Por. You press me far, and therefore I will yield. Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your sake; And, for your love, I'll take this ring from you:Do not draw back your hand; I'll take no more; And you in love shall not deny me this. Bass. This ring, good sir,-alas, it is a trifle; Bass. There's more depends on this, than on the value. The dearest ring in Venice will I give you, Only for this, I pray you, pardon me. Por. I see, sir, you are liberal in offers: You taught me first to beg; and now, methinks, You teach me how a beggar should be answer'd. Bass. 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. Por. That 'scuse serves many men to save their gifts. An if your wife be not a mad woman, Come, you and I will thither presently; [Exeunt. SCENE II. The same. A Street. Enter PORTIA and NERISSA. Por. Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this deed, And let him sign it; we'll away to-night, And be a day before our husbands home: This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo. Enter GRATIANO. Gra. Fair sir, you are well overtaken : Por. That cannot be: This ring I do accept most thankfully, And so, I pray you, tell him: Furthermore, I pray you, show my youth old Shylock's house. Ner. [TO PORTIA. Which I did make him swear to keep for ever. Por. Thou may'st, I warrant: We shall have old2 swearing, That they did give the rings away to men; house? 1 i. e. more reflection. So in All's Well that Ends Well: 'You never did lack advice so much.' 2 Of this once common augmentative in colloquial language there are various instances in the plays of Shakspeare in the sense of abundant frequent. So in The Merry Wives of Windsor : 'Here will be an old abusing of God's patience and the king's English. Again in King Henry IV. Part II.: here will be old utis.' VOL. III. K ACT V. SCENE I. Belmont. Avenue to Portia's House. Enter LORENZO and JESSICA. Lor. The moon shines bright:--In such a night as this1, When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees, Jes. Lor. In such a night, Upon the wild sea-banks, and wav'd her love Jes. In such a night, Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs That did renew old son1. 1 The several passages beginning with these words are imitated in the old comedy of Wily Beguiled, written before 1596. See the play in Hawkins's Origin of the Drama, vol. iii. 2 This image is from Chaucer's Troilus and Cresseide, b. v. v. 666, and 1142. 3 Steevens observes that this is one instance, among many that might be brought to prove that Shakspeare was no reader of the classics. Perhaps he recollected Chaucer's description of Ariadne in a similar situation in the Legend of Good Women; or he may have taken this circumstance, as Warton suggests, from some ballad on the subject. 4 Steevens refers to Gower's description of Medea in his Confessio Amantis. Lor. In such a night, Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew: And with an unthrift love did run from Venice, As far as Belmont. Jes. In such a night, Did young Lorenzo swear he lov'd her well; Lor. In such a night, Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew, Jes. I would out-night you, did nobody come: But, hark, I hear the footing of a man. Enter STEPHANO. Lor. Who comes so fast in silence of the night? Steph. A friend. Lor. A friend? what friend? your name, I pray you, friend? Steph. Stephano is my name; and I bring word, My mistress will before the break of day Be here at Belmont: she doth stray about By holy crosses, where she kneels and prays For happy wedlock hours 5. Lor. Who comes with her? Steph. None, but a holy hermit, and her maid. I pray you, is my master yet return'd? Lor. 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. 5 So in the Merry Devil of Edmonton : But there are crosses, wife: here's one in Waltham, And this is a reason assigned for the delay of a wedding. Enter LAUNcelot. Laun. Sola, sola, wo, ha, ho, sola, sola! Laun. Sola! did you see master Lorenzo, and mistress Lorenzo? sola, sola! Lor. Leave hollaing, man; here. Laun. Sola! Where? where? Lor. Here. Laun. Tell him, there's a post come from my master, with his horn full of good news; my master will be here ere morning. [Exit. Lor. Sweet soul, let's in, and there expect their coming. And yet no matter;-Why should we go in? How sweet the moon-light sleeps upon this bank! 6 So in Churchyard's Worthines of Wales, 1587: A musicke sweete that through our eares shall creepe By secret arte, and lull a man asleep.' Again, in The Tempest: This music crept by me upon the waters.' 7 A small flat dish or plate, used in the administration of the Eucharist; it was commonly of gold, or silver-gilt. |