If would walk in absence of the sun. you 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, my 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 sense 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. Gra. [To NERISSA.] 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, 8 you, Ner. What talk you of the poesy, or the value? The clerk will ne'er wear hair on's face, that had it. 8 9 - like cutlers' poetry] i. e. The poetry cutlers inscribed upon knives. till YOUR hour of death,] The folio reads "till the hour of death:" both quartos your. 1 — no, God's my judge,] This is the oldest reading, as it stands in the two quartos. The folio, perhaps in consequence of the statute of James I., substituted "but well I know." 7 Gra. He will, an if he live to be a man. Ner. Ay, if a woman live to be a man. Gra. Now, by this hand, I gave it to a youth, No higher than thyself, the judge's clerk ; I could not for my heart deny it him. Por. You were to blame, I must be plain with you, To part so slightly with your wife's first gift; A thing stuck on with oaths upon your finger, And so riveted with faith unto your flesh. I gave my love a ring, and made him swear Never to part with it; and here he stands : I dare be sworn for him, he would not leave it, Nor pluck it from his finger for the wealth That the world masters. Now, in faith, Gratiano, You give your wife too unkind a cause of grief: An 'twere to me, I should be mad at it. Bass. [Aside.] Why, I were best to cut my left hand off, And swear I lost the ring defending it. Gra. My lord Bassanio gave his ring away Por. What ring, gave you, my lord? Not that, I hope, which you receiv'd of me. Bass. If I could add a lie unto a fault, I would deny it; but you see, my finger Por. Even so void is your false heart of truth. Until I see the ring. If you did know to whom I gave the ring, When naught would be accepted but the ring, 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, Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady? I was beset with shame and courtesy ; My honour would not let ingratitude Por. Let not that doctor e'er come near my house. Since he hath got the jewel that I lov'd, 2 to go displeas'd away,] The 4to, by Roberts, inverts the order of the words, reading "away displeas'd." A similar error has occurred once or twice before; but in places where the variation was hardly worth notice. 3 FOR, by these blessed, &c.] The folio substitutes And for "For." And that which you did swear to keep for me, I'll not deny him any thing I have; No, not my body, nor my husband's bed. Lie not a night from home; watch me like Argus ; Now, by mine honour, which is yet mine own, Ner. And I his clerk; therefore, be well advis'd Gra. Well, do you so: let not me take him, then; For, if I do, I'll mar the young clerk's pen. Ant. I am th' unhappy subject of these quarrels. Por. Sir, grieve not you; you are welcome notwithstanding. Bass. Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong; And in the hearing of these many friends I swear to thee, even by thine own fair eyes, Wherein I see myself, Por. Mark you but that! In both my eyes he doubly sees himself; In each eye, one :-swear by your double self, Bass. Nay, but hear me. Pardon this fault, and by my soul I swear, Ant. I once did lend my body for his wealth", Por. Then, you shall be his surety. Give him this, And bid him keep it better than the other. 3 Ant. Here, lord Bassanio; swear to keep this ring. I'll have THAT doctor] Folio 1623, "I'll have the doctor." for HIS wealth,] Folio 1623, "for thy wealth." VOL. II. Bass. By heaven! it is the same I gave the doctor. Por. I had it of him: pardon me, Bassanio, For by this ring the doctor lay with me. Ner. And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano, Gra. Why, this is like the mending of highways It comes from Padua, from Bellario: There you shall find, that Portia was the doctor; You shall not know by what strange accident 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 man. 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. How now, Lorenzo? My clerk hath some good comforts, too, for you. Ner. Ay, and I'll give them him without a fec. |