The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 341

GRATIANO. Where's your master?

LEONARDO. Yonder, sir, he walks. Exit GRATIANO. Signior Ba.s.sanio!

Ba.s.sANIO. Gratiano!

GRATIANO. I have suit to you.

Ba.s.sANIO. You have obtain'd it.

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

Ba.s.sANIO. 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 behaviour I be misconst'red in the place I go to And lose my hopes.

GRATIANO. Signior Ba.s.sanio, 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 grandam, never trust me more.

Ba.s.sANIO. Well, we shall see your bearing.

GRATIANO. Nay, but I bar to-night; you shall not gauge me By what we do to-night.

Ba.s.sANIO. 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.

GRATIANO. And I must to Lorenzo and the rest; But we will visit you at supper-time. Exeunt

SCENE III.

Venice. SHYLOCK'S house

Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT

JESSICA. I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so.

Our house is h.e.l.l; 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.

LAUNCELOT. Adieu! tears exhibit my tongue. Most 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!

JESSICA. Farewell, good Launcelot. Exit LAUNCELOT Alack, what heinous sin is it in me To be asham'd 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. Exit

SCENE IV.

Venice. A street

Enter GRATIANO, LORENZO, SALERIO, and SOLANIO

LORENZO. Nay, we will slink away in suppertime, 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.

SOLANIO. 'Tis vile, unless it may be quaintly ordered; And better in my mind not undertook.

LORENZO. 'Tis now but four o'clock; we have two hours To furnish us.

Enter LAUNCELOT, With a letter

Friend Launcelot, what's the news?

LAUNCELOT. An it shall please you to break up this, it 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.

LORENZO. Whither goest thou?

LAUNCELOT. Marry, sir, to bid my old master, the Jew, to sup to-night with my new master, the Christian.

LORENZO. Hold, here, take this. Tell gentle Jessica I will not fail her; speak it privately.

Go, gentlemen, Exit LAUNCELOT 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 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; 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, 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

SCENE V.

Venice. Before SHYLOCK'S house

Enter SHYLOCK and LAUNCELOT

SHYLOCK. Well, thou shalt see; thy eyes shall be thy judge, The difference of old Shylock and Ba.s.sanio.- What, Jessica!- Thou shalt not gormandize As thou hast done with me- What, Jessica!- And sleep and snore, and rend apparel out- 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?

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, 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.

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 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, Clamber not you up to the cas.e.m.e.nts 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 cas.e.m.e.nts; Let not the sound of shallow fopp'ry enter 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.

There will come a Christian by Will be worth a Jewess' 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, 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; 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, I have a father, you a daughter, lost. Exit

SCENE VI.

Venice. Before SHYLOCK'S house

Enter the maskers, GRATIANO and SALERIO