The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 279
GOBBO
He hath a great infection, sir, as one would say, to serve—
He very much wants, sir, as one would say, to serve—
LAUNCELOT
Indeed, the short and the long is, I serve the Jew,
and have a desire, as my father shall specify—
Yes, the short and long of it is that I serve the Jew,
and I have a desire, as my father will explain—
GOBBO
His master and he, saving your worship's reverence,
are scarce cater-cousins—
His master and he are, with all respect to you,
are hardly good friends—
LAUNCELOT
To be brief, the very truth is that the Jew, having
done me wrong, doth cause me, as my father, being, I
hope, an old man, shall frutify unto you—
To be brief, the truth is that the Jew, having
done me wrong, have caused me, and my father, being, I
hope, an old man, will certify for you—
GOBBO
I have here a dish of doves that I would bestow upon
your worship, and my suit is—
I have here a dish of doves that I will give to you,
sir, and my request is—
LAUNCELOT
In very brief, the suit is impertinent to myself, as
your worship shall know by this honest old man; and,
though I say it, though old man, yet poor man, my father.
In brief, the request is beside the point, as
you, sir, will know by this honest old man, and
though I say it, though old, yet poor, my father.
BASSANIO
One speak for both. What would you?
Just one of you speak. What do you want?
LAUNCELOT
Serve you, sir.
I want to work for you, sir.
GOBBO
That is the very defect of the matter, sir.
That is the heart 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
The follower of so poor a gentleman.
I know who you are. You can have whatever you ask.
Your master Shylock spoke with me today
And he has recommended you, if you prefer
To leave a rich Jew’s service to become
The servant of a poor gentlelman like me.
LAUNCELOT
The old proverb is very well parted between my
master Shylock and you, sir: you have the grace of
God, sir, and he hath enough.
A familiar old proverb is well split between my
master Shylock and you, sir. You have the grace of
God, and he has enough.
BASSANIO
Thou speak'st it well. Go, father, with thy son.
Take leave of thy old master and inquire
My lodging out. Give him a livery
More guarded than his fellows': see it done.
Very well said. Go father, with your son
And take leave of your old master and find
Your way to my house. Give him a uniform
More tricked out than the others. See that it’s done.
LAUNCELOT
Father, in. I cannot get a service, no; I have
ne'er a tongue in my head. Well, if any man in
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! eleven
widows and nine maids is a simple coming-in for one
man: and then to 'scape 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 of an eye.
Father, go ahead. I can’t get employment, no. I am not
able to talk my way into it. But I doubt any man in
Italy has a better palm than I have to swear upon
a Bible, and I will have good luck. Look here,
here’s a simple line of my life, here’s a small amount
of wives: I’m sorry, fifteen wives is nothing! Eleven
widows and nine maids is a simple yield for one
man: and to escape drowning twice, and to have
my life in danger because I am found in the wrong bed—
these are simple escapes. Well, if Fortune is a
woman, she’s a good girl to give me this stuff. Father,
come, I’ll leave my Jew in the blink of an eye.
Exeunt Launcelot and Old Gobbo
BASSANIO
I pray thee, good Leonardo, think on this:
These things being bought and orderly bestow'd,
Return in haste, for I do feast to-night
My best-esteem'd acquaintance: hie thee, go.
Please, good Leonardo, think about this:
These are the things to be bought and stored away.
Hurry back, I’m having dinner tonight
with someone very important. Hurry up, go.
LEONARDO
My best endeavours shall be done herein.
I’ll do my best with this.
Enter GRATIANO
GRATIANO
Where is your master?
Where is your master?
LEONARDO
Yonder, sir, he walks.
He’s walking over there.
Exit
GRATIANO
Signior Bassanio!
Signior Bassanio!
BASSANIO
Gratiano!
Gratiano!
GRATIANO
I have a suit to you.
I have a favor to ask you.
BASSANIO
You have obtain'd it.
It’s yours.
GRATIANO
You must not deny me: I must go with you to Belmont.
You must not say no. I must go with you to Belmont.
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
Something too liberal. Pray thee, take pain
To allay with some cold drops of modesty
Thy skipping spirit, lest through thy wild behavior
I be misconstrued in the place I go to,
And lose my hopes.
Well, then you must come. But listen to me, Gratiano.
Sometimes you are wild—too rude and loud.
These things look good on you
And do not appear to be faults in my eyes.
But where people do not know you, well, those things might see,
a bit too unrestrained. So, please, take care
To lessen that a bit and add some modesty
To your bositerous spirit, to make sure your wild behavior
does not reflect badly on me in Belmont
and cause me to lose hope of winning Portia.
GRATIANO
Signior Bassanio, hear me:
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,'
Use all the observance of civility,
Like one well studied in a sad ostent
To please his g
randam, never trust me more.
Listen to me, Signior Bassanio:
If I do not act sober and serious,
And talk with respect and only swear occasionally,
Carry a prayer book with me and appear gentle,
Even more—if while grace is being said I and I do not cover my eyes
With the brim of my hat and quietly say ‘amen,’
And act civil and polite at all times,
Like someone deliberately putting on a serious display of manners
To please his grandmother, then never trust me again.
BASSANIO
Well, we shall see your bearing.
Well, we’ll see how you are.
GRATIANO
Nay, but I bar to-night: you shall not gauge me
By what we do to-night.
But tonight doesn’t count. Don’t judge how I will be
By how I am tonight.
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.
No, that would be a shame.
I would rather you be
As wild as you can be tonight because our friends
Will enjoy that and want to have fun. Goodbye for now,
I have some things I have to do.
GRATIANO
And I must to Lorenzo and the rest:
But we will visit you at supper-time.
And I must get back to Lorenzo and the rest of them.
We will see you at dinner.
Exeunt
Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT
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
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.
I’m sorry you are leaving my father’s service:
This house is hellish and you cheered it up like a funny devil,
Taking away some small amount of the pain of it all.
But, goodbye and take care, here is a ducat for you:
Lorenzo, who will be your new master’s guest tonight—
Please give him this letter. Do it secretly.
Well, goodbye. I don’t want my father
To see me talking to you.
LAUNCELOT
Adieu! tears exhibit my tongue. Most beautiful
pagan, most sweet Jew! if a Christian did not play
the knave and get thee, I am much deceived. But,
adieu: these foolish drops do something drown my
manly spirit: adieu.
Goodbye! My tears show what I cannot say. Most beautiful
pagan, most sweet Jew! A Christian will figure
out a way to get you, I have no doubt. But,
goodbye: these foolish tears don’t do much to
make me appear manly: goodbye.
JESSICA
Farewell, good Launcelot.
Goodbye, good Launcelot.
Exit Launcelot
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,
Become a Christian and thy loving wife.
Oh my god, how terrible am I
To be ashamed to be my father’s daughter!
But though I am his daughter by blood,
I do not share his behavior. Oh, Lorenzo,
If you keep your promise, this will all end
And I’ll become a Christian and your loving wife.
Exit
Enter GRATIANO, LORENZO, SALARINO, and SALANIO
LORENZO
Nay, we will slink away in supper-time,
Disguise us at my lodging and return,
All in an hour.
No, we’ll sneak away at dinner time,
Disguise ourselves at my house and come back
within an hour.
GRATIANO
We have not made good preparation.
But we don’t have anything ready.
SALARINO
We have not spoke us yet of torchbearers.
We haven’t even asked anyone to be torchbearers.
SALANIO
'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly order'd,
And better in my mind not undertook.
It might turn out badly since it’s not well organized.
I think it’s best we call it off.
LORENZO
'Tis now but four o'clock: we have two hours
To furnish us.
It’s only four o’clock now: we have two hours
to get it together.
Enter LAUNCELOT, with a letter
Friend Launcelot, what's the news?
Hello, Launcelot, what’s up?
LAUNCELOT
An it shall please you to break up
this, it shall seem to signify.
Here, if you’d like to open
this letter, it will give you the news.
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.
I recognize the handwriting, no doubt. It’s beautiful handwriting.
And as white as the paper this writing is on,
the beautiful hand that wrote it is whiter.
GRATIANO
Love-news, in faith.
I believe it’s a love letter.
LAUNCELOT
By your leave, sir.
May I go, sir?
LORENZO
Whither goest thou?
Where are you going?
LAUNCELOT
Marry, sir, to bid my old master the
Jew to sup to-night with my new master the Christian.
Sir, I have to go invite my old master the
Jew to join tonight with my new master the Christian.
LORENZO
Hold here, take this: tell gentle Jessica
I will not fail her; speak it privately.
Go, gentlemen,
Hold on, take this: tell gentle Jessica
I will not fail her. Tell her privately.
Go on, gentlemen—
Exit Launcelot
Will you prepare you for this masque tonight?
I am provided of a torch-bearer.
Get ready for the masquerade tonight.
I have someone who can be a torch-bearer.
SALANIO
Ay, marry, I'll be gone about it straight.
Okay, I’ll go ahead and get right on it.
SALANIO
And so will I.
So will I.
LORENZO
Meet me and Gratiano
At Gratiano's lodging some hour hence.
Meet me and Gratiano
At Gratiano’s house in an hour.
SALARINO
'Tis good we do so.
It’s good we’re doing this.
Exeunt SALARINO and SALANIO
GRATIANO
Was not that letter from fair Jessica?
Wan’t that letter from Jessica?
LORENZO
I must needs tell thee all. She hath directed
How I shall take her from her father's house,
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 daughte
r's sake:
And never dare misfortune cross her foot,
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.
I have to tell you everything. She has told me
How I can get her out of her father’s house,
And what gold and jewels she has,
She decribed a page’s suit she has ready.
If the Jew her father ever makes it to heaven,
It will be because of her:
She’ll never suffer from bad luck,
Unless it happens because of one reason:
That she is the daughter of an unbeleiving Jew.
Come on, go with me. Read this as we go.
Beautiful Jessica is going to be my torch-bearer.
Exeunt
Enter SHYLOCK and LAUNCELOT
SHYLOCK
Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge,
The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio:--
What, Jessica!--thou shalt not gormandise,
As thou hast done with me:--What, Jessica!--
And sleep and snore, and rend apparel out;--
Why, Jessica, I say!
Well, you’ll see how it is—you’ll see it with your own eyes,
The difference between working for old Shylock and Bassanio—
Jessica!—you will not eat so greedily