The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works

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The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 366

by William Shakespeare


  115

  GOBBO Here’s my son sir, a poor boy.

  LAUNCELOT Not a poor boy sir, but the rich Jew’s man

  that would sir as my father shall specify.

  GOBBO He hath a great infection sir, (as one would say)

  to serve.

  120

  LAUNCELOT Indeed the short and the long is, I serve

  the Jew, and have a desire as my father shall specify.

  GOBBO His master and he (saving your worship’s

  reverence) are scarce cater-cousins, –

  LAUNCELOT To be brief, the very truth is, that the Jew

  125

  having done me wrong, doth cause me as my father

  (being I hope an old man) shall frutify unto you.

  GOBBO I have here a dish of doves that I would bestow

  upon you worship, and my suit is –

  LAUNCELOT In very brief, the suit is impertinent to

  130

  myself, as your worship shall know by this honest old

  man, and though I say it, though old man, yet (poor man) my father.

  BASSANIO One speak for both, what would you?

  LAUNCELOT Serve you sir.

  135

  GOBBO That is the very defect of the matter sir.

  BASSANIO

  I know thee well, thou hast obtain’d thy suit, –

  Shylock thy master spoke with me this day,

  And hath preferr’d thee, if it be preferment

  To leave a rich Jew’s service, to become

  140

  The follower of so poor a gentleman.

  LAUNCELOT The old proverb is very well parted be

  tween my master Shylock and you sir, you have ‘the

  grace of God’ sir, and he hath ‘enough’.

  BASSANIO

  Thou speak’st it well; go father with thy son –

  145

  Take leave of thy old master, and inquire

  My lodging out, –

  [to his followers] give him a livery

  More guarded than his fellows’: see it done.

  LAUNCELOT Father in, – I cannot get a service, no! I

  have ne’er a tongue in my head: well, if any man in

  150

  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, here’s a small trifle of wives, – alas! fifteen

  wives is nothing, aleven widows and nine maids is a

  simple coming-in for one man, and then to scape

  155

  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 come, I’ll take my leave of the Jew in the

  twinkling. Exit with Old Gobbo.

  160

  BASSANIO I pray thee good Leonardo think on this, –

  These things being bought and orderly bestowed

  Return in haste, for I do feast to-night

  My best-esteem’d acquaintance, hie thee go.

  LEONARDO My best endeavours shall be done herein.

  165

  [He leaves Bassanio.]

  Enter GRATIANO.

  GRATIANO Where’s your master?

  LEONARDO Yonder sir he walks. Exit.

  GRATIANO Signior Bassanio!

  BASSANIO Gratiano!

  GRATIANO I have suit to you.

  BASSANIO You have obtain’d it.

  GRATIANO

  You must not deny me, I must go with you to Belmont.

  170

  BASSANIO

  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 –

  But where thou art not known; – why there they show

  175

  Something too liberal, – pray thee take pain

  To allay with some cold drops of modesty

  Thy skipping spirit, lest through thy wild behaviour

  I be misconst’red in the place I go to,

  And lose my hopes.

  GRATIANO Signior Bassanio, hear me, –

  180

  If I do not put on a sober habit,

  Talk with respect, and swear but now and then,

  Wear prayer-books in my pocket, look demurely,

  Nay more, while grace is saying hood mine eyes

  Thus with my hat, and sigh and say ‘amen’:

  185

  Use all the observance of civility

  Like one well studied in a sad ostent

  To please his grandam, never trust me more.

  BASSANIO Well, we shall see your bearing.

  GRATIANO

  Nay but I bar to-night, you shall not gauge me

  190

  By what we do to-night.

  BASSANIO No that were pity,

  I would entreat you rather to put on

  Your boldest suit of mirth, for we have friends

  That purpose merriment: but fare you well,

  I have some business.

  195

  GRATIANO And I must to Lorenzo and the rest,

  But we will visit you at supper-time. Exeunt.

  2.3 Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT the clown.

  JESSICA I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so,

  Our house is hell, and thou (a merry devil)

  Didst rob it of some taste of tediousness, –

  But fare thee well, there is a ducat for thee,

  And Launcelot, soon at supper shalt thou see

  5

  Lorenzo, who is thy new master’s guest,

  Give him this letter, – do it secretly, –

  And so farewell: I would not have my father

  See me in talk with thee.

  LAUNCELOT Adieu! tears exhibit my tongue, most

  10

  beautiful pagan, most sweet Jew! – if a Christian do

  not play the knave and get thee, I am much deceived;

  but adieu! these foolish drops do something drown my

  manly spirit: adieu! Exit.

  JESSICA Farewell good Launcelot.

  15

  Alack, what heinous sin is it in me

  To be ashamed to be my father’s child!

  But though I am a daughter to his blood

  I am not to his manners: O Lorenzo

  If thou keep promise I shall end this strife,

  20

  Become a Christian and thy loving wife! Exit.

  2.4 Enter GRATIANO, LORENZO, SALERIO and SOLANIO.

  LORENZO Nay, we will slink away in supper-time,

  Disguise us at my lodging, and return

  All in an hour.

  GRATIANO We have not made good preparation.

  SALERIO We have not spoke us yet of torch-bearers, –

  5

  SOLANIO ’Tis vile unless it may be quaintly ordered,

  And better in my mind not undertook.

  LORENZO

  ’Tis now but four of clock, we have two hours

  To furnish us;

  Enter LAUNCELOT, with a letter.

  friend Launcelot what’s the news?

  LAUNCELOT And it shall please you to break up this, it

  10

  shall seem to signify.

  LORENZO I know the hand, in faith ’tis a fair hand,

  And whiter than the paper it writ on

  Is the fair hand that writ.

  GRATIANO Love-news in faith.

  LAUNCELOT By your leave sir.

  15

  LORENZO Whither goest thou?

  LAUNCELOT

  Marry sir to bid my old master the Jew to sup tonight

  with my new master the Christian.

  LORENZO Hold here – take this, tell gentle Jessica

  I will not fail he
r, – speak it privately. Exit Launcelot.

  20

  Go gentlemen,

  Will you prepare you for this masque to-night?

  I am provided of a torch-bearer.

  SALERIO Ay marry, I’ll be gone about it straight.

  SOLANIO And so will I.

  LORENZO Meet me and Gratiano

  25

  At Gratiano’s lodging some hour hence.

  SALERIO ’Tis good we do so.

  Exeunt Salerio and Solanio.

  GRATIANO Was not that letter from fair Jessica?

  LORENZO I must needs tell thee all, – she hath directed

  How I shall take her from her father’s house,

  30

  What gold and jewels she is furnish’d with,

  What page’s suit she hath in readiness, –

  If e’er the Jew her father come to heaven,

  It will be for his gentle daughter’s sake,

  And never dare misfortune cross her foot,

  35

  Unless she do it under this excuse,

  That she is issue to a faithless Jew:

  Come go with me, peruse this as thou goest, –

  Fair Jessica shall be my torch-bearer. Exeunt.

  2.5 Enter SHYLOCK the Jew and LAUNCELOT his man that was the clown.

  SHYLOCK

  Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge,

  The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio; –

  What Jessica! – thou shalt not gormandize

  As thou hast done with me: – what Jessica! –

  And sleep, and snore, and rend apparel out.

  5

  Why Jessica I say!

  LAUNCELOT Why Jessica!

  SHYLOCK Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call.

  LAUNCELOT Your worship was wont to tell me, I could

  do nothing without bidding.

  Enter JESSICA.

  JESSICA Call you? what is your will?

  10

  SHYLOCK I am bid forth to supper Jessica,

  There are my keys: – but wherefore should I go?

  I am not bid for love, they flatter me,

  But yet I’ll go in hate, to feed upon

  The prodigal Christian. Jessica my girl,

  15

  Look to my house, – I am right loath to go,

  There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest,

  For I did dream of money-bags to-night.

  LAUNCELOT I beseech you sir go, my young master doth

  expect your reproach.

  20

  SHYLOCK So do I his.

  LAUNCELOT And they have conspired together, – I will

  not say you shall see a masque, but if you do, then it

  was not for nothing that my nose fell a-bleeding on

  Black-Monday last, at six o’clock i’th’ morning, falling

  25

  out that year on Ash-Wednesday was four year in

  th’afternoon.

  SHYLOCK

  What are there masques? Hear you me Jessica,

  Lock up my doors, and when you hear the drum

  And the vile squealing of the wry-neck’d fife

  30

  Clamber not you up to the casements then

  Nor thrust your head into the public street

  To gaze on Christian fools with varnish’d faces:

  But stop my house’s ears, I mean my casements,

  Let not the sound of shallow fopp’ry enter

  35

  My sober house. By Jacob’s staff I swear

  I have no mind of feasting forth to-night:

  But I will go: go you before me sirrah,

  Say I will come.

  LAUNCELOT I will go before sir.

  Mistress look out at window for all this, –

  40

  There will come a Christian by

  Will be worth a Jewes eye. Exit.

  SHYLOCK

  What says that fool of Hagar’s offspring? ha?

  JESSICA

  His words were ‘Farewell mistress,’ nothing else.

  SHYLOCK

  The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder,

  45

  Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day

  More than the wild-cat: drones hive not with me,

  Therefore I part with him, and part with him

  To one that I would have him help to waste

  His borrowed purse. Well Jessica go in, –

  50

  Perhaps I will return immediately, –

  Do as I bid you, shut doors after you,

  Fast bind, fast find. –

  A proverb never stale in thrifty mind. Exit.

  JESSICA Farewell, – and if my fortune be not crost,

  55

  I have a father, you a daughter, lost. Exit.

  2.6 Enter the masquers, GRATIANO and SALERIO.

 

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