Belmont. A Room in PORTIA’S House. | |
| |
Enter PORTIA, NERISSA, LORENZO, JESSICA, and BALTHAZAR. | |
| Lor. Madam, although I speak it in your presence, | |
| You have a noble and a true conceit | 4 |
| Of god-like amity; which appears most strongly | |
| In bearing thus the absence of your lord. | |
| But if you knew to whom you show this honour, | |
| How true a gentleman you send relief, | 8 |
| How dear a lover of my lord your husband, | |
| I know you would be prouder of the work | |
| Than customary bounty can enforce you. | |
| Por. I never did repent for doing good, | 12 |
| Nor shall not now: for in companions | |
| That do converse and waste the time together, | |
| Whose souls do bear an equal yoke of love, | |
| There must be needs a like proportion | 16 |
| Of lineaments, of manners, and of spirit; | |
| Which makes me think that this Antonio, | |
| Being the bosom lover of my lord, | |
| Must needs be like my lord. If it be so, | 20 |
| How little is the cost I have bestow’d | |
| In purchasing the semblance of my soul | |
| From out the state of hellish cruelty! | |
| This comes too near the praising of myself; | 24 |
| Therefore, no more of it: hear other things. | |
| Lorenzo, I commit into your hands | |
| The husbandry and manage of my house | |
| Until my lord’s return: for mine own part, | 28 |
| I have toward heaven breath’d a secret vow | |
| To live in prayer and contemplation, | |
| Only attended by Nerissa here, | |
| Until her husband and my lord’s return. | 32 |
| There is a monastery two miles off, | |
| And there will we abide. I do desire you | |
| Not to deny this imposition, | |
| The which my love and some necessity | 36 |
| Now lays upon you. | |
| Lor. Madam, with all my heart: | |
| I shall obey you in all fair commands. | |
| Por. My people do already know my mind, | 40 |
| And will acknowledge you and Jessica | |
| In place of Lord Bassanio and myself. | |
| So fare you well till we shall meet again. | |
| Lor. Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you! | 44 |
| Jes. I wish your ladyship all heart’s content. | |
| Por. I thank you for your wish, and am well pleas’d | |
| To wish it back on you: fare you well, Jessica. [Exeunt JESSICA and LORENZO. | |
| Now, Balthazar, | 48 |
| As I have ever found thee honest-true, | |
| So let me find thee still. Take this same letter, | |
| And use thou all the endeavour of a man | |
| In speed to Padua: see thou render this | 52 |
| Into my cousin’s hand, Doctor Bellario; | |
| And, look, what notes and garments he doth give thee, | |
| Bring them, I pray thee, with imagin’d speed | |
| Unto the traject, to the common ferry | 56 |
| Which trades to Venice. Waste no time in words, | |
| But get thee gone: I shall be there before thee. | |
| Balth. Madam, I go with all convenient speed. [Exit. | |
| Por. Come on, Nerissa: I have work in hand | 60 |
| That you yet know not of: we’ll see our husbands | |
| Before they think of us. | |
| Ner. Shall they see us? | |
| Por. They shall, Nerissa; but in such a habit | 64 |
| That they shall think we are accomplished | |
| With that we lack. I’ll hold thee any wager, | |
| When we are both accoutred like young men, | |
| I’ll prove the prettier fellow of the two, | 68 |
| And wear my dagger with the braver grace, | |
| And speak between the change of man and boy | |
| With a reed voice, and turn two mincing steps | |
| Into a manly stride, and speak of frays | 72 |
| Like a fine bragging youth, and tell quaint lies, | |
| How honourable ladies sought my love, | |
| Which I denying, they fell sick and died: | |
| I could not do withal; then I’ll repent, | 76 |
| And wish, for all that, that I had not kill’d them: | |
| And twenty of these puny lies I’ll tell, | |
| That men shall swear I have discontinu’d school | |
| Above a twelvemonth. I have within my mind | 80 |
| A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks, | |
| Which I will practise. | |
| Ner. Why, shall we turn to men? | |
| Por. Fie, what a question’s that, | 84 |
| If thou wert near a lewd interpreter! | |
| But come: I’ll tell thee all my whole device | |
| When I am in my coach, which stays for us | |
| At the park gate; and therefore haste away, | 88 |
| For we must measure twenty miles to-day. [Exeunt. | |