Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your sake.

  To Antonio

  And, for your love440, I'll take this ring from you.

  To Bassanio

  Do not draw back your hand, I'll take no more,

  And you in442 love shall not deny me this.

  BASSANIO This ring, good sir, alas, it is a trifle!

  I will not shame myself to give you this.

  PORTIA I will have nothing else but only this,

  And now methinks I have a mind to446 it.

  BASSANIO There's more depends on this than on the value.

  The dearest448 ring in Venice will I give you,

  And find it out by proclamation.

  Only for this, I pray you pardon me.

  PORTIA I see, sir, you are liberal451 in offers.

  You taught me first to beg, and now methinks

  You teach me how a beggar should be answered.

  BASSANIO Good sir, this ring was given me by my wife,

  And when she put it on, she made me vow

  That I should neither sell nor give nor lose it.

  PORTIA That 'scuse serves many men to save their gifts.

  An if your wife be not a madwoman,

  And know how well I have deserved this ring,

  She would not hold out enemy forever

  For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!

  Exeunt [Portia and Nerissa]

  ANTONIO My lord Bassanio, let him have the ring.

  Let his deservings and my love withal

  Be valued against your wife's commandment.

  BASSANIO Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him.

  Give him the ring, and bring him, if thou canst,

  Unto Antonio's house. Away, make haste!

  Exit Gratiano

  Come, you and I will thither presently,

  And in the morning early will we both

  Fly470 toward Belmont. Come, Antonio.

  Exeunt

  [Act 4 Scene 2]

  running scene 19

  Enter Portia and Nerissa

  Still disguised

  PORTIA Inquire the Jew's house out1, give him this deed,

  And let him sign it. We'll away tonight

  Gives her a deed

  And be3 a day before our husbands home.

  This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.

  Enter Gratiano

  GRATIANO Fair sir, you are well o'erta'en5.

  My lord Bassanio upon more advice6

  Hath sent you here this ring, and doth entreat

  Your company at dinner.

  Gives her the ring

  PORTIA That cannot be;

  His ring I do accept most thankfully,

  And so, I pray you tell him. Furthermore,

  I pray you show my youth old Shylock's house.

  GRATIANO That will I do.

  NERISSA Sir, I would speak with you.

  I'll see if I can get my husband's ring,

  Aside to Portia

  Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.

  PORTIA Thou mayst, I warrant. We shall have

  old17 swearing

  Aside to Nerissa

  That they did give the rings away to men;

  But we'll outface19 them, and outswear them too.--

  Away, make haste! Thou know'st where I will tarry.

  Aloud

  NERISSA Come, good sir, will you show me to this house?

  Exeunt

  Act 5 [Scene 1]

  running scene 20

  Location: Belmont

  Enter Lorenzo and Jessica

  LORENZO The moon shines bright. In such a night as this,

  When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees

  And they did make no noise, in such a night

  Troilus4 methinks mounted the Trojan walls

  And sighed his soul toward the Grecian tents

  Where Cressid lay that night.

  JESSICA In such a night

  Did Thisbe8 fearfully o'ertrip the dew,

  And saw the lion's shadow ere himself9,

  And ran dismayed away.

  LORENZO In such a night

  Stood Dido12 with a willow in her hand

  Upon the wild13 sea banks and waft her love

  To come again to Carthage.

  JESSICA In such a night

  Medea16 gathered the enchanted herbs

  That did renew17 old Aeson.

  LORENZO In such a night

  Did Jessica steal19 from the wealthy Jew

  And with an unthrift20 love did run from Venice

  As far as Belmont.

  JESSICA In such a night

  Did young Lorenzo swear he loved her well,

  Stealing her soul with many vows of faith,

  And ne'er a true one.

  LORENZO In such a night

  Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew27,

  Slander her love28, and he forgave it her.

  JESSICA I would out-night you29, did nobody come.

  But hark, I hear the footing30 of a man.

  Enter [Stephano, a] Messenger

  LORENZO Who comes so fast in silence of the night?

  STEPHANO A friend.

  LORENZO A friend? What friend? Your name, I pray you, friend?

  STEPHANO Stephano is my name, and I bring word

  My mistress will before the break of day

  Be here at Belmont. She doth stray about36

  By holy crosses37, where she kneels and prays

  For happy wedlock hours.

  LORENZO Who comes with her?

  STEPHANO None but a holy hermit and her maid.

  I pray you is my master yet returned?

  LORENZO He is not, nor we have not heard from him.

  But go we in, I pray thee, Jessica,

  And ceremoniously let us prepare

  Some welcome for the mistress of the house.

  Enter Clown [Lancelet]

  LANCELET Sola46, sola! Wo ha, ho! Sola, sola!

  LORENZO Who calls?

  LANCELET Sola! Did you see Master Lorenzo?

  And Master Lorenzo, sola, sola!

  LORENZO Leave hollowing50, man! Here.

  LANCELET Sola! Where, where?

  LORENZO Here.

  LANCELET Tell him there's a post53 come from my master, with

  his horn54 full of good news: my master will be here ere

  morning.

  [Exit]

  LORENZO Sweet soul, let's in56, and there expect their coming.

  And yet no matter. Why should we go in?

  My friend Stephano, signify58, pray you,

  Within the house, your mistress is at hand,

  And bring your music60 forth into the air.

  [Exit Stephano]

  How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!

  Here will we sit and let the sounds of music

  Creep in our ears. Soft stillness and the night

  Become64 the touches of sweet harmony.

  Sit, Jessica. Look how the floor of heaven65

  They sit

  Is thick inlaid with patens66 of bright gold.

  There's not the smallest orb67 which thou behold'st

  But in his motion68 like an angel sings,

  Still choiring69 to the young-eyed cherubins;

  Such harmony is in immortal souls,

  But whilst this muddy vesture of decay71

  Doth grossly72 close it in, we cannot hear it.

  [Enter Musicians]

  Come, ho, and wake Diana73 with a hymn!

  With sweetest touches pierce your mistress' ear,

  And draw her home with music.

  JESSICA I am never merry when I hear sweet music.

  Play music

  LORENZO The reason is, your spirits77 are attentive.

  For do but note a wild and wanton78 herd

  Or race79 of youthful and unhandled colts,

  Fetching80 mad bounds, bellowing and neighing loud,

  Which is t
he hot condition81 of their blood.

  If they but82 hear perchance a trumpet sound,

  Or any air83 of music touch their ears,

  You shall perceive them make a mutual stand84,

  Their savage eyes turned to a modest gaze

  By the sweet power of music: therefore the poet86

  Did feign87 that Orpheus drew trees, stones and floods,

  Since nought so stockish88, hard and full of rage,

  But music for time doth change his nature.

  The man that hath no music in himself,

  Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,

  Is fit for treasons, stratagems92 and spoils.

  The motions93 of his spirit are dull as night

  And his affections94 dark as Erebus.

  Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.

  Enter Portia and Nerissa

  PORTIA That light we see is burning in my hall.

  How far that little candle throws his beams!

  So shines a good deed in a naughty98 world.

  NERISSA When the moon shone, we did not see the candle.

  PORTIA So doth the greater glory dim the less.

  A substitute shines brightly as a king

  Until a king be by102, and then his state

  Empties itself, as doth an inland brook

  Into the main of waters104. Music! Hark!

  Music

  NERISSA It is your music, madam, of the house.

  PORTIA Nothing is good, I see, without respect106.

  Methinks it sounds much sweeter than by day.

  NERISSA Silence bestows that virtue on it, madam.

  PORTIA The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark

  When neither is attended110, and I think

  The nightingale, if she should sing by day,

  When every goose is cackling, would be thought

  No better a musician than the wren.

  How many things by season114 seasoned are

  To their right praise and true perfection!

  Peace, ho! The moon sleeps with Endymion116

  And would not be awaked.

  Music ceases

  LORENZO That is the voice,

  Or I am much deceived, of Portia.

  PORTIA He knows me as the blind man knows the cuckoo,

  By the bad voice.

  LORENZO Dear lady, welcome home.

  PORTIA We have been praying for our husbands' welfare,

  Which speed124, we hope, the better for our words.

  Are they returned?

  LORENZO Madam, they are not yet,

  But there is come a messenger before127,

  To signify their coming.

  PORTIA Go in, Nerissa.

  Give order to my servants that they take

  No note at all of our being absent hence,

  Nor you, Lorenzo, Jessica, nor you.

  A tucket132 sounds

  LORENZO Your husband is at hand. I hear his trumpet.

  We are no telltales, madam; fear you not.

  PORTIA This night methinks is but the daylight sick.

  It looks a little paler. 'Tis a day,

  Such as the day is when the sun is hid.

  Enter Bassanio, Antonio, Gratiano and their followers

  BASSANIO We should hold day with the Antipodes138,

  If you would walk in absence of the sun139.

  PORTIA Let me give light, but let me not be light140,

  For a light wife doth make a heavy141 husband,

  And never be Bassanio so for me,

  But God sort143 all! You are welcome home, my lord.

  BASSANIO I thank you, madam. Give welcome to my friend.

  This is the man, this is Antonio,

  To whom I am so infinitely bound.

  PORTIA You should in all sense be much bound to him,

  For, as I hear, he was much bound148 for you.

  ANTONIO No more than I am well acquitted of149.

  PORTIA Sir, you are very welcome to our house.

  It must appear in other ways than words:

  Therefore I scant152 this breathing courtesy.

  GRATIANO By yonder moon I swear you do me wrong.

  To Nerissa

  In faith, I gave it to the judge's clerk.

  Would he were gelt155 that had it, for my part,

  Since you do take it, love, so much at156 heart.

  PORTIA A quarrel, ho, already? What's the matter?

  GRATIANO About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring

  That she did give me, whose posy159 was

  For all the world like cutler's poetry

  Upon a knife, 'Love me, and leave me not.'

  NERISSA What talk you of the posy or the value?

  You swore to me when I did give it you,

  That you would wear it till the hour of death

  And that it should lie with you in your grave.

  Though166 not for me, yet for your vehement oaths,

  You should have been respective167 and have kept it.

  Gave it a judge's clerk! But well I know

  The clerk will ne'er wear hair on's face that had it.

  GRATIANO He will, an if he live to be a man.

  NERISSA Ay, if a woman live to be a man.

  GRATIANO Now, by this hand, I gave it to a youth,

  A kind of boy, a little scrubbed173 boy,

  No higher than thyself, the judge's clerk,

  A prating175 boy, that begged it as a fee.

  I could not for my heart deny it him.

  PORTIA You were to blame--I must be plain with you--

  To part so slightly178 with your wife's first gift.

  A thing stuck on with oaths upon your finger

  And so riveted180 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 masters185. Now, in faith, Gratiano,

  You give your wife too unkind a cause of grief.

  An 'twere to me, I should be mad187 at it.

  BASSANIO Why, I were best to cut my left hand off

  Aside

  And swear I lost the ring defending it.

  GRATIANO My lord Bassanio gave his ring away

  Unto the judge that begged it and indeed

  Deserved it too. And then the boy, his clerk,

  That took some pains in writing, he begged mine,

  And neither man nor master would take aught

  But the two rings.

  PORTIA What ring gave you my lord?

  Not that, I hope, which you received of me.

  BASSANIO If I could add a lie unto a fault,

  I would deny it. But you see my finger

  Hath not the ring upon it. It is gone.

  PORTIA Even so void is your false heart of truth.

  By heaven, I will ne'er come in your bed

  Until I see the ring.

  NERISSA Nor I in yours till I again see mine.

  BASSANIO Sweet Portia,

  If you did know to whom I gave the ring,

  If you did know for whom I gave the ring,

  And would conceive208 for what I gave the ring,

  And how unwillingly I left the ring,

  When nought would be accepted but the ring,

  You would abate the strength of your displeasure.

  PORTIA If you had known the virtue212 of the ring,

  Or half her worthiness that gave the ring,

  Or your own honour to contain214 the ring,

  You would not then have parted with the ring.

  What man is there so much unreasonable,

  If217 you had pleased to have defended it

  With any terms of zeal, wanted218 the modesty

  To urge219 the thing held as a ceremony?

  Nerissa teaches me what to believe:

  I'll die for't but some wom
an had the ring.

  BASSANIO No, by mine honour, madam, by my soul,

  No woman had it, but a civil doctor223,

  Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me

  And begged the ring; the which I did deny him

  And suffered226 him to go displeased away--

  Even he that had held up227 the very life

  Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady?

  I was enforced to send it after him.

  I was beset with shame and courtesy.

  My honour would not let ingratitude

  So much besmear it232. Pardon me, good lady!

  And by these blessed candles of the night233,

  Had you been there, I think you would have begged

  The ring of me to give the worthy doctor.

  PORTIA Let not that doctor e'er come near my house.

  Since he hath got the jewel that I loved,

  And that which you did swear to keep for me,

  I will become as liberal239 as you.

  I'll not deny him anything I have,

  No, not my body nor my husband's bed.

  Know242 him I shall, I am well sure of it.

  Lie not a night from home. Watch me like Argus243.

  If you do not, if I be left alone,

  Now, by mine honour245, which is yet mine own,

  I'll have the doctor for my bedfellow.

  NERISSA And I his clerk: therefore be well advised247

  How you do leave me to mine own protection.

  GRATIANO Well, do you so. Let not me take249 him, then.

  For if I do, I'll mar250 the young clerk's pen.

  ANTONIO I am th'unhappy251 subject of these quarrels.

  PORTIA Sir, grieve not you. You are welcome

  notwithstanding.

  BASSANIO 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--

  PORTIA Mark you but that!

  In both my eyes he doubly sees himself258.

  In each eye, one. Swear by your double259 self,

  And there's an oath of credit260.

  BASSANIO Nay, but hear me.

  Pardon this fault, and by my soul I swear

  I never more will break an oath with thee.

  ANTONIO I once did lend my body for thy wealth,--

  To Bassanio

  Which, but for him that had your husband's ring,

  To Portia

  Had quite miscarried266. I dare be bound again,

  My soul upon the forfeit, that your lord

  Will never more break faith advisedly268.

  PORTIA Then you shall be his surety269. Give him this

  She gives Antonio the ring

  And bid him keep it better than the other.

  ANTONIO Here, Lord Bassanio. Swear to keep this ring.

  BASSANIO By heaven, it is the same I gave the doctor!

  PORTIA I had it of him. Pardon, Bassanio,

  For, by this ring, the doctor lay with274 me.

  NERISSA And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano,

  For that same scrubbed boy, the doctor's clerk,

  In lieu of277 this last night did lie with me.

  Shows her ring

  GRATIANO Why, this is like the mending of highways

  In summer, where the ways are fair279 enough.

  What, are we cuckolds280 ere we have deserved it?

  PORTIA Speak not so grossly281. You are all amazed.

  Here is a letter, read it at your leisure.

  She gives a letter

  It comes from Padua, from Bellario.