenzo here
Shall witness, I set forth as soon as you,
And but even now return'd; I have not yet
Enter'd my house.–Antonio, you are welcome;
And I have better news in store for you,
Than you expect: unseal tliis letter soon;
There you shall find, three of your argosies
Are richly come to harbour suddenly:
You shall not know by what strange accident
I chanced on this letter,
Ant.

I ain dumb.
Bass. Were you the doctor, and I knew you not!
Gra. Were you the clerk, that is to make me

cuckold?
Ner. Ay; but the clerk that never means to do it,
Unless he live until he be a inan.

Bass. Sweet doctor, you shall be my bedfellow;
When I am absent, then lie with my wife.
Ant. Sweet lady, you have given me life, and

living;
For here I read for certain, that my ships
Are safely come to road.

Por.
My clerk hatlı some good comforts too for you.

Ner. Ay, and I'll give thein him without a fee.-
There do I give to you, and Jessica,
From the rich Jew, a special deed of gift,
After his death, of all he dies possess'd of.
Ior. Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way

How now, Lorenzo ?

Of starved people.