To part so slightly with your wife's first gift; I gave my love a ring, and made him swear Bass. Why, I were best to cut my left hand off, And swear I lost the ring defending it. [Aside. Gra. My lord Bassanio gave his ring away Unto the judge that begg'd it, and, indeed, Deserv'd it too; and then the boy, his clerk, That took some pains in writing, he begg'd mine: And neither man, nor master, would take aught But the two rings. Por. What ring gave you, my lord? Not that, I hope, which receiv'd of me. Bass. If I could add a lie unto a fault, you I would deny it; but you see, my finger Por. Even so void is your false heart of truth. By heaven, I will ne'er come in your bed Until I see the ring. Ner. Till I again see mine. Bass. If you Nor I in yours, Sweet Portia, did know to whom I gave the ring, If you did know for whom I gave the ring, And would conceive for what I gave the ring, And how unwillingly I left the ring, Or half her worthiness that gave the ring, I'll die for't, but some woman had the ring. Bass. No, by mine honour, madam, by my soul, No woman had it, but a civil doctor, Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me, And begg❜d the ring; the which I did deny him, And suffer'd him to go displeas'd away; Even he that had held up the very life Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady? I was enforc'd to send it after him; I was beset with shame and courtesy ; My honour would not let ingratitude So much besmear it: Pardon me, good lady; Por. Let not that doctor e'er come near my house: Since he hath got the jewel that I lov'd, And that which you did swear to keep for me, 17 To contain had nearly the same meaning with to retain. So in Bacon's Essays, 4to. 1625, p. 327: To containe anger from mischiefe, though it take hold of a man, there be two things?' 18 i. e. kept in a measure religiously, or superstitiously. Johnson remarks, that this is a very licentious expression, but we have it again in Julius Cæsar, Calphurnia says: 'Cæsar, I never stood on ceremonies, But now they fright me.' 19 We have again the same expression in one of Shakspeare's Sonnets, in Macbeth, and in Romeo and Juliet. like Argus: I'll not deny him any thing I have, If Ner. And I his clerk; therefore be well advis'd, How you do leave me to mine own protection. Gra. Well, do you so: let not me take him then; For, if I do, I'll mar the young clerk's pen. Ant. I am the unhappy subject of these quarrels. Por. Sir, grieve not you; You are welcome notwithstanding. Bass. Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong; I swear to thee, even by thine own fair eyes, Por. Mark you but that! In both my eyes he doubly sees himself: In each eye, one :-swear by your double 20 self, Bass. Nay, but hear me : Pardon this fault, and by my soul I swear, I never more will break an oath with thee. Ant. I once did lend my body for his wealtho1; Which, but for him that had your husband's ring, [TO PORTIA. Had quite miscarried: I dare be bound again, My soul upon the forfeit, that your lord Will never more break faith advisedly. 20 Double is here used for deceitful, full of duplicity. 21 i. e. for his advantage; to obtain his happiness. Wealth was the term generally opposed to adversity or calamity. So in The Litany: in all time of our wealth.' It is only another form of weal; we say indifferently common-weal, or commonwealth. Por. Then you shall be his surety: Give him this; And bid him keep it better than the other. Ant. Here, lord Bassanio; swear to keep this ring. Bass. By heaven, it is the same I gave the doctor! Por. I had it of him: pardon me, Bassanio; For by this ring the doctor lay with me. Ner. And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano; For that same scrubbed boy, the doctor's clerk, In lieu of this, last night did lie with me. Gra. Why, this is like the mending of highways In summer, where the ways are fair enough: What! are we cuckolds, ere we have deserv'd it? Por. Speak not so grossly.-You are all amaz'd: Here is a letter, read it at your leisure; It comes from Padua, from Bellario: There you shall find, that Portia was the doctor; You shall not know by what strange accident Ant. I am dumb. Bass. Were you the doctor, and I knew you not? Gra. Were you the clerk, that is to make me cuckold? Ner. Ay; but the clerk that never means to do it; Unless he live until he be a man. bedfellow; Bass. Sweet doctor, you shall be my When I am absent, then lie with my wife. Ant. Sweet lady, you have given me life, and living; VOL. III. L For here I read for certain, that my ships Por. From the rich Jew, a special deed of gift, Por. So sore, as keeping safe Nerissa's ring. [Exeunt. OF THE MERCHANT OF VENICE the style is even and easy, with few peculiarities of diction, or anomalies of construction. The comick part raises laughter, and the serious fixes expectation. The probability of either one or the other story cannot be maintained. The union of two actions in one event is in this drama eminently happy. Dryden was much pleased with his own address in connecting the two plots of his SPANISH FRIAR, which yet, I believe, the critick will find excelled by this play. JOHNSON. |